18/09/2025
'Northern Tails - Visual Stories of Dogs of the North'
The Photography by Frankie 2026 Calendar is almost here!
As many of you know, I've been working on quite the monumental project, and the journey isn't over yet. For the majority of 2025, I've travelled to 12 northern English cities (all on public transport!) and photographed over 70 dogs for the project. It was actually meant to only be 60 dogs, but here we are! Each city will have its own dedicated month in the calendar, featuring five beautiful pieces of artwork of their canine representatives.
I'm currently making my final edits, and I'm so excited to share that pre-orders will be opening very soon. First dibs will go to the wonderful humans who brought their dogs out to be photographed, with pre-orders for them opening by the end of September. General pre-orders will then go live on my website in the second week of October. If you'd like to be kept in the loop, sign up to my mailing list here:
https://www.photographybyfrankie.com/mailing-list-sign-up
Now for the part I've been most excited to share. This project is also a collaboration that's been months in the making. I'll be donating 20% of profits from all calendar sales through my website to Oak Tree Animals' Charity ❤️ We've been working away behind the scenes for months to make this the biggest success it can be.
You'll also be able to pick up calendars directly from Oak Tree closer to Christmas, though stocks will be limited there. When you buy from them, your purchase supports the charity directly.
Why Oak Tree?
It made sense to choose a charity within my own service area, but I was especially drawn to their service A Helping Paw. This initiative provides a lifeline for people experiencing homelessness or fleeing domestic abuse by making sure their pets are kept safe in foster care while they find refuge.
What really resonated with me is knowing that through this service, the dogs are loved, looked after, and kept safe. Owners even receive weekly updates with photos and videos so they know their animals are being cared for until they can be reunited.
This project is about celebrating dogs, their character, the joy they bring, and it's a love letter to the North itself. I cannot wait for you to see all of this brought together in the 2026 Northern Tails calendar that will bring a taste of all of this every single day next year!
The cover shows Lunar the Lurcher peering into the River Wear in Durham. I caught her in one of those perfect moments where she's completely absorbed by the water moving below. What drew me to this shot was how she embodies everything I'm trying to capture in Northern Tails. The response to this image has been incredible too. Competition judges and fellow photographers have been so generous with their praise, which means the world when you're putting your work out there for other people's eyeballs.
Of course, choosing just one cover photo when every dog in this project deserves the spotlight was nearly impossible. Each of these northern dogs has their own special moment captured inside, and honestly, they're all cover-worthy. Though I suppose they actually get more wall time than the cover image when you think about it... they're up there for a whole month until it's time to turn the page!
I hope you enjoy this preview of the cover, along with the behind-the-scenes shots of myself with Scout and some of the wonderful dogs who feature in the project. I chose not to include Scout in the calendar itself; although she's been such a big part of my photography journey and is the inspiration behind so much of this work, this project is about celebrating your dogs for the benefit of Oak Tree Animals' Charity.
That's what Northern Tails is: real moments with real dogs in the landscapes they call home.
