Dogs off the lead
Dogs photographed at their own pace on the Common, with leads painted out at the edit afterwards.
Pet Photographer in Merton
★★★★★ Rated 4.8 from 580+ reviews
Pet sessions at home or on Merton's commons · free consultation
Merton and nearby
Relaxed pet sessions in Merton
- What is included: A calm sitting for dogs, cats and other pets, led by the animal's temperament rather than a rigid plan, with fine-art prints, framed pieces or canvases to order from the favourites.
- Where we photograph in Merton: Your home or garden, or a walk at Morden Hall Park, Green Flag parks in Merton or Wimbledon Common. We travel from Northwood, about 16 miles away. If you would ever rather come to us, the Northwood studio is an option.
- Booking: Ring or WhatsApp 07956 505383, or leave your details in the form below.
Bring whatever your dog actually cares about, food or a squeaky toy, and keep it out of sight until it is needed. Sessions run in short bursts with rests between them, and the animal decides when we are finished rather than the clock.
Leads and long lines are edited out afterwards, so nothing has to be risked to get a picture. You receive the edited files in colour, plus mono where the coat suits it, sized for printing and for a phone.
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Beautiful family photos, everyone was made to feel comfortable and relaxed so we got lovely photos with everyone smiling and happy. Photographs are beautiful. Thank you!
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!
We recently did a family photoshoot with our 8 months old daughter, and it was such a lovely experience. Kaushik was brilliant with her, so patient and playful, and he managed to get so many genuine smiles from her, which made a huge difference. He made us feel really comfortable throughout the shoot and never rushed us.
What we offer
Pet photography in Merton
Cats and small animals
Older animals, cats and rabbits photographed indoors at home, on their own furniture and their own terms.
Dark coats done properly
Dark coats handled by choosing lighter ground, so the dog does not become a shape without detail.
Local and experienced
Why book with us
You stay involved throughout, since your voice and hands are the best way to direct your pet's gaze.
Recent work
On location in Merton
Commons and parks in Merton for a dog session
A dog outdoors needs room to sniff without traffic close by, so we would choose a quiet stretch of a common or park your dog already knows, keeping the lead on near water and wildlife. Each dog-walking space below is summarised from a published page, linked so you can check it first. Travel from Northwood is set out in your written quote before you book.
- Lewis Road Recreation Ground dog walking area. Lewis Road Recreation Ground in Mitcham has a designated dog walking area alongside a play area and a football pitch. 1
- Merton dog control PSPO status. Merton Council states that no Public Spaces Protection Orders controlling dogs are currently in effect in the borough and that it is working on plans for a new set of dog control orders. 2
- Edenvale Open Space dog run. Edenvale Open Space on Woodland Way, Mitcham, is a council open space with a play area and a dedicated dog run area. 3
- Colliers Wood Recreation Ground, entered from Clarendon Road, South Gardens and Cavendish Road, is a 3-hectare Green Flag park with a children's play area, ornamental memorial garden, paddling pool and tennis courts. 4
Sources
Good to know
Pet Photographer in Merton, FAQs
It is usually the best reason to book. An older dog holds still, watches you, and gives the kind of eye contact a young one never offers, so the pictures come easily. We would not take an unsteady animal out across Wimbledon Common; we would work a few steps from the car, or indoors at your Merton address, and finish well before it is tired.
Yes, if you can. A favourite toy or a pocket of treats helps your pet relax and keeps its attention.
Yes, and they are lovely sessions. We bring the whole household together, four legs and two, for a warm family portrait outdoors near Merton. Your pet is treated as a proper member of the family, photographed with the same care as everyone else.
That is normal, and it seldom causes any trouble. We let a lively dog play and photograph its character in between. Action shots, mid-run or mid-leap, can be part of the session too. A good portrait does not depend on the dog keeping still.
Both. Dogs in Merton usually do better outdoors, on the Common or wherever they are walked daily, because the behaviour you recognise only shows up on ground they trust. We settle which one when you book, so nobody turns up with the wrong kit.
Serving Merton
A pet photographer near Merton
Merton has 10 Green Flag parks and green spaces, including Colliers Wood Recreation Ground, Canons House and Grounds, and John Innes Park. It sits close to Wandsworth and Sutton, which we cover too. Whichever setting you choose, travel from Northwood is set out in your written quote before you book.
Wimbledon Common is part of Wimbledon and Putney Commons, 460 hectares of open land protected by an 1871 Act, with Wimbledon Windmill near its centre. Morden Hall Park keeps two snuff watermills and a restored stableyard beside the River Wandle, and is another open space in the borough to consider for a walk-and-shoot session. For relaxed outdoor photographs around Merton, Wimbledon Common is one option, and The All England Lawn Tennis Club at Wimbledon is a well-known local backdrop.
More in Merton
More photography services in Merton
The same photographer, experience and personal care apply to every service we offer in Merton. Explore the rest: we also cover pet photography across London, including Southwark, Hackney, Hounslow, Hammersmith and Fulham and Barnet.
Wimbledon Common gives a dog something most London ground cannot, which is room to be photographed moving instead of posed, and movement is where the craft actually sits. A dog running straight at the lens is the hardest frame there is, because the focus has nowhere to travel and the legs fold into the body. The dependable version is to have somebody call the dog past us rather than at us, along a line picked in advance, so the animal crosses a patch of ground that is already lit and clear. Footing decides whether any of that is on. Grass and worn earth keep water long after a shower, and a soaked coat with muddy legs costs more at the edit than the energy gains. The coat itself is the other constraint. A very dark dog on dark, wet ground leaves the sensor nothing to separate, and the fix is to move the animal onto pale grass or a light path, or to put open sky behind it, rather than to pile more light onto the fur. Pale dogs have the same problem in reverse under bright cloud. Nervous animals want the opposite of a busy arrival point, so with a dog that startles we would stay well away from where the trams and trains converge, begin somewhere quiet, and leave the camera sitting on the ground unused for the first few minutes. Older dogs get a short session broken into two or three spells, and we stop it early rather than late.
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Guides
Pet guides for Merton
Two journal pieces to read before your pet's session in Merton.
Relaxed Sessions That Feel Natural
Read the guide
What to wear when you join your pet on camera
Read the guide
Wedding Photography in Merton
documentary, warm & unhurried
Hindu Wedding Photography in Merton
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Muslim Wedding Photography in Merton
the nikah, mehndi & walima
Photographer in Merton
every service we offer in Merton
How it works
Pet sessions at your Merton home or park
We travel to Merton from Northwood, about 16 miles away, so we bring the shoot to you. For pets that usually means your home, your garden or a nearby open space in Merton, with portable lighting if the rooms are dark.
Kaushik Bathia, who has worked from Northwood since 2001, photographs every pet session in person; he is FBIPP and FMPA and holds five European Kodak Gold Awards.
Beyond Merton, see pet photography across South London. For every other service, see photography across South London.
Popular sessions
Pets are welcome at a Christmas family photoshoot too, and the whole family can be photographed together in a family session.
Based in London
Book your Merton shoot
Tell us what you'd like to capture in Merton and we'll send availability, ideas and pricing.