Sunrise at Elizabeth Quay with Jiggles & Cara
If you have ever thought about doing a city photoshoot with your dog but immediately assumed “mine could never”… this is for you.
Cara, Jiggles and I met at Elizabeth Quay right at sunrise and honestly this is hands down one of my favourite spots in Perth when it comes to variety for urban shoots. You get the skyline, you can capture the water, you have clean lines with open spaces and if you time it right, you also get a level of calm that you just don’t see here later in the day.
That morning in particular had everything going for it. The water was completely still, the city lights were still glowing and even though there were soft rain clouds sitting over the skyline this made it feel even more special. It was quiet, a little moody and just really really pretty. But you can see for yourself!
Let me introduce the star of the show:
Jiggles, a Finnish Lapphund puppy, came along with her mum Cara. Jiggles is not even a year old and still learning. Some people would think that she wouldn't be able to handle a city environment like this but she absolutely rocked her photoshoot at Elizabeth Quay. She did incredibly well but what you might not expect by looking at the photos - she was on lead for nearly all of the session!
Your dog doesn't need to be as obedient as you think!
Your dog does not need flawless obedience to do a shoot like this. They also really don’t need to hold a perfect stay or ignore the world around them. All they need to bring with them is being reasonably comfortable in new environments around people, some bikes and maybe the occasional dog.
As I mentioned earlier, Jiggles spent a lot of the session on lead and close to Cara and that is completely fine - it won't look like it in the final photos.
A lead will keep things safe, especially in a city environment and it keeps the humans more relaxed allowing the dog to stay connected to their person instead of being pushed too far, too fast.
This shoot had zero stress or nervous energy, there was no forcing anything or stressing about her posing. It was just a puppy moving through a new space with her person right there, checking in with her mum, learning and exploring in a new environment and genuinely having a good time doing it.
Cara was so in tune with Jiggles the entire session. She stayed close, adjusted when Jiggles needed a second and we had a good laugh when things weren’t “perfect” and just let her be exactly what she is right now: a young, happy, energetic, slightly chaotic and very very loveable puppy. This kind of approach is what makes these sessions work.
There were so many small moments throughout the session that just came together naturally. Jiggles’ coat catching the wind, the soft light hitting at just the right angle and we even had a little bit of rain come in to add to the photos!
Sunrise dog shoots are perfect for Elizabeth Quay
By the time the city started to wake up we were already wrapping up - which is another reason I love shooting here early. You get all the beauty of the location without the chaos and your dog gets the space to settle into it instead of being overwhelmed.
So if you have been sitting there thinking your dog isn’t “trained enough” for a location like this, I want you to question that a little.
They don’t need to be perfect - they just need to be happy to come to a new spot with you!
Sunrise dog shoots are perfect for Elizabeth Quay
By the time the city started to wake up we were already wrapping up - which is another reason I love shooting here early. You get all the beauty of the location without the chaos and your dog gets the space to settle into it instead of being overwhelmed.
So if you have been sitting there thinking your dog isn’t “trained enough” for a location like this, I want you to question that a little.
They don’t need to be perfect - they just need to be happy to come to a new spot with you!
Would love a more quiet spot for your dog photoshoot regardless?
I created an awesome guide for you about locations around Perth. It will give you a feel for the location and a little bit of information who each spot is suitable for.
