pet portraits

I grew up surrounded by animals — dogs, cats, turtles, and once, memorably, an elk I befriended in the forest near where I was raised. Understanding animals isn't something I learned — it's just always been there.

Based in Edinburgh, available across Scotland.

the approach

A relaxed animal photographs beautifully. A nervous one doesn't — and you can see it immediately in the images. So before any camera comes out, I make sure the dog is comfortable with me.

Some dogs take to it straight away. Others need time. If I can see an animal isn't settled on the first session, I'll put the camera away, spend the time building trust, and come back another day. On the second visit they're always pleased to see me — and the photographs show it.

I work outdoors wherever possible, in locations the animal already knows and feels at ease in. Their local park, their favourite walk, somewhere that means something to them. A dog in familiar territory, with someone they trust, is a dog worth photographing.

"The best dog photography experience in my life! Raff is very professional and also very caring and attentive to dogs. We enjoyed our photo session a lot as the whole experience was absolutely fantastic — me and my dog Nika totally loved it! The photos are just amazing, such high quality and very professional. I just could not believe my girl could be such a model until I saw the pictures, and that means you need to find the right photographer. I can truly say that Raff is the best and can highly recommend his services if you want an amazing experience and beautiful photos of your dog. We will be coming back for sure!"

Dovile & Nika — Dog photography