Yana Skakun
Yana Skakun
Bath, Somerset
Relaxed, natural portraits of dogs and pets at Bath's best parks, meadows and Georgian backdrops.
Bath Pet Photography
Pets are family, and the relationship most of us have with our dogs and cats is one of the simplest, most uncomplicated loves in our lives — and it passes quickly. Professional pet photography captures the things that are hardest to hold onto: the particular tilt of a head, the way a dog runs full-tilt across open grass, the quiet moment of a cat curled into a familiar armchair. These are images that matter more, not less, as the years go by.
I photograph dogs and other pets around Bath and the surrounding Somerset countryside — at the city's parks and meadows, on regular walking routes, and in home environments for cats and smaller animals. Bath itself gives pet photography something few other UK cities can: honey-coloured Georgian architecture as a backdrop, genuinely beautiful public parkland right in the centre of the city, and riverside and canal-side walks within easy reach for something softer and more pastoral.
My approach is patient and animal-led. There is no forcing a sit-stay, no studio intimidation, no rush. Just good light, a relaxed pet in a place they already know, and the time to let the natural moments — the ones that actually look like your pet — happen on their own terms.
Investment
£145
45 min · 20+ images
A focused session built around your pet — their expression, their movement, the particular things that make them them. Dogs, cats, rabbits and other pets photographed on location in Bath.
EnquireMost Popular
£195
1 hour · 30+ images
Your pet photographed alongside the people who love them, at a Bath location of your choosing. Individual pet portraits plus natural, relaxed family images together.
Enquire£295
2 hours · 60+ images
Time to move through two or three Bath locations, capture running and action sequences, and properly document your pet's personality. Ideal for working dogs, active breeds, and animals who need time to settle.
EnquireLocations
Bath's largest and most-used green space — 57 acres of open parkland directly below the Royal Crescent, with a lake, botanical gardens and wide grass areas for off-lead running. The honey-coloured Georgian terrace makes an unmistakably Bath backdrop, and the golden hour light along the western edge of the park, facing the Crescent, is particularly beautiful for portraits.
A hilltop park south of the city centre with sweeping, uninterrupted views across Bath's skyline — the Abbey, the terraces, the wooded hills beyond. Popular with local dog walkers, quieter than Royal Victoria Park, and excellent for portraits that use the whole city as a backdrop in early morning or late afternoon light.
The National Trust's 18th-century landscape garden on the southern edge of the city, with its famous Palladian bridge, serpentine lakes and steep valley views. Dogs are welcome on leads, and the combination of parkland, water and architecture produces some of the most distinctive pet portraits available anywhere near Bath.
The riverside meadows and canal towpath running east from the city towards Bathampton give a softer, more pastoral setting — willows, water, and open meadow grass. A well-loved local dog-walking route, at its best in early morning mist or warm evening light.
Bath's oldest surviving Georgian pleasure garden, next to the Holburne Museum, with mature planting, gravel walks and the Kennet and Avon Canal running through it. A smaller, more intimate setting for pet portraits, especially good for cats and smaller dogs who prefer a contained space.
Wherever you and your pet already walk in Bath or the surrounding Somerset countryside — Bathwick Fields, Claverton Down, or a village lane near you. A familiar, well-loved route almost always produces the most relaxed and natural session.
How It Works
Pets are calmest and most themselves in places they already know. A regular Bath walking route will almost always produce better, more natural portraits than an unfamiliar location or a studio.
High-value treats your pet doesn't usually get at home help enormously with attention during a session, and a favourite ball or toy gives us the action and chase shots that often show personality best.
Cooler temperatures, fewer other dogs and walkers, and the softest light of the day make early mornings the best time for Bath pet sessions — particularly for energetic breeds who benefit from a run before settling for calmer portraits.
Multi-pet households, and pets photographed together with their humans, produce some of the warmest and most honest images in any collection. Allow a little extra time for sessions with more than one animal.
Dogs of every breed and size, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and other pets are all welcome. Patience and calm handling around animals is a core part of how I work — no forcing, no stress.
A pre-session bath and blow-dry isn't necessary and can sometimes make coats look flatter in photographs. Natural coat condition, with its texture and character, almost always photographs better.
Gallery
No. I work with your pet's natural behaviour rather than forcing static poses — running, playing, sniffing and moments of genuine calm all make for better photographs than a stiff sit-stay. Sessions are relaxed and unhurried, with plenty of breaks for excitable dogs.
Royal Victoria Park is my most-used location — large off-lead areas and that unmistakable Royal Crescent backdrop. Alexandra Park gives beautiful skyline views, Prior Park Landscape Garden offers striking parkland and water, and Bathampton Meadows suits a softer, riverside feel. Your own regular walk is often the best choice of all, because your pet is already relaxed there.
Yes — Sydney Gardens and the Georgian streets around the Circus and Royal Crescent work well for on-lead sessions, giving a distinctly Bath architectural setting. Most of Bath's parks require dogs to be under control, and some areas, such as parts of Prior Park, require dogs on leads at all times.
Yes — cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and other indoor pets are usually best photographed at home, in their own environment, where they're calmest and most themselves. Home sessions tend to work far better for cats than an outdoor or studio setting.
Some exercise beforehand helps energetic breeds settle for portrait moments. Bring high-value treats, a favourite toy, and ideally someone your pet listens to well who can help with their attention. A pre-session bath isn't necessary — natural coat condition photographs well.
Absolutely — the Pet & Family package is built for exactly this. Photographs of pets together with the people who love them are consistently among the most treasured images in any family collection, and outdoor sessions at a place you both know well capture that relationship far more honestly than a studio ever could.
I'm based in Cambridge and travel across the UK for sessions, including regularly to Bath and the wider Somerset area. Travel to Bath is included within the standard packages; do get in touch to check availability for your preferred date.
Tell me about your pet and your favourite Bath walk, and let's plan a relaxed, natural session together.
Get in Touch
Tell me about your vision and I'll be in touch within 24 hours.