Imagine:

• Bringing out the best in an image in just a few clicks.
• Learning how to manage color so that your subjects are their true color.
• Adding sparkle to even the darkest and deepest set eyes.
• Removing leashes like a pro - no matter what the background is.
• Creating a workflow that allows you to edit quickly and efficiently.
• Having digital trickery tools up your sleeve to produce images that sell EVERY SINGLE TIME.

In fact, I want you to imagine how much time you’re wasting right now by trying to teach yourself these programs with random YouTube videos or trainings that were created for wedding and portrait photographers.

And how much longer it will take you to develop mastery of the pet photography related editing techniques if you continue down this path?

"I was pretty well-versed in Photoshop and Lightroom before enrolling in the Post-Processing for Pet Photographers and I didn't really think I would learn much.

I was wrong - I learned a TON! In addition to picking up new tricks for tools that I 'thought' I already knew, I learned all of the things that I didn't even know I didn't know!

My workflow is so much faster and I'm better at recognizing things that I used to miss in my editing. My editing has improved tremendously thanks to this class - it is well worth the investment."

Betsy Peticolas

Fur Photo

"I'm beyond happy with Post Process for Pet Photographers! I'll be honest, I was on the fence about purchasing the class because I have a Lightroom book and I've watched several tutorials on Youtube.

I really thought that I was learning a lot using those resources, but after watching JUST THE LIGHTROOM LIBRARY MODULE I realized how must I was really missing!

I had no idea how many functions the Library modules actually has... much less knew how to use them. I could have continued teaching myself bits and pieces from different resources, but that method can leave you bumping around in the dark, not really knowing what you're missing.

This class is laid out so well, and covers all the details in such an organized, easy-to-follow way. 

I especially love being able to rewatch videos and follow along in another window, that alone has helped me to put everything into action IMMEDIATELY1 Thanks to Heather and Nicole, I'm really working smarter... not harder!"

Kathleen Bowden

Kathleen Bowden Photography

"I'm self-taught in Lightroom and Photoshop, and have been using the program for four years and two years respectively. I decided to jump into this course because it was so specific to pet photography - and it didn't hurt that it was taught by a fantastic dog photographer and another photographer that specializing in teaching photographers these critical skills.

It was worth every penny and every minute of my time! 

I've found lots of surprises along the way from things that I had no idea that I could do to things I knew how to do... but now, could do it better, or in a different way.

The videos are short which makes them easier to digest. The course takes you step by step, and each video builds upon the prior one. I can't recommend this course highly enough."

Liliya Brenner

Lily Raven Photography

NICOLE BEGLEY

Founder of Hair of the Dog and Nicole Begley Photography

Nicole is an international award-winning Master Photographer, Photographic Craftsman, and Certified Professional Photographer. She’s also been a recipient of Photographer of the Year designation from Professional Photographers of America several years running.

Specializing in creating expressive images of pets and their people throughout Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania, Nicole also teaches pet photographers across the globe how to build their skills and grow their businesses fast.

Prior to launching Nicole Begley Photography in 2010, Nicole spent 13 years as a zoological animal trainer working with everything from seals to aardvarks and every species in between.

Addicted to travel and chocolate martinis, she shares her home with husband Brett, two small humans, and her Puerto Rican rescue dog Zoey. She is also chief of staff to Emma the cat.

HEATHER LAHTINEN

Founder of Flourish Academy and Weddings by Heather

Heather is an Adobe Certified Expert in Photoshop, Profoto speaker, business coach, educator and trusted mentor in the industry. She is also the founder of Weddings by Heather and the Flourish Academy.

With over 15 years experience, Heather helps photographers refine their skills in Lightroom and Photoshop so they can build exceptional businesses. Driven by an overwhelming desire to see others in the industry succeed, her workshops instruct, illustrate and inspire.

When she’s not teaching or capturing stunning wedding photos, you’ll find Heather at her Western Pennsylvanian homestead enjoying time with her husband, two kids, three cats, one dog and flock of beloved chickens.

Want to save time editing...

Lightroom was created specifically for photographers….and it is powerful! In the Library Module we walk you step by step through the setup of your Lightroom catalog, breaking it down so you can create the most efficient workflow.

Want to create a consistent look with their editing...

If you’ve been swooning over your fave pet photographer’s work and wondering how they can possibly create such consistently stunning shots every. single. time. then you’re about to find out.

We share the secrets of the professionals and show you everything you need to know to easily and quickly edit gorgeous images every time.

Are feeling overwhelmed by Photoshop...

Photoshop is an absolute monster of a program. In fact, it’s so big that we pet photographers will never need to use all of its functionality!

