Uplevel Your Animal Photography Game
in a community of pet photographers for pet photographers.
JOIN THE ACADEMYCLICK.
That’s it. You KNOW you’ve got it.
This is the best image that you’ve captured yet.
This is why you continue to pick up the camera - to create more images like this. Images that make your heart sing.
The truth is, this pet photography thing LIGHTS YOU UP!
But maybe there are also times this dream seems totally out of reach.
If you are like most of my students, you’ve experienced….
Feeling frustrated and stuck because you aren’t improving as quickly as you had hoped.
A constant questioning of whether you are talented enough at this photography thing.
Start to make progress with your camera but then feel completely overwhelmed with editing.
Feeling as if you have hit the very bottom of YouTube but still haven’t found the right answers.
Chances are, you’ve already asked yourself how long will this take?
How long can I keep this up?
How many more hours can you keep searching on YouTube for the next piece of the puzzle?
What if there was an easier way?
The fact that you are feeling this frustration means...
You have the dream.
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Whether that dream is to capture images of your furry family that makes your heart sing, use your skills to help more animals get adopted, or if it’s to use this passion to start a part-time business or even trade in that 9 to 5 for a career that makes you jump out of bed each and every morning.
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I believe strongly, you wouldn’t have this dream if you didn’t have the ability to achieve it. Â
What if you….
- Found confidence in your photography and editing skills.
- Created work that continues to improve month after month.
- Mastered Lightroom and Photoshop so that you could create the images you desire.
- Discovered all the tips and tricks to get great images of animals.
- Surrounded yourself with other people with the same goals and dreams.
This is a community dedicated to helping pet photographers like you maximize your potential through mastering your craft.
Results like this could be yours...
So let’s get down to business.
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Here’s what’s waiting for you inside…
PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPORT
Pet Photography 101
Dive into the essentials of pet photography with Pet Photography 101, designed to cover all the technical foundations alongside expert techniques for working with dogs. From mastering manual settings and understanding exposure, to perfecting composition and ensuring sharp, stunning photos. You'll also learn the art of creating a positive experience for your furry subjects, understanding dog body language, and capturing their best expressions.Â
Pet Photography EDU with Kim Hartz
If you're looking to improve your craft, start here! Created by Master Photographer Kim Hartz, this is a full-blown course on the art of pet photography. You'll learn about animal behavior and working with dogs, how to pose pets and their people, and go deep into lighting with both strobes and natural light, inside the studio and out.
Dog Posing Guide
Elevate your dog photography sessions with this invaluable resource offers a digital gallery featuring 50 distinctive poses, complete with directions to help you capture each shot perfectly. Say goodbye to the days of running out of ideas mid-session; with this guide, you'll have a wealth of inspiration at your fingertips, ready to transform any photography session into a dynamic and memorable experience.
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Fundamentals with Ragamuffin Pet Photography
Are you struggling to consistently shoot in manual mode? What about capturing consistently in-focus action images? Caitlin McColl from Ragamuffin Pet Photography has created this foundation course to take you from a complete pet photography novice to being comfortable and confident with your camera in a variety of situations.
Behind the Lens - Pets and People
What goes through your head when owners ask to be photographed with their dog? If it’s anything other then, “OMG YES! OF COURSE!”, you NEED this class. Master Photographer Nicole Begley takes you through working with a variety of pet and people combinations. From one owner and two dogs, to a couple and two dogs, to a full-blown family shoot with two boys and an excitable doodle, this course has got you covered.
Behind the Lens - An Urban Adventure
Follow along on an actual urban photography session, with Master Photographer Nicole Begley showing you how to create beautiful images from backdrops you'd normally just pass by. Learn how to create variety in a session and then watch Nicole edit the images to perfection, as she talks you through the process.
Behind the Lens - Mini-Session in a Park
Join Master Photographer Nicole Begley as she walks you through a session at a local park. Discover what backgrounds to look for and what to avoid, how to manage multiple dogs, and tricks for capturing action photos. You'll also find tutorials for editing the images from this session.
Behind the Lens - An Equine Adventure
Horses are quite literally a different animal than dogs - and photographing them requires a different approach. Join Master Photographer, Nicole Begley, on an equine session to learn how to create variety, pose horse and human, and elicit expressions from your equine subject.
