2024… Honestly, where do I even start? This year has tested me in ways I could never have imagined. It’s been a whirlwind of challenges, heartbreak, and growth, yet somehow, against all odds, I’ve come out on the other side feeling more independent, more confident, and deeply reflective.

I’ve always been a reflective person. I love looking back on memories, especially those captured through the lens of my camera — especially those I’ve taken over the past 12 years since I created CatsDog Photography. While my 30s have been my favourite decade so far, the end of that era brought a bombshell I never saw coming.

I won’t go into details, but if you’ve ever been betrayed by someone you built a life with, you’ll know it cuts deep and changes you in ways you never expected. But here’s the thing about change—it’s not always bad.

The first appearance I made on social media after several months

Towards the start of the year, I booked a tattoo of a phoenix rising from the ashes. It felt symbolic—a reminder that no matter how low I felt, I could rise again. 🐦‍🔥  It took my little phoenix much longer than I’d hoped to soar above the flames, but she beat her wings persistently. True to my favourite motto, “persistence always pays off,” she finally did.

This year redefined my journey both professionally and personally.  Persistence always pays off, and these last 12 months have been proof of that.

So, for anyone seeking inspiration in times of darkness, I invite you to read on. Throughout this account of my challenging 12 months, I’ve sprinkled in the photos I captured along the way. I hope they allow you to share in my journey and perhaps find a spark of light in your own.

The first silver lining of 2024 occurred just a few days into the year, shortly after my life, as I had known it for the past decade, fell apart. During a group chat with some close friends, I found myself saying half-jokingly, “I’m just going to get more dogs.” Weirdly, at the very moment I typed that, another friend reached out to ask if I would like to adopt her little Chihuahua, Mabel, as she could no longer care for her.

My heart leapt into my mouth as I quickly replied that I absolutely would. I have to admit, a small part of me wondered if I was being completely irrational. I had just experienced a massive life-changing event, and here I was, deciding to adopt a dog. Was I thinking clearly? But deep down, I knew it was the right decision.

Looking back, I’m so glad I went through with it. Mabel probably wouldn’t have come into my life if not for the circumstances I was in, and many people have remarked that she was an excellent “trade-in.” On reflection and given the context, I can’t say I disagree.

Mabel has been a whirlwind addition to my pack. Within just a few months of joining my household, she channelled her inner Houdini and managed to escape, spending the night in the cemetery near my house and leaving me frantic. My incredible friends rallied around, searching the graves with me through the night, but we had no luck. So many kind people on social media pitched in, sharing her missing poster far and wide.

As if her disappearance wasn’t stressful enough, the next morning, I was supposed to be speaking at the prestigious annual Photography Show at the NEC in Birmingham, in collaboration with Pixapro. I had spent weeks preparing my talk on dog photography, and I knew people were looking forward to it—but I couldn’t leave until I found her.

By some miracle, a kind local recognised her from the social media posts, spotting her wandering nearby. They brought her back to me, tired but entirely unphased. She gave me a look that seemed to say, “What? I just went out—what’s the big deal?”

Dirty little stopout, Mabel!

With my girl safe and sound, I could thankfully,  make it to the Photography Show just in time to deliver my talk. The whole experience was a wild test of resilience!

Honestly, the first half of the year was a blur. My confidence was shaken, and I felt like I’d lost a part of myself. But I knew one thing for sure: I just had to keep going. That became my motto—“Just keep going.”

Swipe left to see another version of this portrait of my three girls–which do you prefer? I’m torn!

The winter season brought back my Colour Sessions for the second year running. Click the examples below to make them bigger if you wish!

You might be surprised to learn that these colourful backgrounds are created not with painted backdrops, but with a lighting techniques gel lighting. Inspired by a desire to brighten the dreary months, I use gel lighting to create vibrant, colourful portraits. It’s a technique I love for its creativity, and I’m thrilled to offer these sessions again in 2025. Applications for the opportunity to take part with your dog are now open for a limited time — and whats more applications are FREE!  LEARN MORE HERE

Once my 2024 Colour Sessions were wrapped, it was time for me to head back outside and restart my classic on-location Dog photography adventures. But one problem. My confidence was shattered. Yes, I had worked in photography all my working life, and I set up CatsDog independently way before anyone else was involved back in 2013. Nevertheless, I found myself questioning if I could still do this, which might surprise you, given how outwardly bubbly and confident I am, but you have to remember my whole world has been shattered at this point and I still hadn’t really come to terms with that. I figured there was only one way to find out if I could, and that was to just do it. Rather like when I first started out as a professional photographer, I decided to fake it until I made it, put on a big smile and just go for it. Convincing yourself to wing something is often the best way, because in reality you might not actually be winging it as much as you think you are but by allowing yourself the grace to just give it a go even if you’re not feeling fully confident you give yourself the opportunity to prove to yourself that you can in fact to do this.

