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Heartfelt Pet Photography

on Vancouver Island, BC

On the wild and beautiful coastlines, rivers, forests, and meadows of Vancouver Island, I create soulful portraits of pets and the people who love them.

My sessions are relaxed and joyful, designed to celebrate the unique bond you share with your companion in nature’s most stunning backdrops.

The result? More than just a portrait—it’s a piece of art that tells your love story and brings warmth, beauty, and adventure to your home.

Capturing LOVE, leashed to the landscape.

Custom framed wall art piece in living room

Find out more!

Book a short consultation call to find out more about a session for you and your pet.

Dog photography session by Pauliina Saarinen Photography on a beach at sunset in Parksville Vancouver Island

But what if my dog is… untrained?

Not to worry! 99% of the dogs I photograph are untrained. No obedience training is required to capture great images of your pets. As a professional pet photographer, I am trained to set up and pose even the most challenging subjects, capture their best expressions, and freeze great moments in photographs that you can cherish for a lifetime!

Dog wading in a river at sunset in the Comox Valley

Before

After

How it works

Step 1

PLANNING CONSULTATION

We’ll meet on Zoom or chat on the phone to plan the details of your personalized session, including the location, time and even the wardrobe in case you want to be photographed with your dog.

Step 2

YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY SESSION

This is where the magic happens and all the while we are having fun! Don’t worry at all how your dog might or might not behave. Your dog’s only job is to be a dog. You can relax and enjoy the experience.

Step 3

VIEW & ORDER APPOINTMENT

We’ll meet again online to view the images we captured during your session. I’ll walk you through the options to find the best way for you to enjoy your favourite images from the session, usually through a combination of tangible photographic products and digital files. After our call, I do final the touch up on the images and order your products.

About Pauliina

I am an internationally awarded professional photographer, specializing in pets.

I’m based in the Cowichan Bay area but serving pet owners everywhere on Vancouver Island.

If you are like most pet owners, you worry that your pet is too unruly for great photographs.

I assure you, no obedience training is necessary to successfully photograph your animals!

Kind words about me

“Pauliina is a joy to spend time with on any occasion, but on that beautiful fall day at 40 Knots Winery I had so much fun working with her to get those perfect shots of my dogs. When she showed me the results of our photo shoot, I was beyond delighted. The photos are stunning pieces of art. These exquisite photos are now proudly exhibited in my living room along with my other treasured artwork. I can’t thank Pauliina enough.” — Lynn S.

“Pauliina is a natural with animals and it makes for a very enjoyable photo shoot experience. Her genuine affinity with animals has been honed through a long history of caring for her own pet dogs, cats and horses, as well as through appreciating and learning about the wildlife that surrounds her. She has a kind, sensitive and comforting manner when working with my pet and I can not imagine anyone I would rather work with in this capacity than her. Thank you so much, Pauliina!” — Janice A.

“Pauliina [...] is incredibly fun, creative and she utilizes an array of different angles, lenses & techniques to create phenomenal shots. [...] I would highly recommend Pauliina to anyone looking to capture breathtakingly beautiful photographs of their pets!!!” — Marie R.

“The canvas is fabulous. It’s an accurate capture of their essence.” — Gaylan C.

“We feel very lucky to have Pauliina's artistic photography of our family dog, Olivia. The process was highly collaborative, from the choice of location for the photo shoot to finding the frame that suits our home. The result is tailor made for the things we were looking for--a photo and frame we love having in the centre of our home.” — Mike M.

All images and content © Pauliina Saarinen 2019-2025. All rights reserved.

Pauliina Saarinen Photography

Cowichan Station

www.pauliinasaarinen.com

Tel. 250-465-1808