Equine Photography Basics
If you love to photograph small pets, you've probably wondered if you might also love to photograph horses. How different can it be? Well, it's a LOT different!  Originally included in a previous Hair of the Dog summit, this class presented by Shelley Paulson will help you understand horse behavior, work safely around horses, choose the best lenses to use, prepare horse and rider for the session, discover attention grabbing techniques, posing, and capturing the bond people share with their horses.
Cat Photography Basics with Kim Stephenson
Join Kim Stephenson in this special feature as we delve into the elegant and enigmatic world of felines. This presentation was originally presented at one of the Hair of the Dog Summits. In this video, we'll learn about the differences between cats and dogs, how to speak 'cat' by understanding their body talk, discover ways to get them to look at the camera, and find out what to do if a cat is feeling a bit nervous. Kim's also going to dive into how she runs her cat sessions.
EDITING SUPPORT
Post-Processing for Pet Photographers
Lightroom Edition
Lightroom is a powerful ally in any photography business, yet the majority of photographers aren't using it properly. We'll show you how to leverage this incredible tool to its full potential so you can manage your portfolio with ease and edit your images in minutes instead of hours.
Post-Processing for Pet Photographers
Photoshop Edition
Photoshop is a beast and one of the biggest challenges for new photographers is knowing what’s important to learn – and what isn’t. We’ll show you exactly what you need to know for pet photography editing – and nothing that you don’t.
Post-Processing for Pet Photographers
Swipe Nicole’s Workflow
Watch over the shoulder of a veteran pet photographer as she takes you through every step of her personal workflow including import into Lightroom and super speedy culling, exporting for sales and creating files that automatically update in your catalog, renaming Lightroom files quickly and easily and creating different export settings. You can’t get information like this unless you pay to work one on one with a professional photography coach.
Post-Processing for Pet Photographers
Wacom Training
As a bonus for Post-Processing for Pet Photographer, you’ll receive a special bonus video series that walks you through all the benefits of using a tablet. We’ll show you how to choose the right one for you and how to install, use, and program custom functions. Most photographers can’t imagine ever being without their tablet once they have one!
Post-Processing for Pet Photographers
Create a No-Fail Backup Strategy
Data loss happens, but it doesn’t have to happen to you. Inside this special in-depth training to help you create a backup solution that works for you. We’ll discuss how to make sure you’re covered and walk you through the details of each of our systems. The aim of this special bonus training is to make data loss a minor inconvenience when it happens, not a major catastrophe!
Guest Artist Trainings
Are you interested in learning how different artists edit their images? Now you can as we bring some of the best pet photographers from around the globe into the Academy so that they can share a little bit about their creative process. You'll learn from industry leaders through lessons like Creating Panoramic Images in Photoshop with Craig Turner-Bullock, Editing Studio Backdrops with Terran Bayer, and Moody Portraits with Haron Haghuis, just to name a few!
Monthly Editing Shares
Each month, we delve into a recent edit, utilizing Lightroom and/or Photoshop, to showcase the latest techniques and developments in the world of photo editing. This exclusive peek behind the curtain gives you direct access to professional workflows and innovative tricks, ensuring you stay at the cutting edge of pet photography editing. With these monthly insights, you'll continuously refine your skills and bring fresh, creative touches to your work.
LIVE SUPPORT
Even through we’ve done our best to outline everything in an easy to follow way - sometimes you just want to talk to someone and ask a question!
We have 3 ways to get the support you need:
Photography Principles Calls
These are live calls hosted by Academy coach Terran Bayer in which each call reviews an important foundation of pet photography - such as, XYZ…. During that call there is also time to get any of your shooting or editing questions answered. Replays for the last 12 months of these calls are also available inside the community.
Image Reviews
I firmly believe that seeking feedback on the work you are creating is the FASTEST way to improving your skills. Now in the Academy community, we have a dedicated space for you to receive individual feedback on your image from Academy coach Kim Hartz. Simply post your image and receive individual feedback on your image through a loom video from an Academy coach.
Ask for help.Â
If you need support, the fastest way to get it is by posting in our ask for help section of the community. Not only will you receive some feedback from Academy coaches, but also from our incredible community of pet photographers!
I'm Nicole. Master photographer, zoological animal trainer turned pet photographer, travel addict, and chocolate martini connoisseur.
