Photography of Hannah's dog Springer a black Labrador
This has been one of my most emotional photo shoots so far. Hannah decided to engage my end of life pet photography service because her dog Springer had just been given a prognosis with an estimated few weeks of life remaining.
The tumours on his throat were growing and spreading, so Hannah decided to get photos taken before Springer’s time on earth would run out.
Why do I take photos of elderly dogs nearing the end of their life?
Well in early 2025, I said goodbye to my dog Chilli after more than fifteen years sharing a life together. It has been difficult to cope with and hard to adjust to a life where he isn’t around – from seeing his tail wagging first thing in the morning, going for a daily walk or simply having him around for company.
While many will consider having a dog as not much more than ‘owning an animal’, for me, Chilli meant much more than that. He had lived through my marriage (and divorce), lived in multiple locations, went on lots of road trips, helped me lose over 25kgs in weight to improve my health, helped me deal with a tough period in my life when I was diagnosed with Dysthymia (which is described as being in a state of chronic depression), and was the support I needed when I decided to leave my corporate career of twenty odd years to venture out as a freelancer.
So when I decided to add dog photography as a service for other dog owners it was with Chilli in mind. Yes everyone has lots of photos of their dog, but nearly every person I speak to doesn’t really have photos with their dog (including me).
Why did Hannah want photos with her dog Springer?
Hannah became Springer’s owner when he was just a puppy. It was one of those ‘meant to be’ stories where they grew up together in Lightening Ridge then spent some time together living in Tamworth.
Their journey together was set to continue as Hannah made the decision to leave friends and family behind so that she could pursue her career in emergency services, so she moved with Springer to Blacktown in Sydney.
Although, unfortunately, Hannah noticed Springer’s behaviour starting to change. At around eleven years old he wasn’t quite in his senior years as yet, but his behaviour changed enough for Hannah to sense something was wrong.
After multiple visits to the vet she was given the sad news that his condition was terminal, the only possibility of extending his life would be lots of medical treatment or an invasive operation to cut the tumours out, although in either scenario there wasn’t any real guarantee of survival or a comfortable extension to his life.
While Hannah was deliberating on which path to take she decided to get photos taken of the two of them together before it was too late. We organised to do a photo session in a small parkland reserve in Epping called Mobbs Lane Reserve.
It isn’t a busy location and it provided a good mix of privacy, natural space and shelter from the sun to keep both Springer and Hannah comfortable.
A photo session with dog and owner filled with emotions and tears
I met Hannah at the entrance to the park and was quite pleased to see Springer trotting down the footpath with a sense of excitement to be in a new location.
Springer was very friendly and you could sense he was putting on a brave face in the circumstances. Within minutes of taking photos you could see a sense of sadness in Springer’s eyes and Hannah was brought to tears with the realisation that this day could be one of the few remaining ones of his life.
I took photos of them sitting together, laying on the grass, walking and with Hannah giving Springer huge hugs. The look in his eyes and face shifted from stoic defiance to deep sadness. The whole time he was engaged, responsive and willing to do the things requested of him.
It was hard for Hannah to hold back her tears, but these also make beautiful photos as they capture the raw emotion, their bond, in a moment of reflection.
As if it was meant to be, we spoke about my experiences with Chilli & the various options available these days for dog euthanasia which includes vets that can do in home visits where the animal can be in familiar surroundings, comfortable and calm.
Sadly, I was informed a few hours after the photo shoot that Springer had passed away peacefully. After Hannah returned home, his condition had worsened and she made the difficult decision to not prolong his suffering any longer.
Springer’s last moments on earth are captured in the photos you see on this page. A heart wrenching moment but I feel priveleged to have helped a dog owner take photos with the animal they love.
“Thank you Paul!
Just letting you know Springer was put to sleep about an hour ago. We got home and he deteriorated so fast. That travel vet you mentioned was the absolute best idea despite the circumstances, He was so peaceful and comfortable at home.Thank you so much for today. You were comforting in a very uncomfortable time for us both and being so patient with us. I honestly can’t say thankyou enough.
The photos are better than I could have ever imagined… the last couple of days have been the most difficult and painful experience iv ever had to face on my own.
The photos are incredible and I tear up at how amazing you captured my beautiful boy, even with my sadness and my distress you were so patient and so kind and managed to really capture the love underneath all of the sadness and grief.
You are incredibly talented made me feel really comfortable in my feelings, you are such a kind spirit.”
I’m very fortunate in my life that I have the freedom to create, and a platform via this photography business called La Lente, to not only share such great human stories but also the images I’ve captured of the people telling them.
What started out as a hobby taking photos with a film camera of sunsets as a teenager has evolved to capture images from around the world of different places and people. It has been a great conduit for me to meet other people like Vivien and her family, to aid my grieving process after Chilli passed away earlier this year.
If you read the other stories I’ve shared, you will quickly see just how much a dog can impact people’s lives, while they are with you & after they are gone.
In memory of Chilli
This photography service was created in 2025 in memory of Chilli. Chilli was a rescue dog who came from PAWS (which has now become Denise at PAWS) who spent just over fifteen years with me becoming my companion, best friend and someone I will miss dearly.
He enjoyed a great life and was a constant in my life through thick and thin, lived in many different places and even spent some time on the road experiencing van life. A Maltese Shih Tzu who looked like a teddy bear when his fur was long and a Dalmation when he was clipped short.
He is the reason that I now provide pet photography for dogs in Sydney either at your home, a local park or your chosen location. For senior pets I also offer end of life pet photography sessions as I will always regret not getting more photos taken with him and I together.
