Washington State native, Michelle Dawkins began her artistic journey when she was very young. Being brought up in a family who appreciated art and were artists themselves, Michelle was raised to always have an open and creative mind.  She moved to Maryland to attend college and earned her degree in Art & Animation. She began her adventure into dog photography in 2019, when she decided to grab her camera and photograph her dog Troy. The images on her camera of him running along the shore of the Chesapeake Bay inspired her to practice more and invest in training. She participated in the Dog Photography Masters program and learned from one of the best dog photographers, Claudio Piccoli. Since then, Michelle has competed in many prestigious photography competitions, receiving top awards for her work. 

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"It brings me so much joy to see the dogs running, jumping, and splashing around in the bay while I follow them along with my camera. It's such a rewarding experience showing the end results. There are definitely a lot of  "WOW" moments and the occasional happy tears as well. Dogs are such a huge part of our lives, they are family, and I want to truly capture those rare moments so my clients can remember their beloved dogs for a lifetime."

Awards and Articles