I’ve helped thousands of photographers become more confident in their craft and earn real money as professional pet photographers all while maintaining the balance needed to enjoy the journey. Â
I used to help photographers by creating individual courses focused on the different pillars of success - craft-focused courses, editing courses, and business courses. If you were to individually purchase all of the classes included in the Hair of the Dog Academy it would cost over $3,000 - and the courses wouldn’t come with the support that you have in the Academy.
But now I’ve bundled all of these courses together in the Hair of the Dog Academy, added live support opportunities, and can offer it for a fraction of that cost. In fact, you can have access to all of this for less than the cost of two martinis.Â
Over the past few years, I’ve seen so many pet photographers struggle - from gaining confidence with shooting to mastering post-processing, as well as navigating the choppy waters of starting a business and attracting qualified clients. Many of them giving up before they even have the chance to really get started.
This means if you never get this figured out, you’ll never go on to fulfill your photography dreams - whether that is helping more dogs find homes through impactful photography or retiring from your current 9 to 5 job.
It’s for that reason that I want to make this available to as many people as possible so that I can help you get to where you’re going even faster.
So tell me….are you in?
Hi! I'm Terran Bayer. Pet photographer, foodie, Netflix binger, and s'mores aficionado.
I dream of living off-grid, high in the mountains — with high-speed internet and Thai takeout, of course (#priorities) — and believe road trips make the best adventures. That’s why I spend half the year on the road, living that very life in our Airstream.
I discovered my love of photography and graphic design long ago but after adopting my soul-pup, Roxy, I found dog photography. It was like a bolt of lightning hit me from above and I knew this is what I was meant to do! Now, I work with private families and commercial brands to tell the stories of the bonds people share with their animal companions through colorful, emotional, and sparkle-light-filled lifestyle photography. My work can be seen in marketing, advertising, and promotional campaigns across the globe for brands with household names.
I absolutely love what I do and especially love teaching others the skills they need to do it, too! I can't wait to see you inside of the Photography Principles calls!
Hi! I'm Kim Hartz. Master photographer, mom of three human puppies, and fellow business nerd.
I've always been an animal and photography lover. Over the years I've honed my art, specializing in pet photography, gaining recognition within the photography industry, earning the distinction of Certified Professional Photographer, producing award-winning images, and I even wrote a book on pet photography!
The images I take for my clients capture the unique essence of each subject, producing a true work of art that is both timeless and precious. I teach pet photography and business of photography workshops and consult with studios all over the country. I'm dedicated and experienced instructing students on the creative process, with an emphasis on studio lighting and off camera flash, and building a successful photography business.
Inside the Academy, I run the image reviews and I can't wait to see what you share!
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Which membership is right for me?
I've been told I'm crazy for offering the Academy at such a low rate - but my mission is to elevate the pet photography industry and I wanted to make this affordable for everyone.
**Interested in having access to all of the business content inside Hair of the Dog Academy, in addition to the craft content? This is available here starting at $79/mo.
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Zero Risk! I get it! This may be an investment for you. I also understand that you've probably seen big promises from online training in the past, and you might be a little skeptical as to whether or not this is the real deal.
That's why I'm offering a 14-day money-back guarantee.
That's right, not only are there NO COMMITMENTS and you can cancel anytime - but if you jump into the Academy and decide that it's not the right fit for you - I'll give you your money back.
So let’s recap what you get when you become a member of Hair of the Dog Academy…
Pet Photography 101
Fundamentals with Ragamuffin Pet Photography
Dog Posing Guide
Pet Photography EDU with Kim Hartz
Behind the Lens - Pets and People
Behind the Lens - An Urban Adventure
Behind the Lens - Mini-Session in a Park
Behind the Lens - An Equine Adventure
Equine Photography Basics
Feline Photography Basics
Post-Processing for Pet Photographers - Lightroom Edition
Post-Processing for Pet Photographers - Photoshop Edition
Post-Processing for Pet Photographers - Swipe Nicole’s Workflow
Post-Processing for Pet Photographers - Wacom Tablet Training
Post-Processing for Pet Photographers - No-Fail Backup Solutions
Guest Artist Trainings
Monthly Editing Shares
Photography Principle Calls
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Image Reviews
Ask for Help
Some of the intangible benefits that the Hair of the Dog Academy members uncover include:
âś” Confidence in creating photographic art that you love.
