A Year of Adventure: Scruff Life Photography’s 2025 Recap
- Lauren
- Jan 10
- 10 min read
Reflecting on 2025, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for the incredible moments this year has brought. From capturing joyful, fleeting moments between pets and their people to exploring new creative opportunities, this year has been one of growth, connection, and adventure.
Every session, every hike, and every behind-the-scenes project has reminded me why I love what I do. Scruff Life Photography wouldn’t be what it is without the amazing clients, our floofy friends, and a supportive community who trust me to tell their stories.
This 2025 recap is my chance to reflect on the highlights, celebrate the milestones, and share the adventures that made this year unforgettable. Thank you for being part of this journey with me, and I can’t wait to see what 2026 has in store!
Seasonal Favorites
2025 was such a memorable year for my pet photography business! Every session holds a special place in my heart, and I genuinely remember each one individually. I love thinking about my work through the lens of the seasons, so here’s a look at the sessions that I feel best exemplify each season:
Winter
I didn't have many sessions in the winter months in 2025, but this one with Lucy and Michelle was top-notch. I couldn't have asked for a more picturesque winter backdrop than a gorgeous and ever-changing sunset sky over a frozen lake in January. I took a series of photos of Lucy running across the lake towards Michelle and stitched them together in Photoshop to create the panorama scene. One of my all-time favorite photo sessions, no question.
Spring
I had so many amazing sessions this spring, and it's tough to choose just one favorite, but this session with assistance dog, Petra, was among my favorites! As much as I love winter, I am always very happy to have the return of color after a long, cold, gray winter!
Summer
If I had to choose my favorite session from the summer, I would say it was this incredible morning at the Lyndale Park Rose Garden in Minneapolis with Maria and Jackson. I don't think I can put into words how perfect this session felt both in the moment and after when editing and delivering these images. It was just stunning and so special. I will forever cherish this sweet duo.
Fall
Fall is always my favorite time of year, and there were SO many beautiful sessions this fall! My favorite one was this little impromptu session with Buzz and Mandy on a tamarack boardwalk. Tamaracks are one of my favorite trees, so finding this little gem of a spot right when the tamaracks were in full golden glory was a sign from the universe that I needed to capture some cute photos here. I'm so thankful for these two for helping me bring this vision to life!
Community Impact
Rescue Partnerships
In 2025, I was honored to work with thirteen local animal rescue organizations to photograph adoptable pets in need of loving homes. One of the highlights of the year, as always, was the annual Tonkadale event in March, where I teamed up with my photographer friends, Kelly and Kirsten, to capture adorable portraits of dogs and rabbits. Throughout the year, I photographed 28 adoptable animals, helping to enhance their adoption profiles and increase their chances of finding forever families.
Non-Profit Collaborations
I continued my ongoing partnership with Helping Paws, Inc., a local non-profit dedicated to enhancing people’s independence and quality of life through assistance dogs. I’ve had the privilege of using my photography skills to document their daily operations and special moments. These images help tell the story of the incredible work they do, inspiring donors, volunteers, and the community to support their mission. I shared more about my work with Helping Paws in this blog post: Capturing the Journey of Assistance Dogs in Training: A Year of Volunteering with Helping Paws.
Client Gratitude
I’m endlessly grateful for the incredible clients I had the privilege of working with this year. From new faces to familiar ones, each session has been a joy, and I cherish the opportunity to connect with every pet and their amazing people. Thank you all for trusting me to capture these meaningful moments — from welcoming a new family member to honoring those precious final moments together. This work holds deep meaning for me, and I take immense pride in preserving these memories for you.
