Meet the Photographer
Heather Woodward
Dog Photographer. Animal Nerd. Reactive Dog Specialist.
Btog. MSc Animal Behaviour and Training. Certified professional animal trainer-ka (iatcb).
Meet Heather, the compassionate force behind Heather Woodward Photography. Inspired by the impactful rescue images of an esteemed American photographer and fuelled by the journey of supporting their own rescue dog through extreme reactivity, Heather found their calling in capturing the beauty and resilience of anxious and reactive dogs.
With five years of experience photographing client dogs and a decade-long background as an animal trainer, Heather brings a unique blend of expertise and empathy to their craft. As a specialist in anxious and reactive dog photography, Heather is dedicated to providing a safe and high-quality photography experience, ensuring both the comfort of the dog and the satisfaction of their human companions.
With Heather, you can trust that every moment will be captured with care, authenticity, and a deep understanding of the canine experience.
“Every Photographer could shoot Dogs; Not every Photographer is a Dog Photographer.
Heather is very much a Dog Photographer…” - EF, 2022
Qualifications, Certification and CPD
Heather's expertise blends the art of photography with the science of animal behaviour.
Armed with a master's degree in Animal Behaviour and Training and certifications including Bronze Tog (That Photography Spot) and recognition as a Certified Professional Animal Trainer by the IATCB, Heather possesses a deep understanding of behaviour and training, and how to meet these needs on experience.
Committed to continuous professional development, Heather dedicates over 300 hours annually to refining their craft through photographic and animal behavior & training-based CPD.
With Heather, you're not just hiring a photographer; you're partnering with a seasoned professional who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to every session.
2023 CPD:
MTog with That Photography Spot
1-2-1 development day with Jessica McGovern of That Photography Spot.
BTog panel and refinement process
ABMA Conference Content Advisor duties
Aggression in Dogs Conference (2 Day)
FDSA: Living & Working with High Drive Dogs Conferences (1 Day)
ZATS: Errorless Learning (2 Day)
2024 planned CPD:
MTog with That Photography Spot
The Retreat (5 days) with Jessica McGovern of That Photography Spot.
STog panel and refinement process
ABTC/BIAZA Animal Trainer Course/Certification (10 month duration)
ABTWG: Training Conference (2 Day)
FDSA: Breed Specific Behaviour - How Real is it?
FDSA: Sound sensitivity - it’s time to Party!
FDSA: Read the Room - Awareness and Development of Context Cues
The Team
Owner/Photographer
Heather Thompson
Over the last decade Heather has worked in both the Photographic and Animal industries. She is not just a dog photographer, with experience in both the zoo and canine worlds, and international animal training certification. Heather is an Animal Professional. Perfectly placed to produce killer art work and cater to the behavioural and welfare needs of the individual Dogs on experience.
Heather can most often be found out with her own Dogs, on the floor with Client Dogs, or nipping in for a spot of Tea & Cake.
Memberships
Other Serious Bits
Fully insured
DBS checked
Canine First Aid (Pending)
logistics/catering
Lewis Thompson
Lewis is the in-house Michelin trained Chef of the family, he ensures that Heather actually eats when in editing and event mode, often does late nights assisting event setup, and wrangles their Dogs during events.
He has also worked as a voice-activated light stand and dog handler for Heather on various occasions to ensure that perfect shot is captured.
The OG Reactive Dog
Marty
One of the main reasons this all began. Marty is a mostly rehabbed Reactive Dog, he found the world massively challenging when he joined us at 3 and a half, and has an absolute heart of gold. He is sometimes stupid-smart (all the brains, no common sense).
Marty has been going grey since age four (now 10!), and is the worst photographers dog on the planet…
The Photographers’ Trainee
Poppy
Poppy joined the team in December 2021, entirely unplanned - this is what happens when Heather does pro-bono work for rescues… - she is an idiot-genius, insanely bright but an absolute goof at the same time.
Poppy is at the very beginning of her Reactivity journey, after a sensitising experience at the vets she finds strangers and other dogs really difficult to cope with. However, she is no where near as troubled as Marty was and can be a complete snuggle bug at home.