✔ The knowledge to create systems in your business so that you can work smarter, not harder.
✔ Mastery of your post-processing skills and workflow.
✔ Connection with people just like yourself - driven and passionate pet photographers.
✔ A true understanding of dog, horse or cat behavior.
✔ A digital toolbox to so you are confident to capture great photos every time.
✔ Proficiency in posing and creating variety in your sessions.
✔ A redefined definition of success - and a business and life built on YOUR terms.
Now it’s time for you to make a choice….
Take a moment and go through the list below.
How many questions can you answer yes to? Do you wish that you could confidently answer differently?
Here’s the thing, if you do nothing differently…nothing changes.
Are you stumbling around Lightroom and Photoshop and not getting the results you desire?
We can give you a clear understanding of how to use these programs in an effective and efficient way - so you are creating the imagery you want, in less time than ever.
Are you struggling to find the light, whether in-studio or on-location?
Lighting is one of the most important pieces of photography, and we are sharing our secrets for on-location and studio in Behind the Lens and Pet Photography EDU.
Do you want to have more confidence in creating variety at your sessions? Â
There's nothing quite like rolling up to a shoot with the confidence that you will be able to create images that your client is going to LOVE. That's why we have numerous resources so you're never at a loss for ideas.
Are you yearning to create a signature style but you can’t find a way to learn different techniques?
We’ve lined up some of the world’s leading pet photographers to share their shooting and editing knowledge, with new instructors being added all of the time. This is how a style is created, by learning bits and pieces from lots of different sources - then mix them up and you have some magic.
Maybe you're wondering how dog, cat, or equine photographers get great images every time?
As with any niche of photography, there are lots of tips and tricks to create the images that clients expect. From working with dogs that can't be off-leash, to learning how to photograph horses safely - we dive into it all within the Academy.
Are you curious how different professionals edit their images? Â
One of the best things about the Academy is that you get to learn from many leaders in the industry!  Not only do we have great Academy coaches but we also have regular guest artists sharing their tips and techniques for editing images.
The Academy is for you if:
âś” You are serious about improving your pet photography craft.
âś” You are willing to take imperfect action.
âś” You’re looking to connect with like-minded people going after the same goals.
This may not be for you if:
âś– You expect everything to change just by watching videos and not taking action.
âś– You plan to binge on all you can in 30 days and then leave, results take time.
âś– You feel the need to cut others down to feel better about yourself.
Worried you don’t have the time or money?
I want to ask you what your dream is worth? Where are your priorities? If this isn’t enough of a priority in your life to dedicate a few hours a week and a couple of dollars a month (less than the cost of a night at the movies) towards achieving your goals - then maybe now isn’t the right time. However, you’ve been given this passion for a reason and you wouldn’t have this dream if you didn’t have the ability to achieve it - you just need a road map and some support. That’s why we’re here.
So what will it be? If you are finally ready to feel confident calling yourself a pet photographer - now is your chance. Click the button below and let’s get to work!
What are you waiting for? Â
The Hair of the Dog Academy has impacted me, it's actually made me who I am now. It helped not only my business grow, but helped me grow as a business owner. Not only that, I've recently had my highest sale to date... $6,170! The Academy has been able to teach me how to adjust the pricing to be able to live the life that I want, which involves spending time with my son and not working everyday. Now that I've built the business that I want, I can book as few as 2 to 3 sessions a month and that is more than enough income for what I need at this stage of my life.
Tiffany Wilson
Tiffany Wilson Pet Photography
Frequently Asked Questions
Still Have Questions?
We Have Answers
What's the difference between monthly and yearly?
Can I cancel at any time?
What's the investment?
How do I access the material?
Can I upgrade my membership later?
How long do I have access to the material?
Will I get personalized support?
Is the private community group mandatory?
Do I need to be a professional pet photographer?
Wow! Look at you!
You made it all the way to the bottom of this page!
If you are still reading this, there is a reason.
There is some piece of you that knows that this is what you have been looking for.
So why not jump in and test it out? There is no commitment and you can cancel at any time.
What do you have to lose?
JUMP IN TODAY
Still have questions?
If you have any additional questions, send an email to Liz at [email protected]
