Dogs of Fitzroy: One Last Photoshoot on The Streets That Raised Them

Carlo and Rosa are Fitzroy dogs through and through. These Portuguese Water Dogs have been well-loved and well-known in the neighbourhood for years. With an impending move though, their owner wanted to capture them in their element, ruling the streets and parks of Melbourne’s inner north.

Carlo is reliably, infectiously enthusiastic about everything, especially anything water-related. Rosa is more measured. She’ll take a careful look at you first, weigh you up, decide whether you’re worth her time. Once she has? She’s a loyal, devoted friend for life. Being approved by Rosa is a genuine honour.

Their family has since moved from Fitzroy, the dogs no doubt ruling over their new neighbourhood with just as much enthusiasm. This session was simply about capturing the streets that raised them, before they left them behind.

That instinct, to document a chapter before it closes, is one of the most honest reasons to book a session. A photoshoot isn’t just reserved for birthdays and milestones. Sometimes you want to celebrate local culture, the neighbourhood you live in, and how your pet has made this place their home.

Why a neighbourhood shoot?

Most pet photography happens in parks or studios. Beautiful, but neutral. A neighbourhood session is different. It’s built around the specific streets, corners, and places that form the backdrop of a dog’s daily life.

For inner north Melbourne dogs especially, that backdrop is worth preserving. The bluestone laneways, the café strips, the fig trees heavy with shade. These are places with real identity, and dogs who live here are woven into that identity in a way that a generic parkland simply can’t reflect.

A neighbourhood session answers a different question than most photography. Not what does my dog look like? but where did we live, and what did that feel like?

The locations: Fitzroy Gardens and Faraday’s Cage

Fitzroy Gardens

The gardens offered a contrast to the density of Smith Street: open space, dappled morning light through mature trees, and enough room for two water-loving Portuguese Water Dogs to move freely.

Carlo, predictably, had his eye on every puddle and water feature within range. The gardens rewarded his optimism.

For photography, the gardens provide natural depth and softness, the kind of light that doesn’t require much coaxing to look beautiful. Early morning is ideal before foot traffic picks up, and the formal garden paths give structure without stiffness.

Faraday’s Cage Café

A few streets away, Faraday’s Cage brought an entirely different energy: the textured brick exterior, the café culture of Fitzroy in full swing, the particular quality of light that bounces off inner-city shopfronts in the morning.

Rosa, who preferred elevation and observation to puddle-seeking, was entirely in her element here. She found a perch and surveyed the street with the calm authority of someone who had always considered this neighbourhood hers.

Together the two locations told a complete story: the green quiet of the gardens, and the alive, humming streets they walked every day.

Two dogs, two personalities

One of the pleasures of a multi-dog session is that the dogs reveal each other. Carlo and Rosa had completely distinct energies. Carlo was perpetually drawn toward any available water; Rosa was composed and observant, always finding the highest point in a space and watching the world from it.

Photographing two dogs together requires patience and a real understanding of how they move as a pair. Getting both looking in the same direction at the same moment is genuinely difficult without someone who knows how to read animal behaviour, which is exactly why so many multi-dog households find their own attempts frustrating.

The chaos of two dogs, two leads, two entirely different agendas, and a phone camera almost never ends in the photo you had in mind.

With Carlo and Rosa, the goal was never to force them into matching poses. It was to find the moments where their individual natures intersected: side by side, equally themselves.

Is a neighbourhood session right for you?

A neighbourhood session tends to resonate with people who:

• Are moving, or know a move is on the horizon
• Have a strong attachment to a specific suburb or set of streets
• Want photography that reflects their actual daily life, not a generic setting
• Have multiple dogs and want them photographed together in familiar surroundings

Fitzroy, Collingwood, Clifton Hill, Northcote. The inner north of Melbourne has a particular character that lends itself to this kind of session.

If your dog has a regular route, a favourite café stop, a park they pull you toward every morning, that’s a session waiting to happen.

Book a session with Snuggle Studio

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a neighbourhood dog photography session?

A neighbourhood session takes place in the streets, parks, and local spots that form part of your dog's daily life, rather than in a studio or generic location. The result is photography that reflects where you actually live: specific, personal, and tied to a real place and time.

Can you photograph two dogs together?

Yes. Multi-dog sessions require experience with animal behaviour to manage timing and attention, but they're very much possible. The key is working with each dog's natural energy rather than against it. Sessions with two dogs are slightly longer to allow for this.

What areas of Melbourne do you photograph in?

Snuggle Studio is based in Melbourne and works across the inner north and surrounds, including Fitzroy, Collingwood, Clifton Hill, Northcote, Carlton, and beyond. Outdoor locations are chosen to suit each dog and each client's vision.

How long does a neighbourhood session take?

The Story Session runs for 90 minutes and is well-suited to neighbourhood shoots, allowing time to move between two or three locations.

When should I book?

As soon as the idea feels right. The most common thing clients say afterwards is that they wish they'd done it sooner, especially when a move, a life change, or the natural ageing of a pet is already on the horizon.