In front of Ingleton Falls before we headed out to create my Scarf Project portrait of Rapha — to be revealed in my next YouTube video, coming soon!

So many of my friends rallied around me during this challenging period, and I will never forget each and every one of their efforts.

One of those friends was fellow photographer Dave. Not only did he come along to The Photography Show to assist with my talk on dog photography, but he and his wife also travelled all the way from Dorset with their dog, Rapha, for an adventure through the Yorkshire Dales. Their goal was to help rebuild my confidence by creating a brand-new Scarf Project photo—something I was feeling incredibly anxious about at the time.

Their kindness and determination, staying with me until the sun disappeared below the horizon so I could get “just a few more shots” to capture the perfect moment, left a lasting impression on me. Moments like these remind me how even the smallest gestures of support can mean the world to someone at rock bottom. It’s the little things that can truly help a person begin to rebuild.

Swipe for a selection of portraits created Spring/Summer of 2024

There was one session I remember in particular that my lovely Mum (a bona fide employee of CatsDog!) came along to assist. You know when you get those negative self-talk voices in your head? Well, they were chattering away at me throughout the whole of the session. But I got my head down, dug into the depths of my soul to pull out some creative energy, put a smile on my face and carried on the best I could. This was a special occasion for my client and I wanted it to feel like it for everyone involved! When I got into the car with my mum, she turned to me and said wow, you were so full of life and confidence throughout that session! I turned to her in disbelief and said,

“Are you joking?! I felt like I was falling apart inside throughout that session.”

My Mum was surprised, telling me that it hadn’t come across at all, and I could tell she wasn’t just saying it to make me feel better. Well, I thought to myself at least I can still do my job even if the inside of me feels like a snow globe that has been shaken up.

Towards the end of spring, I decided to plan a photography trip to Edinburgh and opened up bookings for sessions while I was there. Travel sessions have always been a cherished part of my business, and having absolutely adored the Scottish capital on my last visit, it felt like the perfect idea.

While in Edinburgh, I took the chance to capture some special photographs of my now-expanded pack. I invited my good friend Sadie to join me on the trip, she was my rock throughout this tough year – and that extended to epic dog photography adventures! She lent her support as we trekked up Arthur’s Seat through a sea of yellow flowers to catch the sunset, wandered through Edinburgh’s rainy streets in search of the most colourful and unique doorways, and even slipped under a fence to photograph my dogs on a brand-new bridge in Leith that hadn’t yet opened to the public! 🤭 It’s quite possible my three were the first dogs ever to set paw on that bridge.

For the first time in a while, I could feel a part of me starting to thaw out. I was back doing what I loved most. But deep down, my soul still didn’t feel fully lit up—I was still carrying a lot of pain.

To anyone feeling broken or lost right now, I hope this story and the photographs I created during this time can serve as a testament to what’s possible, even when you don’t feel like yourself. Don’t give up. Just keep going. Whether it’s next week, next month, or next year, there will come a point where things start to feel normal again—little by little. JUST. KEEP. GOING.

Swipe for a selection of Portraits of Ettie (first three) and Lady (second three) up in Edinburgh

Another exciting opportunity came my way to hold dog photography demos at DogFest in partnership with London Camera Exchange. I absolutely love this festival! I attended the previous year and had quite the saga, as documented in this video. So, I was thrilled to be invited back, this time in collaboration with LCE.

With my confidence gradually increasing and a sense of slowly settling back into my own skin, I decided to book another travel session road trip. This time, I opened up sessions down south in a city I’ve always wanted to visit: Oxford.

The timing worked out perfectly, as it coincided with a project I’d been asked to be involved in just north of London with Wex Photo & Video and All Dogs Matter. The project, run by Wex, aimed to promote dogs in need of a second chance. The concept was beautifully tied together: just as Wex sells secondhand cameras alongside brand-new gear, the message was that sometimes a second home can be the better home—whether for an unloved camera or a dog in need.

Once the project wrapped up, my travels took me to Oxford. My lovely mum joined me on this adventure to assist once again, and as a treat, I decided to book an Airbnb houseboat for our stay. I thought, What an adventure that would be!

Let’s just say the boat wasn’t quite as described, and it didn’t turn out to be the idyllic experience we’d hoped for. Think partially working showers and some glaring maintenance issues. But we made the most of it, sharing plenty of laughs at the unexpected situation we found ourselves in.

