dog photography for commercial campaigns + private collections by Hannele Lahti
VA / DC + beyond I love how dogs see the world. To a dog, a ball is not just a ball.
That shiny, slobbery plaything is an opportunity, a challenge, a steadfast companion. In my dog photography—often down on all fours—I strive to glimpse life on their level: A bowl of food is love and comfort. A warm bath is the ultimate back rub. A knock at the door is a chance to prove courage and loyalty. Therein capturing the reality of dog ownership—a reminder to enjoy the small things. My jou
That shiny, slobbery plaything is an opportunity, a challenge, a steadfast companion. In my dog photography—often down on all fours—I strive to glimpse life on their level: A bowl of food is love and comfort. A warm bath is the ultimate back rub. A knock at the door is a chance to prove courage and loyalty. Therein capturing the reality of dog ownership—a reminder to enjoy the small things. My jou
Operating as usual
Limited Edition: Spring Pop-Up! | Sunday April 24 | 4-8pm
Join me to celebrate the beauty of spring with a pop-up photo session at Green Springs Gardens in Alexandria, Virginia!
Learn more and book: https://clients.adogphotographer.com/limited-edition-pop-up
Blog Post | 3 Great DC-area Hikes for Spring! 🐾🥾🌸
https://clients.adogphotographer.com/-/galleries/blog/3-hikes-to-try-this-spring
Dog Photography 3 Fun Dog-Friendly Hikes for Spring! on Hannele Lahti │ Dog + Pet Photographer │ Washington, DC, VA, MD
Today is #WorldStrayAnimalsDay which is wildly appropriate for the story I want to share...
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Last week our rental car broke down while we were navigating a traffic circle in the town of Nazaré, Portugal. We managed to coast to the side of the road without incident but yikes, what a mess.
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David ran off in search of help while I sat by the car willing myself not to panic. As I practiced my breathing exercises, I saw 2 stray dogs trotting up the sidewalk. They yapped at a pedestrian, peed on a tree then beelined for me, tails wagging as though we were old friends.
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I sat on the curb petting them and talking to them in a language they surely didn't understand. The small one curled up by my right leg and the fluffy one sat beside me with his paw on my left. It's as though they knew I needed a calming presence in that moment.
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Their kind energy melted away my stress and brought tears to my eyes. I'll never understand how anyone could mistreat or abandon such sweet creatures.
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After a few minutes, a woman appeared with bowls of dog food and water. Apparently they come to that spot everyday for a fresh meal. They gobbled up their dinner, yapped at another pedestrian, got a few more scratches from me and eventually, moved on.
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David returned, the car was towed and we made it back to our apartment shaken but unharmed. I will never forget those two little beings and the kindness they showed me that evening. 💕
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In their honor, I made a donation to @biancashelter.pt to help rescue dogs & cats throughout Portugal.
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There are many ways to help stray animals in your community and around the world:
🐶 support spay + neuter programs
🐱donate or volunteer at shelters + rescues
✨provide fresh food, water and shelter
🐾 adopt your next pet and make sure they are microchipped
If you have other ideas, share them in the comments!
MARCH GROUP HIKE 🐾🐶🥾
Rachel Carson Conservation Park, MD
March 13 | 3pm
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This will be an easy-to-moderate 4-mile hike along the Hawlings River featuring beautiful woodlands and cool rock outcroppings. Join us!
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Free: Learn more + RSVP | link in comments
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#dogphotographer #lifewithpets #wagmorebarkless #hikingwithdogs #dcdoghikes #travelswithollie #dcdogs #hikingwithdogsdc #dogsofdc #happydogs #dogoutings #dcdogadventureclub #marylandroadtrips #marylanddoghikes #hikemaryland
POP-UP 🐶📸 ALERT | Join me to celebrate the beauty of SPRING with a pop-up photo session in Alexandria, Virginia!
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Sunday April 24, 2022 | 4-8pm
Learn more + Book: https://clients.adogphotographer.com/limited-edition-pop-up
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Our Limited Edition Pop-Up Sessions are a great way to pick up a few new images of you and your bestie or test out working with me. Sessions are 30 minutes and include an adorable 5x7 framed desk print or $$$ to spend on anything in our product line! 😊
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If you're looking for the full experience, customized to your life with dog, check out our Lifestyle Photo Sessions. Spring dates through mid-May are now open. ✨
GROUP HIKE ALERT! National Mall + Monuments walk
February 20 | 10am
RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/travelswithollie-february-group-hike-registration-234972688637?aff=ebdsoporgprofile
Our #travelswithollie Group Hikes are back! We are so excited to explore the outdoors with you again this year through monthly dog-friendly hiking adventures!
