Working Dog Photography Cumbria: Meeting Fllandrys Becc, Spyview Nell and Flo in Gilsland

What a couple of month it's been! My feet have barely touched the ground - I've lost count of how many dog photography sessions I've been doing around Cumbria and Northumberland, been working on a huge amount of retouching, and somehow squeezed in a 4-day round trip to Hong Kong to bring back my own border collie Scout (from working lines herself) to the UK. And we've still got a few days left where I'm shooting at a wedding, holding a private shoot and visiting a super special place in Newcastle. I wouldn't have my work any other way though!

I spent some time a while ago up at a farm in Gilsland: you know, that bit where you're not quite sure if you're in Cumbria or Northumberland anymore. As a dog photographer based in Brampton, Cumbria, I'm always excited when I get to work with proper working dogs. My mission was simple: photograph three of Zoe’s working collies on the job / training for the job one early summer evening, and we ended up doing each session a bit closer to sunset. Honestly, it turned out to be one of those days where everything just clicked.

The setting was pretty much perfect for this kind of working dog photography. Rolling fells, those old dry stone walls that seem to go on forever, and sheep dotted about doing their sheep thing. There's something about photographing working dogs in their actual home environment, whether that's the Cumbrian fells or Northumberland hills, that just works better than trying to recreate or stage it elsewhere.

Fllandrys Becc - The Professional

My first session of the afternoon was with Becc, who is very much Zoe’s dog. As soon as she came out of her kennel she was right by her side, looking for affection first, then a job second. She knew she was out to work, the switch had suddenly been flicked on, and she hopped up on the quad next to me not even batting an eyelid that I was there because she was much to focused on the job she knew she was about to do. 

Becc's a tri-colour collie who came up from Wales originally. She's done some trial work but really shines when she's out working the hills. What struck me about her was how economical she is with her movements, no wasted energy, no fuss. She'd position herself exactly where she needed to be and read the sheep like she'd been doing it her whole life (which, to be fair, she probably has).

When we got out to the ewes and lambs we’d be working with, Becc flew into action. She gathered a flock from a far fell and drove them toward me and my camera. At least thing I have learned from photographing working collies is that you need the perfect blend of patience and razor-sharp reflexes - there are so many microsecond moments that make an incredible image. Miss them at your peril. At the same time, sheep are easily spooked by a person lying down on the ground in their path, so I stuck to hiding behind things as best I could: gates, fences, tufts of thick grass.

Getting decent shots of Becc meant paying attention to those small moments, the way she'd drop her head before making a move, or how she'd drop low when the sheep were being particularly stubborn. She's got this quiet authority that comes across in the photos, particularly where I’ve captured her with ewes and their lambs. Pure magic. 

Spyview Nell - All Energy and Enthusiasm

After finishing up with Becc, we hopped back on the quad to swap dogs back at the farm. Tongue full out of one side of her mouth, Becc had been well-worked. Although I highly suspect that if we asked her to do it all over again she would not have hesitated, such is the drive and desire of a working dog like her!

By the time we got to take Nell out with us, we were hitting that sweet spot of golden hour light. Long-haired, gorgeous, and absolutely buzzing with excitement from the moment we let her loose in the field. She's still relatively young but the herding instinct is definitely there. Maybe a bit too keen sometimes - she'd practically vibrate with anticipation waiting for commands and be quick to put any one who put a toe out of line back in their place. 

What I loved about photographing Nell was catching that mix of serious working collie concentration and pure joy, all bathed in that warm evening light. She's still got that puppyish quality where you can see she's having the time of her life, even when she's working hard. The golden hour definitely added something special to her shots too, and even the midges and mosquitos came together to add a bit of ethereal magic to her backlit images.  

Flo - Born for This

Keeping one eye on the sun and one eye on Nell, I made the call that we’d best do our final dog swap of the day so we had back to pick up little Flo. She may also be young, but she moves like she’s being doing this much longer. By the time we were shooting together we were in full golden hour territory as the sun dropped even lower in the sky.

The thing about Flo is this pose she does as she’s laser focused: one paw up, completely still, waiting for the next instruction. She reminded me of a gundog on point, especially with her smooth coat. She'd hold it for ages, just watching and waiting, and with that evening light hitting her coat, it made for some pretty dramatic shots, especially with the steam from her hot breath on the cooling night - photographing this backlit in the sun was just chef’s kiss.

She was probably the most intense of the three to photograph. Every shot had this edge to it because you could see how focused she was, and the warm light just emphasised that intensity. No mucking about with Flo - she was there to do a job, golden hour or not, and I’m pretty certain had we not called her back to go home, she would have. continued working all night. What a superstar.

Why Working Dog Photography Appeals to Me

There's definitely something different about working dogs compared to standard pet photography sessions. These aren't just someone's companion animals - they're genuine working partners with jobs to do. The relationship between the dogs and their handler is built on mutual respect and understanding that goes way beyond basic commands.

Whether I'm photographing Border Collies on Cumbrian farms or other working breeds across Northumberland, there's always that extra layer of connection and purpose that makes for compelling images.

I'm always interested in doing more working dog photography around Cumbria and Northumberland. As a professional dog photographer in Brampton, I love capturing the unique bond between working dogs and their handlers across the beautiful landscapes of the North. If you've got working dogs that deserve their moment in front of the camera, drop me a line.

You can get in touch here, or have a look at some of my other recent work if you want to see what these sessions typically produce.