STORY | HAARLEM

Family Photos with a Dog in Haarlem

By Aleksandria Rudenko | Published 28 October 2026

Family of five laughing on a Haarlem quay as the father holds their small white dog, windmill De Adriaan across the Spaarne behind them

These family photos with a dog began on a quay in Haarlem, right across the water from a windmill. The family had come over from the United States to spend the summer here. Maple, their small white dog, flew over with them.

Halfway through the summer, they wanted one afternoon with all six of them in the frame. With three girls and a dog, that only works when everyone keeps moving. Haarlem helps, because the river, the boats and quiet corners lie close together. That mix is a big part of why I love my photoshoots in Haarlem.

A Windmill Across the Water

We began at the water’s edge, with windmill De Adriaan on the far bank of the Spaarne. To everyone’s surprise, Maple stood still at their feet for the first wide frame. Then the father picked her up, and the girls burst out laughing. That laugh is the frame that opens this story.

Windmill De Adriaan on the far bank of the Spaarne behind a family of five, their white dog at their feet under summer clouds — Windmill De Adriaan across the Spaarne, just after two

Each Girl, Then the Family Dog

Behind us, a dark green hedge made a calm backdrop, so I gave each girl a few minutes of her own. The youngest crossed her arms and showed off the gap in her smile. Her middle sister held out the skirt of her flowered dress, while the eldest simply laughed.

Young girl in a coral dress crossing her arms and grinning with a gap in her teeth, a dark green hedge behind her

Girl in a flowered dress holding out her skirt in a playful curtsy on a brick path, pink sandals and green leaves around her

Smiling girl with long wavy hair in a cream T-shirt with navy stripes, seen up close against a soft dark hedge

Then it was Maple’s turn. She sat on the bricks while a hand with a treat hovered above her. For one second, she looked straight into the lens with her mouth open, as if she were smiling too.

Small white family dog sitting on the bricks with a red collar and blue leash, looking up at a hand that holds a treat

Fluffy white family dog sitting up with its mouth open as if smiling, looking straight into the lens in front of a dark hedge — Maple by the hedge, a quarter past two

Her parents got a quiet minute as well, arm in arm against the same hedge, before the girls came running back.

Father in a blue T-shirt and glasses holding the mother close in her navy dress, both smiling in front of a green hedge

Down the Quay Behind the Dog

On the quay, Maple led the way on her blue leash, past an old red barge and tall towers of red geraniums. Everyone followed at her pace, which meant small stops and sudden starts. Meanwhile, I walked backwards in front of them and let them come to me. In family photos with a dog, the dog sets the tempo, and I simply follow.

Family walking toward the lens along a brick quay behind their white dog on a blue leash, past a red barge and red geraniums

Between walks, the father carried his middle daughter on his back. The mother lifted the youngest onto her hip until their noses touched. In both frames, the windmill stayed soft in the background.

Father in glasses carrying his daughter piggyback in a flowered dress, both laughing, with the windmill soft behind them

Mother lifting her youngest daughter in a coral dress onto her hip, nose to nose and laughing, a windmill and boats behind

On a low concrete edge by the water, the three sisters sat side by side and soon fell into one big hug. After that, the whole family squeezed onto the same edge, Maple included, with the windmill right behind them.

Three sisters hugging and laughing on a low concrete edge by the water, a white boat and modern brick flats behind them

Close together on a concrete edge, a family sits with their white dog in front, windmill De Adriaan rising behind them

The Last Family Photos by the Canal

Across the Spaarne stands a row of new gabled houses, each roof in a different shade of brick and slate. We lined everyone up along the quay for one wide frame, with a black bow at the edge and Maple at their feet. Next, the two older girls each had a moment with their mother, one of them beside the black fishing boat YE 97.

Family of five holding hands in a row on the quay with their dog, new gabled houses across the Spaarne and a black ship bow — New gabled houses across the Spaarne, half past two

Mother hugging her daughter from behind beside the black fishing boat YE 97, the water of the Spaarne glinting next to them

Further along the river, the path turned green and quiet. The eldest knelt down to hug Maple by the water. Her sister jumped so high on the bricks that her dress flew up around her.

Girl in a striped T-shirt kneeling to hug the family dog by the river, a white building with a small tower across the water

Jumping high on a brick path, a girl in a flowered dress sends her curls and skirt flying, bikes and a white railing behind

The last frame came by a canal with white railings and a long row of bikes. The sisters stood in the grass with Maple in front of them, and for once nobody moved. Our family photos with a dog ended there, just before three.

Three sisters standing in the grass by a canal with white railings and parked bikes, their small white dog standing in front — A canal path lined with bikes, ten to three

Planning a walk like this yourself? My guide to photo spots in Haarlem shows where we went.

Want your dog in the family photos too? Discover how my photoshoots in Haarlem work.