If you’re new to the program, you won’t automatically know which functions you need and which ones you don’t, and that makes it pretty hard to learn! In this course, we breakdown the basics of Photoshop and demonstrate all the tools you’ll need to tackle common pet editing challenges – and none of the ones you don’t.

Are looking for tips + tricks to improve their sessions...

As veteran pet photographers, we have a ton of tricks up our sleeves that help us consistently create engaging images and draw out the personalities of the pets we photograph.

In this course, we’ll show you how to photograph two dogs separately and then merge them into one image, how to use two images to keep both dogs tack sharp in a group photo, ways to fix martingale collars when they’re defying gravity, and many, many more tips, tricks and techniques.

Module 01 - The Lightroom Library Module

Many photographers believe that Lightroom is just an editing program but actually, it’s an
incredibly powerful database for your portfolio. A database that can become leads to frustration if
used incorrectly.

Inside this module, you’ll learn:

• How to avoid the common database pitfalls that many photographers fall into.
• Best practices for importing your images.
• Tips for making culling your photos a breeze.
• Quick and easy ways to find the images you are looking for with filters.
• How to use virtual collections and keywords to organize your images.

Module 2 - The Lightroom Develop Module

The Develop Module is the image editing workshop for pet photographers around the globe.  Once you discover all of the options for editing and processing your images, you’ll be on your way to slashing your editing time in a major way.

Inside this module, you’ll learn:

• How to quickly and easily manage basic exposure and white balance editing.
• All of the options for managing color in your images.
• How to apply adjustments to the entire image or only to sections.
• When to crop in Lightroom and when to crop in Photoshop.
• How to manage noise reduction and sharpening.
• Discover all of the artistic uses of the various adjustment tools.
• Learn best practices for exporting high and low-resolution images.

Module 3 - The Lightroom Export Modules

Leaving no stone unturned in exploring the power of Lightroom, we also share an overview of each of the Export Modules inside of Lightroom.

Inside this module, you’ll learn….

• How to utilize the book module for album design.
• Quick and easy slideshows in the slideshow module.
• Create specific page layout and print options for printing photos and contact sheets.
• How to create galleries in the web module.

Module 4 - Lightroom Applications

This is where the rubber meets the road and it all comes together by showing you the specific ways in which Nicole uses Lightroom.  Complete with exercise files so you can work right alongside.

Inside this module, you’ll learn….

• Follow along with Nicole on a full session edit.
• Different strategies for managing your white balance in Lightroom.
• How to manipulate the color of the sky in silhouette images to your artistic vision.
• To utilize the hue/saturation/luminance panel to adjust the colors in your image.
• Creating artistic touches, such as sun flare and sunshine, with the adjustment brushes.
• Enhancing eyes, removing tears stains, and fixing cataracts.
• How to fix perspective in an image.
• The true power of a RAW file.

Module 1 - Photoshop Essentials

Without a solid foundation of the tools covered in this section, trying to do anything pet photography-related in Photoshop will leave you frustrated. 

Inside this module, you’ll learn….

• How to work with layers and layer masks
• The details of dodging and burning
• How to use the selection tools 
• The difference between cloning and healing - and when to use each one!

Module 2 - Photoshop Applications

Now that the basics are covered, it’s time to start showing you how to use Photoshop for basic pet photography situations.

Inside this module, you’ll learn….

• How to navigate basic and challenging leash removals.
• When you might want to merge two images.
• How to make everyone look great with head or ear swapping.
• What to do when your animal subjects aren’t cooperating, 
• Such as creating a group shot from individual shots.
• Techniques for enhancing eyes, fixing catchlights and even removing cataracts.

Module 3 - Color Management

Capturing and managing true color in your photographs is one of the best ways to improve the quality of your images.  

Inside this module, you’ll learn….

• How to keep black dogs black, and not blue.
• How to remove color casts caused by green grass.
• Techniques to remove tear stains.

Module 4 - Design and Product Creation

Now that we are creating gorgeous images, we may want to print them on gorgeous products!  

Inside this module, you’ll learn….

• Techniques for extending backgrounds for printing on a canvas.
• How to design an album in less than 10 minutes.
• Designing marketing materials in Photoshop.
• How to work with the text tools.
• To create a watermark brush for easy watermarking.

Module 5 - Actions for Sanity

Actions are basically a series of commands that Photoshop will run automatically when you ask.  They save you some time, which can help you save your sanity.

Inside this module, you’ll learn….

• How to create your own actions as well as utilize our actions.
• Including, sharpening eyes, sharpening fur, and removing tear stains.

Module 6 - Bring it All Together

This is the module that brings it all together.  The module showcases various Photoshop work from beginning to end.  

