Richmond Park in May to July
From 1 May to 31 July, the deer birthing season, dogs must be on leads everywhere in Richmond Park. Plan a lead-on portrait, or choose Marble Hill for off-lead frames.
Dog and Pet Photographer in South London
Dog portraits on the walks your dog already knows, from the riverside at Marble Hill to the dog exercise area on Hilly Fields. Each session is planned around that park's own rules on leads, seasons and numbers of dogs.
The short answer
Where can I have my dog photographed in South London?
Kaushik Bathia photographs dogs and other pets on walks across South London, about 12 to 20 miles from Northwood. Good choices include Marble Hill in Twickenham, where dogs are welcome in the grounds, the dog exercise areas in Kennington Park and Hilly Fields, and Greenwich Park, where dogs may be off the lead under control. Check each park's rules first: Richmond Park asks for short leads all year. Travel to your chosen park is set out in your written quote, and session prices come on request.
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The Royal Parks
Richmond Park and Bushy Park: deer, leads and nesting skylarks
The two Royal Parks in the west of the area are the largest open spaces, and the strictest about dogs. The Royal Parks asks for dogs on short leads all year round in Richmond Park to protect wildlife, and it is an offence for a dog to chase deer. In the deer birthing season, from 1 May to 31 July, leads are required everywhere. Dogs may go on leads in the Isabella Plantation but are not allowed in Pembroke Lodge Gardens.
Bushy Park, across Kingston Bridge, asks for short leads from March to September and for walkers to keep to signposted paths through its skylark protection zones. Dogs are banned from its Woodland Gardens. A dog on a short lead can still make a lovely portrait among the ancient trees, but if you want running and leaping shots, a council park with an exercise area is the better choice. Lifestyle photography in the Royal Parks may also need a permit from the park office, so check before you book a date.
Richmond's council parks
Marble Hill, Petersham Meadows and the borough's lead-only gardens
Marble Hill in Twickenham, more than 60 acres of riverside parkland around a Palladian villa, welcomes dogs in the grounds, which makes it one of the more relaxed settings on this side of London. Petersham Meadows is the opposite in summer: under Richmond's 2026 dog control order, dogs are not allowed there from 1 April to 31 October, and they are banned from Barn Elms playing fields at all times.
Richmond's order also requires leads in Terrace Gardens, York House Gardens, Kings Field, Diamond Jubilee Gardens, Crane Park Island and at several ponds, and on roads, footpaths and towpaths. Fenced play areas, tennis courts and skate parks are dog-free, and nobody may walk more than four dogs at once without a council licence. If you want a portrait of your pack of five, that is two walkers and two leads' worth of planning. The Richmond upon Thames pet page has more.
Wandsworth and Lambeth
The Banana Park, Tooting Common and Kennington's two dog areas
Falcon Park in Battersea is known locally as the Banana Park for its shape between two railway lines, and has an open grass area used for dog exercise. Heathbrook Park, also in Battersea, has a large green with a circular path well used by dog walkers. Tooting Common has woodland including Bedford Woods, a lake and an open area for dog exercise. Do not choose Furzedown Recreation Ground for a dog portrait: dogs are not allowed in any part of it.
In Lambeth, Kennington Park has two dog exercise areas, one in the north and one in the south. Vauxhall Park has a dedicated dog exercise area on its western side, created in 2020, and Myatt's Fields Park in Camberwell has a small one in its north-western corner. The Friends of Streatham Common say dogs are welcome there but should be on a lead if they cannot be controlled by command. See the Wandsworth and Lambeth pet pages for more.
Southwark, Merton and Kingston
Burgess Park's lake, Mitcham's dog run and the cattle at Tolworth
Burgess Park, Southwark's largest at 56 hectares, asks for dogs on leads and out of the water at its fishing lake, and on leads in Chumleigh Gardens. Pasley Park and Pelier Park in Walworth both have dog exercise areas, and walkers at One Tree Hill nature reserve are limited to four dogs at a time. In Merton, Edenvale Open Space in Mitcham has a dedicated dog run, and Lewis Road Recreation Ground has a designated dog walking area.
Kingston's Tolworth Court Farm Fields nature reserve now has six Sussex cattle grazing, and in June 2026 the council ran a nature-friendly dog walk there to help owners walk dogs near them. A calm dog with cattle in the distance makes a lovely rural frame inside the M25, but keep your dog on a lead and give the herd plenty of room. Kingston's Royal Park Gate Playground is a dog-free area. More is on the Kingston pet page.
Greenwich and Lewisham
Off the lead in Greenwich Park, upstairs only on Telegraph Hill
Greenwich Park is the one Royal Park in the area where dogs generally do not need to be on a lead, provided they are under control, though they are not allowed in the Flower Garden, the Wilderness Deer Paddock or the Royal Observatory Garden. Blackheath north of the A2 has level grassland, the Long Pond and wide views from The Point. Oxleas Woodlands on Shooters Hill cover 130 hectares of woodland and meadow, with dogs accepted.
