ZilkerBark

ZilkerBark Dog photography in Austin Texas! Book a session today: zilkerbark.com About Zilker Bark Photographer, Alex Hopes:

My name is Alex Hopes. I needed more clients.
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I grew up in the small town of Treynor (pop 909) Iowa. Treynor is just 25 minutes east of Omaha Nebraska. When I turned 18 and graduated high school and moved to Maryville MO to study elementary education. Two years later I switched majors and moved to Omaha. I graduated in 2010 with a journalism degree, and a concentration in elementary education. Near the end of my college career I picked up a s

ix week old little mutt, who I would later name Sid. There were no dogs in my childhood, so my infatuation with this adorable creature was intense. Sid was two years old when I decided to move to Austin TX. In many ways, Sid was the catalyst for my photography career. Obviously, everything Sid did needed to be documented. I made sure to photograph him waking up, being awake, sleeping, eating, not eating, playing, not playing and well, you get the point. I was always ready with my camera. Once we made the move to Austin, I began taking pictures of other things, like people and landscapes. The more I photographed, the more passionate I became about my hobby. I began to realize how much there was to know about photography, and it fascinated me. I moved to Austin with a good friend, my dog Sid and everything we could fit in my car. There was no job lined up, no idea of where we would live. I knew no one, and had never been to the city before. After sleeping on a couch for two weeks, a job and a home were found. I began work at a restaurant, as a server. I spent six or seven months working at the restaurant and began to grow tired of the service industry. I felt I hadn't achieved as much as I thought I would when moving to Austin. So in December of 2012, I quit my job and purchased a camera I couldn't afford with the idea that I was going to start my own business. The idea, to me, was simple. I was good with social media and decent with photography, so I combined those things. I picked up my first client in January, a local burger joint with two locations in the Austin area. My role was to take photos, and integrate them into marketing strategies throughout different social medias. It was successful, but I was broke. It wasn't long after that I was able to pick up another client, a local gym. Initially, I was working for free, and received a gym membership in return, but after just a month I was put on payroll! Things were looking up, and I was excited about it. It was two months later that I received my big break, I picked up five new clients. They were all bars owned by the same person and from this point forward I was a busy man. I eventually hired an employee to help with social media. The extra help and my flexible schedule allowed me to travel. This is when my love for photography really took off. My trusty companion at my side, Sid and I have traveled all over the nation covering more than 20k miles. He and I have hiked to the highest points at Glacier NP (BC and Montana), Zion NP, and Arches NP, to name a few. We even hiked 25 miles to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back! It was during the fall of 2012 and the summer of 2013 that the love of travel became a huge part of my life. Now, my goal in life is to provide beautiful images for people as a way to support my travel habit. Sid and I finished an eight month road trip in February 2015. When we arrived back in Austin, I started photographing dogs at Zilker Park. Since we were already there 3-5 days a week, it just made sense to start an Instagram account called "". Well, that idea has transformed and Zilker Bark Dog Photography was created. I'm happy to say I'm doing what I love, and constantly surrounded adorable furry creatures. So, if ever you're at the park, there's a good chance you'll see us! And if you do, don't be shy. Be sure to say "Hello". Alex (& Sid)

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Do you need some photos for you pooch? Individual sessions are available by going to the "Book a Session" tab or you can meet us at the park sometime! Follow on Twitter and Instagram:

05/19/2026

Tag who you'd show down with ๐Ÿ˜ค๐ŸฅŠ๐Ÿพ

It's definitely zilker park season, we'll see y'all out there for more dog interviews!

They can't say it out loud, but they mean it with every wag ๐Ÿ’— Happy Mother's Day to every kind of mom - including the on...
05/10/2026

They can't say it out loud, but they mean it with every wag ๐Ÿ’— Happy Mother's Day to every kind of mom - including the ones who buy the good treats, share the best, and (mostly) never complain about the dog hair. To the dog moms: you are so loved ๐Ÿพ

05/08/2026

SCHNOOOOODDDLESSSS?! ๐Ÿง

what should we ask next at our zilker park dog interview?! comment your suggestion & it might just be our next question ๐Ÿพ๐Ÿพ

05/04/2026

How well do you REALLY know your dogs? ๐Ÿง๐Ÿพ

We took it to Zilker Park to find out! We have a new champion of the week. Meet us at Zilker to be next ๐Ÿ‘‘

Brisket, the y/o French bulldog, says you're doing great ๐Ÿค
04/24/2026

Brisket, the y/o French bulldog, says you're doing great ๐Ÿค

Sunny, the 4 y/o Poodle mix. With this rain in Austin lately, we could all use a little sunshine!She's basically a walki...
04/23/2026

Sunny, the 4 y/o Poodle mix. With this rain in Austin lately, we could all use a little sunshine!

She's basically a walking mood boost with her sweet personality and bubbly energy.

Clear skies loading...Sunny's on the job ๐ŸŒžโ˜‚๏ธ

04/21/2026

it's DOODLE DAY ๐Ÿ‘Š

did you know that there's at least 40 different kinds of doodle dogs?! how well do YOU know them all?!

put yourself to the test with another zilker park dog interview! what breed should we do next?

04/16/2026

๐ŸŒญ get your party pants readyโ€” the 4th annual Texas Wienerfest is SIX months away!

๐Ÿ“ฃ
๐Ÿ—“๏ธ 10.31.26
๐Ÿ“austin, tx

costumes, games, food, photoshoots, WE**IE RACES, vendors, giant venue, and thousands (yes, thousands!!!) of weens await.

drop your wiener's name in the comments, letโ€™s see whoโ€™s gonna make this the WORLD'S LARGEST DACHSHUND MEETUP ๐ŸŽ‰ ๐ŸŒŽ

04/14/2026

Name that breed, difficulty level 1 ๐ŸฅŠ

Should we ramp it up next time?! Study up & catch us at zilker park next time to find out ๐Ÿพ

Maple, the 12y/o Cavapoo. Over the last six years, weโ€™ve watched Maple go from the baby of the family to the eldest chil...
12/10/2025

Maple, the 12y/o Cavapoo. Over the last six years, weโ€™ve watched Maple go from the baby of the family to the eldest child. And while sheโ€™s officially in her senior era, she still lights up the moment the treats come out.

We only spend a few minutes with Maple each year, but somehow it feels like sheโ€™s our pup too.

Thanks to everyone who lets us be a small part of their dogโ€™s story. We love being the unofficial godparents. ๐Ÿ˜Šโค๏ธ

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Austin, TX

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