Here are a few kind words from my wonderful clients this year:
"Lauren was great to work with. She worked with me on finding a chill location in light of my dogs changing/growing personality with other dogs/people. All the photos turned out amazing it was hard to pick the ones I wanted! I will definitely be using her again in the future!" - Annabelle, Sunny, & Finn
"Sometimes you don’t want to worry about getting THE shot on vacation. As a fellow photographer, I enlisted Lauren to document some memories along Lake Superior with my soul dog. Lauren was a delight to work with - communicative, a North Shore expert, and a reactive dog-friendly photographer. She effortlessly captured mine and Luna’s bond. I will treasure these photos forever." - Lauren & Luna
"Such an incredible experience! I booked a photoshoot for my senior rescue pup to celebrate a decade together and was blown away by the images. The photoshoot was very laid back, she had locations all scouted out beforehand and was wonderful with my girl. Images were done in a timely matter and she allowed me to do a payment plan for my additional pictures outside of my package. Highly recommend!" - Naomi & Sunshine
"Thank you for capturing such great photos of Boss! Even though it was 100 degrees. I will cherish the photos of him forever. It's so neat seeing the photos come to life. I would recommend pet photos while on vacation!" - Leah & Boss
"Lauren was amazing! With three dogs - including an older, sick dog - we asked Lauren to create a customized session in our backyard. It was perfect! She communicated exceptionally before our session, our three dogs all loved her, and the photos are gorgeous. Since our oldest dog was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer, it was important for us to capture our family as it is today and to make our dog the star of the show. Lauren understood our wishes and gave us beautiful photos we will treasure forever." - Anna, Shelly, Bolt, & Brownie
"Lauren was amazing to work with. I loved that there was a questionnaire to share any and all details about our dog, as well as a detailed session location list so we could choose the place right for our pup. She was kind enough to move our session date after scouting sites and letting us know the leaves were a few weeks away from fall colors. Lauren made the actual shoot effortless, and went with the flow as our dog sniffed and explored. I am so happy how she captured our little family, especially with how quickly time flies by with our furry friends." - Christina & Ember
"Lauren captured spontaneous-looking and beautiful photos of us and our two senior pups in our wooded backyard. Lauren knew how to get the best out of our older and sometimes inattentive girls. She listened to our ideas for location and content and added her expert eye to come up with a great array of photos (we used one for our annual Christmas card!). Lauren's communication was timely and detailed at every point in the photo session process - from our initial contact through the final photo gallery - which made the entire experience very pleasant and easy. Lauren was great and we highly recommend Scruff Life Photography!" - Millie & Dot's Humans
"I contacted Lauren after my senior dog's health started to decline to the point I knew I had to start thinking about end-of-life options. Lauren was able to schedule a session for that weekend at a place that was special to my dog and me, but not terribly convenient for her. Lauren was sensitive and compassionate with my dog's declining cognitive function and with how emotional I was during the session. My dog did not make it easy for Lauren, but she captured so many beautiful shots that I had trouble picking my favorites. Most importantly, Lauren's work captured the immense feelings that make up the bond I feel with my dog---Lauren has a true gift!" - Emily & Luna
If we’ve had the chance to work together and you’d like to share your experience, I’d be so grateful for a review on Google! You can leave one here.
What's New?
Shooting My Dream North Shore Session
In May, I traveled to Lutsen, MN, along the North Shore of Lake Superior, to capture a photo session for a longtime Instagram friend and her dog while they were in the area. This was very exciting for a number of reasons. I have been wanting to branch out to photograph people and their pets in more places in Minnesota. Cascade River State Park in Lutsen also holds sentimental value to me because it is where my husband and I got married in 2024. It is always such a joy to be back in the area and share it with more people! If you are interested in scheduling a photo session with me in a location outside of the Twin Cities area, please reach out, and we can chat about it!
Tabling My First Event
On a very sweltering July day, I tabled my very first vendor event! The kind folks at Pet Central Animal Hospital in Northeast Minneapolis, MN, invited me to join their 5th Annual Block Party event, celebrating their incredible clients and the community. Like I said, this was my first time participating in something like this, so I was entirely unprepared—especially given the extreme heat of the day—but I had a lot of fun meeting a lot of incredible people and their lovely pets who came out to join in the fun! I am considering actually becoming prepared for events like this in the future... so, maybe stay tuned for that. What would you want to see from me at a vendor event?
