St James's lake
Keep your dog on the lead inside the fenced grass around the lake in St James's Park, and use the open lawns for running shots.
Dog and Pet Photographer in Central London
Dog portraits in the Royal Parks and the small green squares of Westminster and the City, planned around each park's lead rules and permits. Kaushik travels in from Northwood to meet you.
The short answer
Where can I have my dog photographed in central London?
The Royal Parks give the most room: dogs generally need not be on a lead in St James's Park, The Green Park and Hyde Park, but must be under control, with exceptions such as the fenced grass by St James's lake and Hyde Park's Rose Garden. Organised shoots there need a Royal Parks permit. Kaushik Bathia travels about 14 to 15 miles from Northwood, and travel is set out in your written quote.
Me and my family are coming to this studio since last year to have our Christmas picture taken. We've been this year and for sure we are gonna come next year!!!
Took brilliant pictures this year for me and my family! and even before hand 16 years ago took very professional pictures hence why we came back!
I went into the photoshoot with reservations, as I wasn’t sure how well my youngest child (3 years) would be in a photoshoot situation. As soon as walking into the shoot and seeing how Kaushik interacted with the little ones, I was immediately put at ease. He amazingly kept my child smiling and laughing for an hour, where I can’t seem to manage to do for 30 seconds!
St James's Park
St James's Park: off the lead, but not on the fenced grass by the lake
St James's Park looks along The Mall to Buckingham Palace and has kept pelicans by its lake since 1664, a gift from a Russian ambassador to Charles II. Dogs generally need not be on a lead there but must be under control, except in the fenced grass area around the lake. For a dog portrait, that means the open lawns away from the water are where a dog can run, and the lakeside views are taken on the lead.
Pelicans and a dog that chases birds are not a good mix, so tell us honestly how your dog reacts to wildlife. A calm dog can sit on the path with the lake behind; an excitable one is better photographed on the open grass first, once some energy has gone. Commercial dog walkers need a Royal Parks licence in St James's Park, and an organised photoshoot needs its own Royal Parks permit.
Green Park and Hyde Park
Meadow grass in The Green Park, open space in Hyde Park
The Royal Parks says dogs in The Green Park generally need not be on a lead, the exception being the Memorial Gardens in front of Buckingham Palace. The park has no formal flower beds, only mature trees, grassland and wildflower meadows, so a dog in long summer grass or under the mature trees makes a simple, uncluttered picture with little to distract from the animal itself.
Hyde Park has more space again. Dogs there generally need not be on a lead but must be under control, with exceptions such as the Rose Garden and the area around the Serpentine, the lake Queen Caroline added in the 1730s. The park has two public car parks reached from West Carriage Drive, useful if you are bringing an older dog that cannot walk far. The Royal Parks require a permit for any photography in Hyde Park beyond personal phone use.
Council gardens
Soho squares, Little Venice and the Westminster gardens dogs can and cannot use
Westminster City Council says all its parks are dog friendly except a named list, which includes Soho Square, Golden Square, Norfolk Square Gardens, Rembrandt Gardens and Drury Lane Gardens. That rules out some of the most photogenic small spaces, including the canal-side gardens at Little Venice, so check the list before you set your heart on a backdrop. The Causton Street play area behind Tate Britain does not allow dogs either.
One small green space that does welcome dogs is St Anne's Churchyard at 55 Wardour Street, the only green space in lower Soho, noted for its pots, containers and Japanese maples. In autumn the maples give a warm colour behind a small dog sitting on a bench or a lap. For a lively breed that needs to run, the Westminster pet page and the Royal Parks above are the better choice.
City and river
The Thames Path and Hampstead Heath for City dog owners
The City of London is mostly hard paving, and its gardens are better suited to people than to running dogs. The Thames Path National Trail, which runs 185 miles from Kemble in Gloucestershire to Woolwich, passes the Millennium Bridge below St Paul's and gives a riverside walk with a skyline behind. A lead keeps the session calm on a path shared with cyclists and walkers. The City of London pet page covers the Square Mile on its own.
For more room, a City dog can head north instead. The City of London Corporation looks after Hampstead Heath, where dogs must be under control, return when called off the lead and be picked up after, and professional dog walkers need a licence. A session there gives a dog real space. Travel from Northwood is quoted up front and set out in writing before you book, wherever the walk is.
Planning
Planning around Central London
Memorial Gardens
The Memorial Gardens in front of Buckingham Palace are the exception to The Green Park's relaxed lead rule, so plan palace-view frames with the lead on.
Serpentine and Rose Garden
Hyde Park's lead exceptions include the Rose Garden and the Serpentine area; the open grass elsewhere suits a dog that loves to run.
Soho and Golden Squares
Both are on Westminster City Council's list of parks that are not dog friendly, along with Rembrandt Gardens, so choose St Anne's Churchyard instead.
Royal Parks permit
An organised pet shoot in a Royal Park needs a wedding and lifestyle photography permit, each covering up to ten people for one hour.
Dog walks and parks in Central London
Parks and gardens in Westminster and the City with their dog rules, so you can choose a place where your pet is allowed to run.
- Hyde Park: Henry VIII acquired Hyde Park from the monks of Westminster Abbey in 1536, Charles I opened it to the public in 1637, and Queen Caroline added the Serpentine lake in the 1730s. 1
- St James's Park: St James's Park, the Royal Park bordered by three royal palaces, looks along The Mall to Buckingham Palace and has kept pelicans by its lake since 1664, when a Russian ambassador gave them to Charles II. 2
- Dogs in The Green Park: The Royal Parks says dogs in The Green Park generally need not be on a lead but must be under their owner's control, the exception being the Memorial Gardens in front of Buckingham Palace. 3
Sources, facts checked October 2026
Town by town
Pet sessions across Central London
Pet sessions in central London are split between Westminster, with the Royal Parks, and the City of London, each about 14 to 15 miles from Northwood.
- London (14 miles from the studio)
- Westminster (14 miles from the studio)
- City of London (15 miles from the studio)
Good to know
Pet photography in Central London: questions answered
Generally yes, as long as your dog is under control, but not in the fenced grass area around the lake. The open lawns away from the water work best for running shots, and an organised session there needs a Royal Parks permit arranged beforehand.
No. Rembrandt Gardens is on Westminster City Council's list of parks where dogs are not welcome, alongside Soho Square, Golden Square, Norfolk Square Gardens and Drury Lane Gardens. St Anne's Churchyard on Wardour Street welcomes dogs and is a small, leafy alternative.
Hyde Park has two public car parks reached from West Carriage Drive, which helps with an older or nervous dog that is better kept close to the car. Remember the lead exceptions around the Rose Garden and the Serpentine.
Yes, though cats are usually happiest at home, where they feel secure. A home session in a Westminster or City flat works well for cats, rabbits and other small pets, and travel from Northwood is set out in your written quote.
Around 45 minutes to an hour, planned for the time of day your pet is at their best. Bring treats, a favourite toy and a towel, and come after a short walk if your dog is a bouncy breed.
Ask by phone or WhatsApp on 07956 505383 for the current price of a pet session in a Royal Park or at home. The session price and the travel from Northwood, about 14 to 15 miles, are both set out before you book.
Book a pet portrait
Your dog in a Royal Park, with the rules planned in
Tell us about your dog or pet and the park you have in mind, and we will check the lead rules and the permit and suggest the best time of day.
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