Our first will be an easy 5.5 mile stroll around the National Mall featuring the US Capitol, Washington Monument, Lincoln/FDR + Jefferson memorials and Smithsonian Castle–with lots of stops for photo ops! Join us!
SEEKING PHOTO ASSISTANTS for 2022 in the DC area 💪📸🐶
Hi friends! I'm looking to add a few more names to my assistant list for photo shoots this year.
Details ↓↓↓
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General Duties include:
• Basic equipment management
• Holding lights and reflectors
• Playing with dogs
• Handling dogs
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What I'm looking for in you:
• Positive attitude + willingness to learn
• Fully vaccinated against covid - no exceptions
• Ability to stand and hold equipment for extended periods
• Basic understanding of photography & lighting
• Understanding of dog behavior & body language
• Dog + cat lover, OBVS.
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Assistant gigs are paid and usually last about 2 hours in the morning (sunrise) or afternoon (sunset) in the DC/VA area.
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Commercial photo shoots require full day availability and a higher level of technical photo or dog handling knowledge.
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Interested or know someone who is? Send me an email with contact info or tag a friend in the comments. THX! 🌟
✉️ [email protected]
In the fall of 2021, I teamed up with City Dogs & City Kitties Rescue in Washington, DC to produce a 2022 calendar to help them raise funds. The rescue created a photo contest for their alumni to enter and the featured pets won their place through popular vote. The calendar project and contest raised over $30K for their programs!
We photographed all 13 contest winners in one day in a pop-up photo studio at The LINE Hotel in DC. We could have stopped there with lovely studio portraits on white but I wanted to create something I hadn't seen before in the pet calendar market. So I reached out the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and gained permission to use their archive of vintage fabric and wallpaper designs for backgrounds. Each month pairs the studio portrait with a seasonally inspired, funky pattern design. The final result is a celebration of our beloved animals with an ode to art history.
See the full year of images here: https://adogphotographer.com/Projects/Rescue-Calendar/1
The rescue only has about 40 calendars left, order yours here: https://bit.ly/3GkWFEy
Last chance for holiday gift cards! 📸🐶🎁
☃️ Order by Dec 17th to receive a physical card and session guide by Christmas!
🎅Order by Dec 23rd for e-cards.
Pick one up here: https://clients.adogphotographer.com/-/galleries/gift-cards
Image: Gibson | Virginia, 2021
We're back from our adventure in western NC last week and can't wait to share more about all the great hikes we went on!
But first — Join us SUNDAY Dec 12 / 10am for our last group hike of 2021 at Mount Vernon, Virginia!
Get the deets & RSVP via the link below. We hope to celebrate the holidays with a stroll around GW's estate with you. (Holiday attire encouraged🎄✨☃️)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/travelwithollie-december-holiday-stroll-registration-171212861277?aff=ebdsoporgprofile
📸Ollie + David | Devil's Courthouse, Blue Ridge Parkway | 2021
Been a crazy few weeks of shoots, editing and emails with little energy for social posts. Anyone else feeling the exhaustion of always needing to have something to say/post? I’m with you.
Anyhoo—here's Kell, the gorgeous Icelandic Sheepdog from Maine, to light up your Friday. I just adore the muted tones & soft light in this image. 💕
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Enjoy your weekend, friends.
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#lifewithdogs #animalphotographer #doglifestyle #lifewithpets #ilovemyjob #dogsarethebest #petphotography #doglife #commercialdogphotographer #lifewithdogs #girlsbestfriend #wethedogsdc #mainedogs #dogsofmaine #portlandmaine #portlanddogs #icelandicsheepdog #dogportrait
Limited Edition | Autumn Pop-Up 🍁🐾📸
Saturday, November 6, 2021 | 3-6pm — 2 Spots left!
