Canberra photographer launches portrait project celebrating women and the dogs who carried them through life’s hardest chapters
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A powerful portrait project from a local photographer is launching this National Dog Mum’s Day to celebrate the special bond between women and their dogs.
Its aim is to capture something unseen: how our furry companions support women through some of life’s hardest chapters.
Created by award-winning pet photographer Ina Jalil, applications for Barking Beautiful are set to open on Saturday 9 May, with spots limited to up to 25 women from Canberra and the surrounding region.
“Barking Beautiful invites women to share the story of what their dog has carried them through, whether that’s grief, burnout, motherhood, illness, mental health struggles, or any season where their dog was the one steady thing,” explains Ina.
“The concept actually came from another photographer in the US… but it never went ahead, so I asked if I could use this concept because it’s been something I’ve been wanting to do for a while.”
For Ina, this project is personal. She knows firsthand what it means to lean on a dog when words aren’t enough.
“My dogs are my world. I live on my own, and they are my constant companions, my reason to get up, and at the end of a hard day they’re just there to make me happy,” she says.
“I’ve had seasons where my mental health has been really difficult. Dark periods where I’ve struggled more than most people around me knew. In those moments, my dogs kept me grounded and brought me back to the present moment.”
“For a lot of women, that kind of unconditional presence is what gets them through. That’s the heart of Barking Beautiful. I know what it feels like to need your dog in a way that goes beyond words. And I know I’m not the only one.”
What Ina is looking for in applicants isn’t a particular type of story. She says that instead, it’s a particular type of bond.
“You don’t need to have been through something dramatic. You just need to have leaned on your dog in a way that changed you, or sustained you, or quietly got you through,” she says.
“I’m also very open to women who want the artwork to focus on their dog rather than themselves. This project is about the bond, and there are beautiful ways to honour that without being front and centre in every frame.”
The selected participants will undergo a full premium portrait experience, with their finished portraits and written stories published in a limited-edition fine art book, and a Canberra exhibition in development for 2027.
Each participant’s experience will include an in-person consultation and a guided portrait session – with the choice of an outdoor Canberra location or Ina’s Jerrabomberra studio – as well as an ordering appointment where they see their images for the first time and design custom artwork for their home.
Sessions are also designed to be accessible for dogs of all temperaments, including anxious and reactive dogs.
To add a personal touch, the women involved in Barking Beautiful will be telling their own stories, in their own words.
“The stories are written by the participants themselves; professionally edited, and published with full approval from each woman,” explains Ina.
“I want women to feel seen for what they carry quietly. So many of us have leaned on our dogs through things we don’t talk about out loud. That relationship deserves to be honoured in a way that lasts, not just a photo on a phone.”
Ina is one of Canberra’s most recognised pet photographers, holding multiple international pet photography awards and receiving a 2023 Australian Small Business Champion Award.
This is her third curated book project, but it feels like the most personal.
“I hope it gives women permission to invest in themselves,” she says.
“So many of my clients come to me and say they’ve been thinking about doing something like this for years. This project is the nudge. You deserve to have your story told while your dog is still here to be part of it.”
The registration fee for Barking Beautiful is $150, with an optional $100 upgrade to an extended session that includes multiple dogs, family members, and $250 artwork credit.
Those wishing to be notified when applications open can join the waitlist here.
For more information and to register visit inajphotography.com.
Credit: Ina J Photography.
