Five Freedoms Photography: Raleigh Pet Photographer -

Erica P.

Where do I start? I met Joanne a few years back after joining the local rescue community where she was at an event donating her time and talent to photographing rescues. We crossed paths many times over the years and got our first photographs from her during a Photos with Santa event. The photos were outstanding and better than I’d ever been able to capture of my pack of 3, and if I saw her at a local event after that, I always tried to make it to get a gorgeous photo or two or at least say Hi. Joanne always remembered us, and was always so patient while I wrangled the pups for their photos (which is not an easy task), interested in finding their quirks and what made them most comfortable. Fast forward to this past year, where I was finally able to get my own dedicated session for my family. Just like she did at her pop-ups, Joanne made a conscious effort to learn about her subjects and what makes them special. She took the time to get to know them prior to jumping into a session and it really made all the difference. After choosing the perfect location based off my dogs’ needs and getting some extra special treats, we were ready for our session. The session was so much fun and Joanne really made sure to come prepared. Her assistant was great at helping me manage the crew all the while my shy, anxious rescue was having a ball while getting her glamour shots. For the image reveal, I was stunned at how beautiful our portraits were! It was so incredibly hard to narrow down my selection when literally every image in the gallery was magazine-worthy. I have never been able to get a family photo with all my pups and my husband and she did. She also got a photo of all 3 in my pack together - which was so incredibly important for me. Joanne delivered more than I could’ve ever asked for with our session and now I have images of my family to cherish for the rest of our lives. I am eternally grateful and hands down recommend Joanne at Five Freedoms Photography for your pup portrait needs - you won’t be disappointed!

Aubrey L.

Working with Joanne is a dream! She is a dog person through-and-through, with the skills to bring out the best in your professional modeling dog or to help your shy, reactive pup come out of their shell and let their personality shine.

There are many dog photographers out there, but my favorite thing about working with Joanne is that she doesn't just take beautiful dog photos— she takes incredible photos of YOUR dog. She puts in the time and energy to find the perfect shots to capture exactly who your dog is and to show them at their most joyful.

Joanne's artistic vision and editing skills are incredible. The raw photos she captures are already amazing, but then she provides many beautiful picture options for you to select from for final edits. She fixes up unsightly background objects like telephone towers with ease and can often remove collars and leashes from photos seamlessly for those whose dogs or locations demand that extra security during the photo shoot.

Joanne showed exceptional flexibility when autumn tropical storms interfered with our original booking date and made sure to find a place and time that worked for our schedule. She is also great at planning out the course of your session to maximize the chances of catching your dog's energy and attention, and gives clear before-session instructions on how best to set yourself and your dog up for success!

We would absolutely work with Joanne again, and you should book her for your next pet photography session!

Jennifer W.

I am so happy that I drove 2 1/2 hours for Five Freedoms Photography: Raleigh Pet Photographer. We have photos done annually. I've never had someone who specializes in dog photography photograph us because I don't live near a dog photographer. However, after last years portraits left me sad because of the lack of focus on my dogs (they were the last ones with my heart dog before he past) I said I would never leave it up to just any family photographer. Having someone understand dog behavior and body language makes a huge difference. Plus, she came equipped with all the noises and all the yummy treats. The session moved smoothly. Joanne was professional, thorough and thoughtful. From start to finish. We even did a zoom call to go over all our goals for the session as well as fact and personality traits about my dog. It wasn't just a portrait session, it was an experience. My heart is bursting with happiness at my gallery and I can't wait for printed products! Especially an album, swoon! I think I might just cry, tears of joy, of course

Kathy C.

Joanne is absolutely AMAZING! I work at a local animal rescue, and Joanne graciously donates her time and talent to help us get homeless pets adopted. I was so blown away by her work that my family and I decided to book a pet portrait session with her. Capturing four humans and four dogs is no small feat, but Joanne handled it with ease, a big smile, and incredible patience. The photos exceeded all of our expectations and we truly cant stop looking at them!!!!!

Even my dad and brother, who usually hate having their photos taken, had the best time. They were so impressed that they insisted Joanne should take all our family photos from now on. The session resulted in a collection of precious family heirlooms that we will cherish forever.

Joanne didn’t just stop at taking beautiful photos—she went above and beyond! She helped us select the best images for metal prints to display in our home, provided mock-ups for each room, and even hired someone to hang the photos for us, making the entire process seamless and stress-free.

I could rave about Joanne and our experience all day! If you’re on the fence, I highly recommend scheduling a consultation call with her. By the end of it, I’m confident you’ll be eager to book a session. Joanne truly is the best of the best, and I wouldn’t trust anyone else to capture my pups.

FIVE FREEDOMS PHOTOGRAPHY IS THE BEST EVER

Kennedy W.

I used Five Freedoms to take photos for my dog training business and I am so thankful! In preparation for the shoot, Joanne is professional, kind, responsive, and ultra prepared! During the shoot, she gave me clear directions on what to do (which is super helpful if you don’t feel like a natural in front of the camera), and had lots of fun tricks to keep my dogs engaged. The photo shoot experience wasn’t stressful at all, which I really appreciated. Now, I have gorgeous images of myself & my dogs that I can use for marketing, promotion, and of course personal enjoyment! Highly, highly recommend!

Michelle M.

Joanne is so talented and so knowledgeable about dogs! Her portfolio speaks for itself, but the amount of work she does for free for shelter and foster dogs is truly incredible. She has photographed the majority of my fosters and many adopters talk about how the pictures made them fall in love. I can attest she can work with ANY dog. I have brought her scared, aloof, wild, growly, all of it, and she has never failed to get a variety of amazing pictures!

Patty J.

100% recommend Joanne & Five Freedoms Photography! First, Joanne is a dog whisperer, so great with our pup, Bella Poppy who is already a very social 2yr old lab-mix, who we rescued at 8 weeks.
Her photo session was fantastic, the pictures are exquisite & were so pleased. We'd do a photo session every month if we could! We'll maybe settle for doing twice a year. It's so important to capture your pup in all phases of life, I'm only bummed we didn't get professional pictures done when we first adopted her.

Don't hesitate, Joanne is fantastic & will treat your pup like her own, and capture their personality beautifully!

Michelle V.

There aren’t enough words to describe how amazing Joanne and Five Freedoms Photography are. It was truly an honor to work with her for our Forget Me Not session with our little senior shepherd, Thor Bear.
To begin, I reached out to her while she was on vacation but she responded immediately regardless. Next, I had requested a date 2 weeks out and in the most kind and sincere way, she had encouraged us to schedule something sooner-through her experience she knew things could change quickly. Still, I kept my original request, but she let me know she’d keep some time slots open and checked in with us periodically. It was somewhere around 2am 2 days later that I knew she was right, things do change quicker than I was ready to admit. I asked her when her soonest availability was and she got us in the very next day.
Not only was she amazing, patient and respectful during the whole session, but had she kept my original request for 2 weeks out, I would have missed the opportunity as our little man crossed the rainbow bridge a week after our session.
She was so warm as she worked with our Thor Bear, and while it was a heartbreaking experience altogether knowing time was running out with my heart dog, she let us cry, made us laugh and let him lead the whole session. It was truly something so special, something I couldn’t recommend more.
Joanna held our hand during the whole process and even hand delivered our album. She’s a gem and will always hold a very special place in our hearts. Also, the pictures are beyond amazing, everything I could have hoped they’d be and more.