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Join me to celebrate fall with a pop-up photo session at a beautiful park in northern Virginia! Learn more + book your spot:
https://clients.adogphotographer.com/limited-edition-pop-up
Quick favor: I'm photographing a 2022 calendar for City Dogs & City Kitties Rescue and need YOU to help decide who will be in it! Go to the link below to vote! Each vote is a buck and all money raised will benefit the great work the rescues does to save pets throughout the southeast. Voting ends Friday night.
https://www.gogophotocontest.com/citydogsandcitykittiesrescue
You can also pre-order a calendar because you know you want one. 🌟
The final images will feature a portrait of each contest winner composited on a vintage pattern background from the Victoria & Albert Museum in London!! 🤯🥰😊 I'm thrilled they granted us permission to use their amazing archive of pattern designs for this project! Unbelievable. Let's just say, their designs are SO MUCH better than this star pattern I mocked up as a proof of concept.
A huge thank you and shout out to The LINE Hotel DC for hosting our upcoming photo shoot! You guys are the best. 🐶📸🐱
Sept #TravelsWithOllie Hike | Sky Meadows State Park 🐾
We had a fabulous hike yesterday in the Virginia countryside—meadows, forests, challenging climbs, amazing views, great company and a little stint on the AT. Sunday funday, indeed. 🌟
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I'm having so much fun organizing these monthly adventures. If you're in the DMV and want to join us, check out the fall line-up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/hannele-lahti-dog-photographer-17172930892
How to Grieve for a Very Good Dog
When my yellow Lab died last spring, I was flattened by an overwhelming sadness that’s with me still. And that’s normal, experts say, because losing a pet is often one of the hardest yet least acknowledged traumas we’ll ever face.
We are hiking this SUNDAY! Sky Meadows State park | 4.5 miles with some challenging clims and scenic views.
All are welcome. You don't have to have a dog to join but you do have to like them. 🐶💕🐶
RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/travelswithollie-september-group-hike-registration-166510101195
Join us as we explore Sky Meadows State Park in Virginia!
New Work Wednesday | Remi, the rescue pup 🥰
📸 Manassas National Battlefield, Virginia | Aug 2021
Now booking sessions for fall!
https://clients.adogphotographer.com
Because they do this every time you come home. Happy #NationalDogDay. 🐾🥰🐶
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#TBT to our originals, Annie + Murray. 💓🌈🌈
Happy #WorldPhotographyDay! 📸
I've wanted to be a photographer since I was about 12 years old. My story is not unique – I found my love for photography on family road trips and in the pages of @natgeo magazines. What is unique, I suppose, is sticking with it when nobody (including myself at times) thought I could actually make a living from it.
20 years in and I can say perseverance paid off. I've had my work repped by Nat Geo and exhibited internationally. I've traveled near and far, partnered with wonderful non-profits and institutions and played with the most gorgeous puppies around. I've carved out a niche in the industry that celebrates my personal interests and continues to challenge me daily.
It hasn't been easy. There have been low low's and high high's but at the end of the day, I can say I've built my life and career around something I love to do every single day. If you find something you love, go after it with all you've got. Make mistakes, fail frequently, keep learning and press forward.
📸 by my friend and fellow badass photographer Julie Socher
Washington D.C., DC
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My journey with animals began as a child in the wilds of Maine, surrounded by balsam forests and freshwater lakes. I was often exploring the countryside and playing fetch at the lake with one of my family's loyal Chesapeake Bay Retrievers. As adult, my love affair with dogs grew through Annie, my intensely brave and loving Boston Terrier rescue, followed shortly after by her adopted brothers Murray and Ollie, who are just as full of life. They inspired me to use my passion for photography to tell their stories.
My life in photography has been a wild ride. In addition to the chaotic world of canines, I pursue projects and assignments dedicated to my intense love of the natural world and exploration. I'm a contributing photographer to National Geographic Image Collection and a photo graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology. When I’m not making photos or chasing after the pups, I enjoy spending time in the great outdoors and practicing my downward dogs.
Teaching pet safety across America
Washington Mall, Washington, DC, United StatesNational Association of Federal Veterinarians
1910 Sunderland Pl NWDoggy Style DC | Bakery * Boutique * Pet Spa
1642 R St NW
Friendship Hospital for Animals
4105 Brandywine St NW
American Veterinary Medical Association Congr
1910 Sunderland Pl NW