Click each image to enlage

The sessions I had in and around Oxford’s stunning city centre were a joy. They were far more straightforward than my experience the previous year, shooting in Cambridge. Unlike Cambridge, Oxford felt quieter and more pedestrian-friendly—a dream for a dog photographer. With less hustle and bustle and fewer cars navigating the city centre, it was far easier to focus on capturing the perfect shots.

In addition to my Mum, I had the pleasure of having a talented photographer join me for one of the sessions: fellow dog photographer Prathima pf Pawparazzi, who came all the way from India! We’ve followed each other on social media for years, so it was wonderful to finally meet in person.

Prathima was incredibly helpful and a true expert when it comes to dogs. Her knowledge and enthusiasm made shooting even more enjoyable, and it was such a privilege to work alongside someone who shares the same passion for capturing the beauty of our four-legged friends.

Someone I absolutely must give a shout-out to in this reflection of the last year is fellow dog photographer Holly of Holly Dwyer Photography. for She’s an incredibly talented, Manchester-based photographer I’ve known professionally for years. This past year, however, we found ourselves walking eerily similar paths and connected on a much deeper level. We often used talking about our shared experiences as a means to just get through the day.

I dare say we’ve helped each other navigate what has probably been the toughest year of our lives so far. I’m so grateful that our shared passion for dogs and photography brought us together, allowing us to support each other in staying (mostly) sane through 2024!

This photo was supposed to be something quite different but we had a giggle creating it regardless!

As 2024 began to draw to a close, it had a special treat in store for me. My portrait of Louis the Havanese, taken on the scenic Nick of Pendle near my new home, was shortlisted for the British Photography Awards. This meant a trip down to London for the awards ceremony!

Swipe to come with me to London for the ceremony

While my portrait didn’t take home the prize this time, being shortlisted and part of such a prestigious event was a huge honour in itself. It was a moment to celebrate, reflect, and feel proud of how far I’ve come this year.

Every year, I make a point of creating a Halloween portrait of my dogs—usually involving pumpkins in some way—and this year was no exception. I collected around 60 pumpkins from a local pumpkin patch (with Mabel enthusiastically tagging along to “help”) and carted them up the hill to the cemetery near my house. The goal was to create a spooky, festive vibe, and this was the result:

Swipe for the behind-the-scenes video!

As I worked on this portrait, I felt my soul begin to light up. For the first time in a long while, my creative mojo felt like it was fully flowing again. I can’t even begin to describe the relief and joy of acknowledging that feeling—the sheer uplift after enduring so much pain and challenge throughout the year. It was incredible, like a part of me I thought I’d lost had finally returned.

2024 couldn’t end without throwing one last curveball my way. My lovely assistant Terri, who had been with me for nearly six years, decided it was time to move on from CatsDog Photography to pursue a new calling. I was absolutely devastated—Terri had been such a massive asset to the team—but I understood her desire to spread her wings.

Eventually, I saw this change as an opportunity to bring fresh energy into the business and recruit someone new to help shape CatsDog Photography in its evolving form. After several rounds of phone and in-person interviews, I found the person I knew in my gut was the perfect fit for the role. You can watch me go through the process in the video below:

*The* holiday season soon rolled around, and this one felt quite different from those of years gone by. Not only had I expanded my Chihuahua pack to three, but my parents had also caught the Chihuahua bug! They introduced a sweet little rescue named Indie into their household, making it a festive season filled with even more tiny paws. It seems the Chihuahua charm is contagious!

Indie the day we brought her home — swipe to watch my video of the day

Christmas was pure chaos—in the best way possible. On Christmas Day, I decided to embrace the madness and capture a portrait of all four Chihuahuas together. Mabel and Poppy were perfectly compliant, Indie was a bit of a wiggle-bum but could be distracted just long enough by treats to strike a pose, but Lily? Oh, Lily. Would she ditch her signature sad seal face and give me those pretty ears for the photo? Absolutely not. She’s a complete diva who refuses to do anything on demand. 🤣

While I typically aim for eye contact and alert expressions in my portraits, the chaotic charm of this one perfectly encapsulates the moment. Sometimes, it’s the imperfections that make a photo truly special. You can swipe the photo below to see the chaos behind the scenes:

This wholesome end to a year that began with so much hopelessness was a powerful reminder of the resilience you can build in adversity.

My year concluded with the promise of new beginnings, a bolstered sense of confidence, and a refreshed team ready to tackle the future. I’m determined to find joy in every moment now and absolutely dominate 2025.