Inside this module, you’ll learn….

• How Nicole manages her custom workspace.
• Various techniques for merging images.
• How to create group silhouettes from individual images.
• Ways to clean up backgrounds.
• Techniques to combine images for better composition.

Over 125 Video Lessons

We’ve taken literally everything you need to know to be a successful pet photographer and broken it down into short, easy to follow video tutorials. All of the videos are housed in a private Member’s portal, accessible by a unique login you’ll receive when you sign up. Most of the lessons are only 3-5 minutes in length, allowing you to easily digest and implement your new-found skills right away.

Exercise Files

Downloadable exercise files are also included with the course, allowing you to work on the exact image used in each video and follow along as we share our favorite creative uses of Lightroom and Photoshop. This is a fantastic way to perfect the techniques first before applying them to your own images.

Actions + Presets

All the critical Photoshop actions and Lightroom presets are included inside this course. You’ll learn how to brighten and sharpen eyes, remove blue fur, tone down overly green foliage, and much, much more…

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.

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. 

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.

Guest Artist Training

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! 

Business Essentials

Every business needs a plan. The beauty of being self-employed is the ability to build a business that works for YOU—one that supports the life YOU want to live, on your terms, in your own way. This course will help you create that plan, build your brand, and map out all the elements that go into the customer experience. We'll also dive deeply into search engine optimization and creating a website that converts, with real-life examples of website reviews.

Pricing and Sales

This is where many photographers stumble and fall. Having your pricing dialed in is a make-it-or-break-it business essential. It's also the most common place where talented photographers get stuck and bury their heads in the sand – because all those numbers get too overwhelming. But I promise you, this stuff is easy once you have someone to break it down for you! You'll discover the art and science of pricing, and how to bring them together to create real profit.

Marketing

Marketing isn't just about creating a website and posting on social media. A comprehensive marketing strategy has many components, and while they don't need to be expensive or time-consuming, they do need to be well planned and executed. We'll cover what you need to do to position your business correctly, and cover a range of effective marketing opportunities that you can implement right away.

Marketing Templates

Are you struggling to create your marketing collateral? Scratching your head at what to include in your client inquiry guide, session preparation guide or product guide? Losing hours (and dollars) trying to find templates that you like AND that will all work together?!?

Your Academy membership now includes fully customizable Photoshop templates - with copy written by a professional copywriter! You'll quickly have all of your client education and marketing pieces finished, in a cohesive and well-written set. (Dang, that's gonna feel good!)

 Email Marketing Masterclass

Email marketing is THE MOST VALUABLE marketing strategy for pet photographers, in my humble opinion.  Stop telling yourself that you aren't ready for a list, you don't know what to write, or you don't want to annoy your subscribers - and instead, step into a plan that allows you to grow your business while serving your subscribers.

Instagram for Pet Photographers

In this course, Instagram consultant Tori Mistick cuts through the confusion and overwhelm, and walks you through a process to use your Instagram account with intention to connect with your ideal market. If you're wondering what you should be posting, or if it's even worth posting at all, you'll definitely want to watch this course!

We support and encourage each other through our private Hair of the Dog Academy member’s only Facebook page.  This is a community dedicated to helping pet photographers like you maximize your potential - by improving your craft and helping you make money doing what you truly love.

Check out everything that is available to you inside the Hair of the Dog Academy!

Of course, Post-Processing for Pet Photographers is yours to keep as our gift to you - even if you cancel your Academy membership.

"I absolutely love Post Processing for Pet Photography. Being fairly new to Lightroom and Photoshop, I initially thought that it was a big investment for the course as a hobbyist, but as I look back it was well worth it!

Even though there are many editing tutorials on youtube, I've never seen the attention to detail in those videos. It's also so helpful to have everything I need in ONE resource.

Nicole and Heather do an excellent job in balancing the course between learning the details of these programs and the specific nuances of pet photography.

In my humble opinion, Heather as a teacher is head and shoulders above any source I've seen on Youtube. I'm so excited to keep practicing my craft and being introduced to new challenges, so I'm thrilled to have lifetime access to this course. I recommend PP4PP without hesitation."

Shelley Sherbondy

SDS Photography

"I was skeptical about signing up for Post Processing for Pet Photographers because I had just completed a Bachelor of Fine Art degree with over 120 hours of Lightroom and Photoshop instruction! Wow, was I ever wrong!

I actually learned so much more from this course than ALL of those post-processing courses in my degree program!

This program is simply unparalleled... from the lifetime access to the material to Nicole and Heather's commitment. It is really the most amazing online learning program that you can ask for, and my continually improving skills and sales are proof of that."

Janet Deltuva

Ares Emzy Photography