Michelle Dawkins Photography

Michelle Dawkins Photography Award Winning Dog Photographer located on Kent Island, Maryland. Booking for 2026 starts on 1/2/2026

Ya know....I keep telling myself I want to stop taking portraits of dogs and strictly photograph dogs in action/motion. ...
06/05/2026

Ya know....I keep telling myself I want to stop taking portraits of dogs and strictly photograph dogs in action/motion. I might need to rethink that idea because my 300mm 2.8 lens did a really good job!

This is Eli, a sweet and fiery Mini American Shepherd. I say fiery because his action photos are 🔥. He had a photo shoot with me Monday evening, and all I can say is that his photos are beyond beautiful! The sky was full of clouds and colors that evening so if you live on Kent Island, you know what sky I am talking about haha.

I made sure to stay on the very edge of the bay grass because it's turtle laying season and I didn't want to disturb any potential nests they might have made in it.

Photo taken with my Nikon Z8 and Nikkor F 300mm 2.8 lens.

More water action fun in the Chesapeake Bay!Nikon Z8 & Nikkor F 300mm 2.8 lens.Can I just say how much I love this lens!...
06/04/2026

More water action fun in the Chesapeake Bay!

Nikon Z8 & Nikkor F 300mm 2.8 lens.

Can I just say how much I love this lens! Greatest investment I've ever made. Sure, it's heavy. Yes, it's limited to mainly action/motion photography. But my gosh this lens is a beast! My arms and shoulders are looking pretty good using it all the time too haha.

Can I see more poodles please....Because I think I'm in love with photographing them! 🤩This high flying, athletic poodle...
06/02/2026

Can I see more poodles please....Because I think I'm in love with photographing them! 🤩

This high flying, athletic poodle is named Monte. He and his family had a photo shoot with me before Memorial weekend and they had so much fun running and splashing in the Chesapeake Bay.

Now that the edits for this session are finally completed, I'll be sharing more of their photos because they are beautiful!

Photo taken with my Nikon Z8 & Nikkor F 300mm 2.8 lens.

Where did the time go! I've been extremely busy and having fun working and photographing so many amazing dogs from late ...
06/02/2026

Where did the time go! I've been extremely busy and having fun working and photographing so many amazing dogs from late April to now.

One thing I wanted to share, was that my work is on the cover of the June edition in a local magazine! 😄

I meant to share this yesterday but I had back to back client sessions!

Thank you for featuring my work Tide Water Times 🥰.

Also, a huge thank you to the dogs and their owners for letting me use their photographs.

Cover Photo: Kerdi - Border Collie - Erica Tillger

Page 7 photo feature: Rue - Black Labrador - Eva Kerchner

https://tidewatertimes.com/2025/09/01/may-issue-new-onlinehttps-tidewatertimes-com-2023-06-27-may-issue-new-online/

05/19/2026

Wooo! What a month May has been so far. I’ve been extremely busy working sunrise and sunset so haven’t had time to post much.

I get a nice break until we start back up in June to finish the first two weeks of more non stop photo sessions. After that, it’s up to Mother Nature to decide if she wants to make the this summer scorching hot, or be kind and give us an 80 degree summer (wishful thinking 😆). If the weather is to hot, I’ll see you all this fall when temps cool down.

Model calls - If you’re still waiting for your proof gallery, those will be sent out tomorrow or the following days this week 😊. Make sure to check your emails!

Model calls to be rescheduled - I have a few that need to be rescheduled for June due to unavoidable circumstances…..well maybe one…..but sometimes I don’t like to wear shoes in the bay! I’ve somewhat learned my lesson 😆. If the weather permits, I’ll send an email.

Can’t wait for next round of incredible dogs to photograph in June!

All that glitters is gold! Truman the beautiful golden eyed border collie. 🤩This was a fun photo to edit. It's challenge...
05/12/2026

All that glitters is gold!

Truman the beautiful golden eyed border collie. 🤩

This was a fun photo to edit. It's challenge which I always enjoy, when editing and making the dogs stand out without the haze the back light brings.

Since I'm sure everyone is going to ask: Camera, lens, and settings posted below.

Nikon Z8 - Nikkor F 300mm 2.8 lens.

ISO: 320
SS: 1/1250
Lens is a prime lens so: 300mm
F2.8

I love when the sky wants to be dramatic during sunset 🤩.Ryder the gorgeous border collie, was fantastic during his phot...
05/11/2026

I love when the sky wants to be dramatic during sunset 🤩.

Ryder the gorgeous border collie, was fantastic during his photo session with me last week. The unpredictable windy weather didn't stop him from running through the Chesapeake Bay after his frisbee.

I'll share the photo when he catches it another day because it's beautiful and I'm figuring out if I want to compete with it haha.

