MONICA VAN DER MADEN | DOG PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP

Back in May I attended my very first photography workshop in the UK. I’ve travelled far and wide for a variety of pet photography workshops in the past (as far as Spain and Costa Rica!) so it was a real treat to only have to travel a couple of hours down the motorway to beautiful Surrey! The workshop was hosted by the lovely Alice of Alice Loder Photography, and led by Monica Van Der Maden of MoNoa Photography. I’ve been following both of them for a long time and adore their work – they’re so much more than dog photographers, they’re artists and every piece of work that they create has so much beauty and soul – it fills me with so much inspiration and admiration for the craft!

It was really exciting to finally meet them both in person and learn about how Monica shoots (I picked up a lot of useful hints and tips throughout the weekend) – I was also working alongside a group of very talented UK photographers, and it was so awesome to meet such like-minded creative individuals! Alice had organised some absolutely stunning models for us, including an English Shepherd named Toby, a handsome Scottie named Radley (yes, like the bag), and her very own pup Bonnie the beautiful Cocker Spaniel. They were all absolute stars and such a joy to work with – dogs aren’t always the most patient of models but these guys really rocked it! The whole workshop was so much fun and so well organised, and I’ve made so many new friends – if you’re a pet photographer in the UK and looking to hone your skills, I would highly recommend Alice and her workshops. But don’t take my word for it – check out my photos from the workshop and see what you think!