In Lewisham, Hilly Fields rises to 175 feet with views over the City and has a dog exercise area, as does Manor House Gardens in Lee. Telegraph Hill Park is split in two: dogs are allowed in the upper park, with its views over London, and the lower park is dog-free. Lewisham's borough-wide order limits anyone to four dogs in a public place. Greenwich and Lewisham are about 19 to 20 miles from Northwood, and travel there is quoted up front in writing. See the Greenwich pet page.
The session
How a pet walk session works
A pet session runs around 45 minutes to an hour and is planned for when your dog is at its happiest, often after a short run to take the edge off. Bring favourite treats, a squeaky toy, a lead and a towel, and a second person to hold and call your dog is always useful. Kaushik works at your pet's pace and stops when it has had enough.
Cats, rabbits and older dogs often do better at home or at the Northwood studio than in a busy park. Afterwards you choose from a private gallery of edited images, and prints, framed pieces and canvases can be ordered. The national pet photography page has more on the session, and the South London hub lists our other services here.
Planning
Planning around South London
Petersham Meadows in summer
Dogs are not allowed on Petersham Meadows from 1 April to 31 October under Richmond's 2026 order. A November to March session there can include the meadow and river.
Four-dog limit
Richmond, Greenwich and Lewisham all limit one person to four dogs, and so does One Tree Hill in Southwark. Larger groups need a second handler to be photographed together.
Merton's current rules
Merton Council says no dog control orders are currently in effect in the borough and new ones are being planned. Check the council site before your session date in case that has changed.
Oaks Park, Carshalton
Oaks Park in Sutton covers 33.57 hectares of formal gardens, chalk meadows and woodland, with a dog-free picnic area. The chalk meadows suit a summer portrait in long grass.
Dog walks and parks in South London
Parks and their dog rules across South London, each with its source; rules change, so check the park's current signs before your session.
- Southwark Park: Southwark Park on Gomm Road, SE16, covers 63 acres and opened in 1869 as one of the Metropolitan Board of Works' earliest parks, with a boating lake, a bandstand, the Ada Salter Garden and the Southwark Park Galleries. 1
- Beverley Brook: Beverley Brook, a minor tributary of the River Thames, flows through the east of New Malden. 2
- Cannizaro Park: Cannizaro Park, on the south-western edge of Wimbledon Common, is a Grade II* listed garden of ponds, sculpture and rhododendron, azalea and camellia plantings around Cannizaro House; house and gardens were sold to Wimbledon Borough Council in 1947 and opened to the public soon after. 3
- Manor Park, Sutton: Manor Park on Throwley Way (SM1 4AF), in Sutton town centre, was laid out on the grounds of four large suburban houses and has a café built in 2010 from straw and natural materials, a playground and an outdoor gym. 4
- Greenwich Park dog rules: Dogs generally do not need to be on a lead in Greenwich Park but must be kept under control, and they are not allowed in the Flower Garden, the Wilderness Deer Paddock or the Royal Observatory Garden. 5
Sources, facts checked October 2026
Town by town
Pet sessions across South London
South London boroughs with their own pet pages, and the distance of each from Northwood; each lists that borough's dog-friendly parks.
- Richmond upon Thames (12 miles from the studio)
- Wandsworth (14 miles from the studio)
- Kingston upon Thames (14 miles from the studio)
- Lambeth (15 miles from the studio)
- Southwark (15 miles from the studio)
- New Malden (15 miles from the studio)
- Tooting (16 miles from the studio)
- Merton (16 miles from the studio)
- Sutton (19 miles from the studio)
- Greenwich (19 miles from the studio)
- Lewisham (20 miles from the studio)
Good to know
Pet photography in South London: questions answered
Not really. The Royal Parks asks for short leads all year in Richmond Park to protect wildlife, and it is an offence for a dog to chase deer. For off-lead running shots nearby, Marble Hill in Twickenham welcomes dogs in its grounds; check the current signs on the day.
Yes. Dogs generally do not need a lead there if they are under control, which allows natural running shots, but they are kept out of the Flower Garden, the Wilderness Deer Paddock and the Royal Observatory Garden. Lifestyle photography in the Royal Parks may need a permit, so check with the park office.
Falcon Park, the Banana Park, and Heathbrook Park both have open grass used for dog exercise, and Battersea Park offers a riverside promenade and a large lake as backdrops. Wandsworth is about 14 miles from Northwood, and travel is set out in your written quote.
Yes, in the upper park, where dogs are allowed and the views over London make a good background. The lower park is a dog-free area, so the session stays in the top half.
Yes. Lewisham's order limits one person to four dogs in a public place, so three is fine with one handler, though a second person to hold and call them helps a lot. Hilly Fields and Manor House Gardens both have dog exercise areas.
We can, with your dog on a lead and plenty of distance from the six Sussex cattle grazing there. Kingston Council ran a nature-friendly dog walk there in June 2026 to help owners feel comfortable near the herd, which is worth reading about first.
Prices for a South London pet session are given on request by phone or WhatsApp on 07956 505383. They depend on the length of the session and where it takes place, and the travel from Northwood is shown separately in your written quote.
Book a walk
Want a portrait of your dog on its own walk?
Tell us the park, your dog's name and temperament, and the season you have in mind, and we will reply with dates and a written quote that includes travel.
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