I Photographed 15 Tender Moments Between Children And Their Animal Friends
As a fine art photographer based in Ottawa, I specialize in capturing the kind of beauty that feels fleeting—gentle moments, soft light, and expressions of pure wonder. Over the years, I’ve worked with many subjects, but there’s something uniquely magical about photographing children and their animals together. It’s where my heart truly lives.
Children and animals share a language that’s unspoken yet deeply understood. It’s a kind of trust, curiosity, and authenticity that can’t be posed or faked. In a world that moves so fast, these quiet, soulful connections remind me of what really matters—innocence, joy, and being fully present.
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I love working with children because they are naturally imaginative and unfiltered. They don’t try to “perform” for the camera—they just are. Their expressions are real, their emotions honest, and their sense of wonder contagious. When a child reaches out to touch a bunny or whispers to a horse, there’s a softness that fills the space around them. That’s the magic I try to preserve.
Animals, too, bring their own kind of energy into a session. Whether it’s a playful puppy, a curious duck, or even a majestic horse in one of my fantasy sessions, they ground the child and create real, unscripted moments of interaction. They calm anxious little ones, spark laughter, and open the door to beautiful storytelling.
This collection features 15 of my favorite portraits from recent sessions—each one a moment of connection between a child and their animal friend. Some are whimsical and fantastical, others are quiet and heartfelt. Every image is carefully styled and lit, but the emotions captured are always genuine.
Creating these portraits isn’t just about making beautiful pictures—it’s about celebrating the tender relationship between the wild and the innocent. It’s about giving families art that feels personal and timeless, and giving children an experience they’ll never forget.
For me, photography isn’t just about capturing how people look. It’s about preserving how they feel. These portraits are more than pictures—they're memories, emotions, and timeless stories waiting to be shared.
I invite you to step into this dreamlike world, where animals are companions, unspoken secrets between animals and children, and the best friend bond between child and their favourite companion is something truly magical.
My pet hen was called Shenzi - Swahili for scruffy. When we left Uganda my duck (Cresty), hen and white rabbit (Miranda) went to live with the white fathers. They had to solemnly promise not to eat them! Just remembered the fathers had a large circular pond with Koi carp. The Koi were pretty tame and would take food from your fingers.
It's hard to tell if some were paintings rather than photos. Such a delicate touch to achieve these effects.
These are so dreamy and lovely. And I love that you put them in older fashion clothes. To me it seems to capture a more simpler time and place. And the whole thing just made me smile.
Wow such beautiful photos. To get those animals to pose would have been difficult.
They’re lovely. I love costuming- as in making costumes. I graduated from a large university in biology and biochem but my favorite post graduation job was in the theatre department’s costume shop. I live in Colorado now and every school is, by comparison, rinky d**k so I’ve only done a tiny bit for children’s theatre.
It's hard to tell if some were paintings rather than photos. Such a delicate touch to achieve these effects.
These are so dreamy and lovely. And I love that you put them in older fashion clothes. To me it seems to capture a more simpler time and place. And the whole thing just made me smile.
Wow such beautiful photos. To get those animals to pose would have been difficult.
They’re lovely. I love costuming- as in making costumes. I graduated from a large university in biology and biochem but my favorite post graduation job was in the theatre department’s costume shop. I live in Colorado now and every school is, by comparison, rinky d**k so I’ve only done a tiny bit for children’s theatre.
