About
My dog, Smudge, thinks I’m pretty special. I feel the same way about him. We are both outrageously biased but we make each other smile. We both love cheese.
The important thing to me is that YOU come away from your photography session with a smile on your face. If you’re having your dog photographed, I expect them to take a long nap on the ride home, dreaming about the fun time they just had. They all have different personalities, and different needs and we will work with them at their pace.
Patience is a virtue, and doubly so when working with our furry friends. Setting the right mood matters, because that will come through in your images, and you’ll remember the day they were taken when you look at them. Those are the memories that will make you smile, so we will make sure we set aside enough time to get some great shots without being rushed.
The most important thing about a photography session with animals is to ensure they aren’t stressed by the process. The first thing I’ll ask you to do is not worry about what your dog, cat or parakeet is doing (or not doing). They don’t need to be obedient, they just need to be themselves. Turning a session into a fun and engaging experience for you and your pet is my number one aim. This leads to getting pictures that capture the personality that you know and love.
I’m a big believer in giving back to the community. I work with Shutter Paws to help animal rescue organisations find homes for kittens, puppies, cats, dogs, rabbits and all manner of other creatures. I also volunteer at events such as Free the Hounds, supporting them with images they can use for fundraising and awareness raising.
If you’ve looked at my portfolio you’ll see what might be a concerning number of dachshund photographs. There is a good reason for this, I promise. We have two recycled dachshunds ourselves, and are part of a strong, vibrant local community dachshund group. I’ve had a ball (not the kind dogs obsess over) photographing their monthly walks, annual fundraiser events, photo booths and fundraising calendars over the last five years.
If you’re interested in getting images of your fur family I’d love to hear from you.
My charity and not-for-profit work has supported Long Dogs WA, Dachshund Rescue Australia, Dolphin Watch and Shutter Paws.
Qualifications and Accreditations
- Bachelor of Arts – English and Comparative Literature
- Graduate Dip Sci – Computer Studies
- Diploma of Photography and Photoimaging
- PRINCE2 Practitioner
- Agile Project manager
Find me on…
LinkedIn: au.linkedin.com/in/sarah-matheson
Facebook: facebook.com/sarahmatheson
Instagram: furbag_
Awards
- Australian Professional Photography Awards 2019: 2 x Silver Award
- WAEPPA 2019: 3 x Silver Award
- Australian Professional Photography Awards2018: Silver with Distinction
- WAEPPA 2018: 2 x Silver Award
- Highly Commended-Student Category – Australasia’s Top Emerging Photographers 2018 – Capture
- River Guardians People’s Choice Award winner 2015
- Dolphin Watch – Photographer of the year 2015
Publications
- Free the Hounds 2019 Calendar
- 2016 Dolphin Watch Fin Book – Cover image
- Dachshund Rescue Australia 2015 Calendar – contributing photographer
- Long Dogs WA 2015 Calendar – contributing photographer
- Long Dogs WA 2014 Calendar – contributing photographer