Sending Personalized Thank You Notes
2025 marked the start of one of my favorite traditions thus far for my small business. I started sending personalized thank you notes to clients after sessions in the actual mail. I don't know about you, but I love receiving mail that isn't an advertisement or spam or a bill, so I thought it was important to add this little extra touch to my business. I really look forward to those days when I get to catch up on thank you notes from recent sessions and stop to remember those clients for a moment. Sometimes I had some cute Scruff Life Photography stickers in the envelopes... ☺️
Behind-the-Scenes
When I wasn't capturing photos of your incredible pets, I was probably out exploring new trails, checking out a sweet pet-friendly cabin, or getting into a new hobby! 2025 took me to a few wonderful places, including the North Shore, Western Wisconsin, and Ely, MN. I was lucky enough to spend 12 days up on the North Shore across four different trips, including two cabin stays, one wall tent stay, and a good old-fashioned backpacking adventure (my very first!). I enjoyed two Wisconsin adventures with my family to get away from the hustle and bustle of 'real life' for a few days. Lastly, I had the incredible opportunity to partner with two awesome pet-friendly cabins in Ely, in September — Aurora Modern Cabin and Piney Woods Retreat. You can check out more about these lodging accommodations in this blog post: Cozy, Dog-Friendly Cabins for Your Next Winter Getaway.
Out on the trails, I logged over 200 miles of hiking across Minnesota and western Wisconsin — more than I've ever done in a single year before. My friend, Brooke, and I set out with a goal to do our first backpacking trip together, and the Superior Hiking Trail just felt right, so part of my increase in miles was to prepare for that trip and the trip itself. We hiked 22 miles in two and a half days from Schroeder to Lutsen. I am already so excited to plan the next big adventure!
In other news, I am proud to say that I read 53 books in 2025 after years of reading fewer than 10 books. A few of my favorites were The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah, Dark Matter by Blake Crouch, the Wayward Pines trilogy, also by Blake Crouch, The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer, and The God of the Woods by Liz Moore. If you ever want to chat about books, I'm game!
Celebrating & Remembering
As I look back on 2025, I’m so grateful for all the incredible dogs and cats I had the privilege of photographing this year. Each session came with its own unique flavor and charm, and it is always such an honor to capture these special moments of you and your beloved pets.
I also want to take a moment to honor the dogs and cats who crossed the rainbow bridge in 2025. Capturing the bond between pets and their people is such a meaningful part of my work, and I am always deeply touched when I have the opportunity to create lasting memories for families during their final moments together.
To all the pet parents who said goodbye this year: thank you for trusting me with these tender and emotional sessions. Your pets will forever hold a special place in my heart, and I hope the photos we created together bring you comfort and joy as you remember the incredible love you shared.
Here’s to the sweet dogs and cats who left paw prints on our hearts this year — they are dearly missed and will be cherished forever. 🌈
Looking Ahead to 2026
Capturing Winter Dog Sports (At All. Period.)
After two very sad years off from photographing sled dog races due to unusual weather, I’m eager to get back to it in 2026! I’m hopeful for a more traditional winter season and have already planned to photograph some sled dog races, including the Gunflint Mail Run in Grand Marais, MN, and the Klondike Dog Derby in Excelsior, MN. I can’t wait to capture the energy, teamwork, and beauty of these incredible races once again!
Dog-Friendly Cabin Partnerships
In 2025, I partnered with two cabin owners to highlight their pet-friendly accommodations, a genre of photography I’ve truly fallen in love with since 2023. Exploring cozy cabins with my dogs, capturing their unique charm, and sharing those details with you has been so rewarding. These projects not only showcase great places to stay but also help pet parents find the perfect getaway ideas! In 2026, I hope to expand these partnerships, working with more cabin owners across Minnesota and the Midwest. If you’re a cabin owner interested in these services, I’d love to hear from you!
Exploring the Possibilities of Film Photography
I purchased an old Canon film camera in 2025 and experimented with one roll of film over the course of the year. I am pushing myself to shoot more on film, even if it's only for personal projects. I want to get more comfortable shooting with film and prioritize bringing that camera out more. Wish me luck!
About Scruff Life Photography:
Hi, I'm Lauren, the pet-loving photographer behind Scruff Life Photography! Based in Minnesota, I specialize in capturing the unique bond between people and their beloved pets. Whether you’ve just welcomed a new furry friend into your life or are cherishing the years spent with a lifelong companion, I’m here to help you preserve those special moments. Pets are family, and their stories deserve to be celebrated with timeless, professional photos you’ll treasure forever. Let’s create something meaningful together — reach out today to schedule your pet photo session!
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