Photo taken with my new favorite camera lens combo:

Nikon Z8 & Nikkor F 300mm 2.8 lens.

Happy National Dog Mom Day 🐾🥰.To celebrate Dog Mom Day because I am a dog mom of three wild, wonderful, and in my eyes p...
05/09/2026

Happy National Dog Mom Day 🐾🥰.

To celebrate Dog Mom Day because I am a dog mom of three wild, wonderful, and in my eyes perfect dogs, I want to do a rare photo session giveaway!

I will select one random applicant to win a ONE Photo session experience with me, multi award winning motion dog photographer. Beyond winning a ONE Photo session experience, you'll also win a $150.00 print credit to use towards exclusive framed wall art or luxurious hand crafted canvases created by the most talented canvas makers in the nation.

HOW TO ENTER AND BE ELIGIBLE TO WIN!:

🐾💛Fill out the application (link in post)

🐾💛Share a photo of your dog in the comments.

🐾💛Tag 3 friends who love dogs

🐾💛Share this post to your story/feed

Entries close Tuesday, May 12 at 11:59 PM.

Winner will be chosen at random and announced Wednesday, May 14.

Open to dog parents in Maryland, surrounding states, or those willing to travel to Kent Island, MD.

Must be available for a session within 30 days of winning.

By entering you agree to our terms (no purchase necessary).

Happy Dog Mom Day, and Good luck, dog moms! 🐾📷🥰

https://missmichelle489.wixforms.com/f/7458223689025193223

IMPORTANT NOTE: Michelle Dawkins and/or the Michelle Dawkins Photography Team will NEVER ask you to fill out any personal information beyond this secured form. If selected to model, you will be contacted privately by our team from the following email:

[email protected]

YOU WILL NEVER BE CONTACTED VIA SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE COMMENTS SECTION OR ASKED TO JOIN A NEW SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE

Michelle Dawkins and/or Michelle Dawkins Photography are not responsible for the actions of others however, we do want to bring up this matter and to remind you to always check the account name and/or email address if you think someone might be impersonating Michelle or someone from the Michelle Dawkins Photography Team.

DO NOT click or accept any links that are not from Michelle Dawkins or the Michelle Dawkins Photography team.

We will never ask you for any personal or payment information!

Michelle Dawkins and/or Michelle Dawkins Photography are not responsible for the actions of any 3rd party.

How to Recognize Impersonation Attacks:

Verify the sender's email address: Look for subtle differences in the domain name or email address.

Be wary of urgent requests: Impersonation attacks often create a sense of urgency to pressure victims.

Be cautious of links and attachments: Avoid clicking on links or opening attachments from unknown or suspicious sources.

Double-check website URLs: Make sure you are on the legitimate website before entering your credentials.

Be skeptical of unexpected requests: Verify the legitimacy of any unusual requests, especially those involving money or sensitive information.

Important read!👇🏻📷I have a gut feeling that this is one of those photographs that's going to be remembered for a very lo...
05/07/2026

Important read!👇🏻📷
I have a gut feeling that this is one of those photographs that's going to be remembered for a very long time. One I hope that inspires other photographers to get out there, think outside the box, and create photography magic.

I've not created photography magic this well since 2021. Yes...2021. Back when I first purchased my Z6ii camera body, a young, over excited, fresh in her 30s girl with my never ending go get um attitude I still annoyingly or proudly have to this day. The year I went all in by learning from the 3 greatest dog photographers in the world. The year I met my very first group of models to work with.

Now, 5 years later and with schedules lining up perfectly, and newly equipped with the Nikon Z8 & Nikkor F 300mm 2.8 Lens. My original team of models are returning for some much needed updated photographs by me.

The image is titled: Blinded Trust.

This photograph was taken with Teresa Hanula and her dog Leonard Lee a few weeks ago. My plan was to just combine a stellar jumping image of Len, and Teresa performing this insane back bend jumping vault move I've never seen before. Well, after a few attempts, I said "lets do one more and it will be to just get that wild move your doing and I'll edit Len in with photoshop". We got set up, I counted down, the disc was thrown, and all that was left was for Len to perform this trick all while Teresa was in this back bend, eyes closed, no way to see where Len was going to run/place his paws on her. Fully trusting that he wouldn't run right over her face or neck. He performed this move perfectly.

I only took three photos from this run and all were "holy 💩" moments reviewing them in camera. Yes, I cuss. I'm an adult and a photographer, both go great together lol. If you've worked with me, holy 💩 means it's a stunning photograph before I even have to edit it. The next statement from me was "Ummm.....guess I don't have to combine anything now after that run". The photo was taken perfectly and what was so funny was I didn't plan for that to happen at all haha.

Image was taken with my Nikon Z8 and Nikkor F 300mm 2.8 lens.

Address

Annapolis, MD

Telephone

(443) 699-0301

Website

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