Northern Tails:
The Photography by Frankie 2026 Calendar
Trips to 12 Northern English Cities
Over 8 months in the making
Over 70 dogs photographed for the project
Countless hours of shooting, retouching and designing
for 1 incredible cause
Raising funds for Oak Tree Animals’ Charity
Calendars now on general sale until stocks last!
About the Project
At the beginning of 2025, Frankie set herself the unenviable challenge of photographing 60 over 70 different dogs in 12 northern English cities in just 6 8 months in 2025 with the goal of creating a charity calendar for 2026! Sure, it took a little longer than expected, and included more dogs that initially planned (what a surprise!), but the end result is so so worth all of it.
You can read more detail about the project itself here.
Along the way, Frankie photographed the big and the small, the floofy and the not-so floofy, the shy and the playful… and fell in love with every single one of them. The end result is a calendar filled full of the highest quality fine art portraits of dogs from Carlisle down to Sheffield and almost everywhere in between.
Recently, Frankie gained her second Fellowship qualification. This time with The Society of Photographers in the category Pet Portrait, and she’s so proud that 18 out of the 20 printed panel images were shot as part of this project. Many of them are included in the calendar itself.
Frankie’s Fellowship Panel
On September 23rd, 2025, Frankie was awarded a Fellowship in Pet Portrait by The Society of Photographers,the highest level of qualification with the organisation. She presented a printed panel of 20 images, and the majority of them came from shooting this project. Although not all of these images will feature in the calendar, many have been purchased as digital files by the wonderful dog owners themselves already, and you might spot your own dog amongst the 20 below.
The images themselves were curated not because Frankie considered them ‘the best’ - so so many that were shot as part of the project could have easily been included in this panel - they had to sit well as a collection and tell a story as a cohesive group, as well as stand up as individual pet portraits. An excerpt from her statement of intent explains:
”Visually, the panel shifts in tonality and brightness from left to right, reflecting not a rejection of darkness or cool tones but an essential folding of them into the work: an embrace of shadow and light, darkness and warmth together, much like what I've come to accept in my own life. Each image celebrates the architectural diversity of Northern England: Neo-Classical libraries, Gothic cathedrals, Victorian structures, industry and train stations, modern glass facades, and the whole panel serves as a lover letter to the urban North of England.”
Judges unanimously praised the panel for its shift from light to dark / cool to warm, leadings your eyes along the images and back again, brilliant editing style, and a wonderful concept. Those that knew the locations understood the challenges of light amongst other considerations, making a lot of the portraits all the more impressive. The panel had major visual impact across the board, and - most importantly for Frankie - the happiness and personality of each and every dog shone through. Considering she had only a short amount of time with the majority of the dogs and didn’t know them personally, this was all the more impressive.
Lastly, comments from judge Gary Hill really hit Frankie right in the feels, the wide range of breeds, particularly working dogs hit home for him: “What is truly exceptional in all this is how comfortable these dogs all look… seeing that every single one of these animals is so comfortable and confident in their environment is beautiful to see. That is testament to somebody who really understands dogs.”
Thank you to everybody who brought their dogs forward to be photographed by Frankie, you’ve all been such a fundamental part of this journey and we hope that the calendar shines a ray of sunshine into your home each and every day in 2026.
Sneak a Look
These previews should give you an idea what to expect. I can’t preview each and every dog’s image - I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise!
All About Oak Tree Animals’ Charity
The beneficiary of my calendar is an animals’ charity that is local to me, one which does incredible work in the community and offers help to animals in need. Their site in Wetheral provides refuge for dogs, cats, ponies, horses, goats, donkeys, ducks and chickens, and Oak Tree does an absolutely fantastic job of rehoming animals that are seeking a new lease of life.
Community outreach and education is at the forefront of Oak Tree’s ethos and they are extremely committed to working towards supporting the development of longstanding healthy relationships between people and animals. Not only does the charity offer a range of training and education events, they also have initiatives such as ‘A Helping Paw’ which is an initiative aiming to help animals have a place of refuge in situations of homelessness or domestic abuse. This particular initiative is a huge part of what drew me to Oak Tree to begin with, as being able to offer support to people and pets in these circumstances is something I find incredibly admirable.
Since moving to the local area in early 2025, I have become a major supporter of Oak Tree and will continue to in 2026 and beyond. I have recently held a successful studio morning on site in September 2025, and continue to offer my photography services to the charity. With my 2026 calendar, I am thrilled to announce that I will be donating 20% of the profits of calendar pre-orders and sales through my website direct to Oak Tree Animals’ Charity.
Order Your 2026 Calendar Now
Calendars are now on general sale in limited numbers! Once they’re sold out, they’re gone!
Oak Tree Animals’ Charity are also carrying physical stock, so if you are local then head over there to pick up your copy today!
Default shipping option for UK orders is Royal Mail Tracked 48. Shipping to Republic of Ireland and USA is also available - please proceed through to checkout to see the rates. You will receive an email to confirm when your order has been dispatched.
