Litter Shoot Sessions
Raising puppies is a labour of love: eight weeks of intense care and attention giving them the best start in life and choosing the perfect families who will best suit each puppy's temperament and future lifestyle.
A great, ethical breeder will ensure the best for their puppies, and will keep in touch for their entire lifetime as support and to see how their babies grow through life.
So what better way to capture the precious memory of their first family than with a special photo shoot session with a specialist pet photographer experienced in litter shoots.
Why book a litter shoot?
A professional photograph of the litter is a great addition for your puppy packs, and gives new puppy parents a treasured memento of their puppy's earliest days with their litter mates
How does a litter shoot work?
LOCATION
Your litter shoot will take place in your own home, to provide the most relaxing and familiar environment for your puppies - and saving you the hassle of transporting them to a studio.
AGE OF PUPPIES
We normally aim for the photo shoot to take place at around 6 weeks old, when they are beginning to become more alert and playful.
LENGTH OF PHOTO SHOOT
This entirely depends on how many puppies there are in the litter and how long it takes them to settle. My quickest litter shoot has been 1.5 hours and the longest nearly 6!
INDIVIDUAL PORTRAITS
During the litter shoot, I'll capture individual portraits of each puppy using a Studio Style set up. We may also use some props depending on how well the puppies get on during the photo shoot
THE GROUP SHOT
This is usually the shot which is included within the puppy packs, depending on which litter shoot package you choose. It's normally a good idea to have a few helpers for 'crowd control' when we're getting the puppies into position!
CLEANING
All props, backdrops and equipment are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before and after the litter shoot using puppy-friendly cleaning products. If you prefer me not to touch the puppies, this is absolutely fine.
Kooikerhondje Puppies
"The Twybrook King's Day Litter were captured perfectly and with a nod to their Dutch heritage by Sandie. Her patience and professionalism shone through, giving the pups a fabulous experience and producing this (and many other beautiful shots)"
- Claire, Breeder
Three things you need to know
When to enquire
Please contact me as soon as you have your dog's due date! Due to the limited time-frame to arrange a litter shoot AND the short editing & ordering period to deliver prints in time to be included in puppy packs, it's important to get the date in the diary as soon as possible.
Unfortunately it is highly unlikely that I will be able to accommodate you if you contact me when your puppies are 6-7 weeks old.
Who is eligible for a Litter Shoot
I support ethical breeding, and therefore I will only conduct litter shoots for breeders who meet my criteria for an ethical partnership and who are looking for a photographic gift to include in puppy packs.
It is absolutely prohibited for any of the images from your litter shoot to be used to promote, advertise or otherwise offer for sale or homing any puppies from any current or future litter.
What happens if we don't achieve the group shot
During a litter shoot, we always aim to get the group shot of all the puppies together, to include in your puppy packs. However, it isn't possible to absolutely guarantee this - as so much depends on how the puppies settle on the day of the photo shoot (and welfare is ALWAYS more important than a photo!)
If for any reason it isn't possible to get the group shot, instead each puppy parent will get a complimentary individual portrait of their puppy.
testimonials
Client Stories
Litter Shoots are one of my most favourite photo shoot sessions and are equal parts chaos and cuteness! Here are some of my most recent litters that I've photographed:
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frequently Asked Questions!
These are the most popular questions about booking a litter shoot - but if I've missed anything, let me know!
Litter Shoots are available to ethical breeders based in the UK, who apply for a session with me. Applicants will be asked to complete a questionnaire to ensure they meet my criteria for an ethical partnership
Please note I am based in the Midlands, so travel fees may apply if you are outside of this area
An ethical breeder is one who is working for the benefit of the breed with fully health tested dam and sire for each litter, with pairings carefully selected with consideration for any breed specific needs. They will normally have a waiting list with puppies having potential homes before the litter is bred.
Please get in touch as soon as you have a due date for your litter! Due to the very restricted time-frame for conducting a litter shoot, and the short period available for editing and ordering prints to be included in your puppy packs, it is essential to get a date in the diary as soon as possible (before puppies are even born!)
It is highly unlikely that I will be able to accommodate a litter shoot if you contact me when puppies are already 6-7 weeks old
One Photo Shoot for a litter of puppies aged approximately 6 weeks old.
The Basic Package includes one unmounted print per puppy for inclusion in your puppy packs, which is normally the group shot (if achieved) or an individual puppy portrait (if the group shot is not achieved)
As the breeder, you have some add-on options if you would like to upgrade the included photo or add additional prints to your puppy packs. These must be pre-booked in advance of your photo shoot in order to be eligible for the special add-on pricing
Alternatively, I will provide gallery access for the new puppy parents to make their own individual purchases if they wish to
The Basic Package is £125.
Depending on where you are based, an additional travel fee may apply, which will be discussed before booking.
You may also choose one of the add-on options which can either upgrade or include additional prints for your puppy packs. The cost for these is between £20 and £35 per puppy, depending on the option chosen. Please note these must be pre-booked by the breeder to be eligible for this special pricing.
Puppy Parents will also be provided with details of how to access any additional images from the litter shoot (e.g. is more than one individual portrait has been captured), with details of how to order any additional prints if they wish to.
I will provide details of how puppy parents can view any additional images from the litter shoot with the prints for your puppy packs. This is normally via an online gallery which can be easily accessed and any additional orders can be placed through this gallery
Puppy parents will benefit from special litter shoot pricing for any additional prints or products from their puppy's litter shoot
I aim to get the prints for your puppy packs delivered to you as soon as possible following the date of your litter shoot, but please ensure you let me know the date that puppies will begin to go to their new home so that I can arrange delivery accordingly.
Any additional orders from puppy parents will normally take 2-4 weeks for delivery direct to their home address.
While I always aim to capture the group shot of your litter, unfortunately this can not be guaranteed as it depends on how well puppies settle on the day (and welfare is always more important than a photograph!)
If we are unable to achieve the group shot, an individual portrait of each puppy will be provided for each puppy pack instead
After you book with me, you have a 14 day cooling off period as per the Consumer Contracts Legislation. Your cooling off period commences from the date you pay your booking fee, and if you cancel during this period you will be entitled to a full refund, providing no part of the service has been delivered.
Once the cooling off period has lapsed, the following cancellation charges apply where no part of the service has been delivered
Cancellation more than 7 days prior to the first session date: £50 administration fee
Cancellations less than 7 days prior to the first session date: 50% of the booking fee
WHERE PART OF THE SERVICE HAS BEEN DELIVERED
If part of the service has already been delivered when you cancel, you will be charged cancellation fees pro-rata to the services you have already received. This may apply if you have had your Pre-Shoot Chat or one or more sessions in a multi-shoot package has been delivered. Details of the pro-rata charges can be found on your contract, or provided on request.
Additional Artwork orders are considered bespoke and therefore excluded from any right of cancellation once paid for.
I will do my best to accommodate any requests for rescheduling a litter shoot, but due to the limited time-frame for this type of session, it may not always be possible to do so.
First Reschedule requested more than 48 hours prior to session date/time - no charge
Subsequent Reschedules OR less than 48 hours notice - £30 rescheduling fee.
If I am unable to reschedule your litter shoot, my standard cancellation terms will apply.
As a supporter of ethical breeding, I do not permit any of my litter shoot images to be used to promote, advertise or otherwise offer for sale or homing puppies from any current or future litter. All successful applicants will be required to sign a contract which specifically prohibits any such usage. with financial penalties applicable for any breach of these terms.
I reserve the right to terminate any litter shoot booking immediately should I feel on arrival at your home that your breeding situation is at odds with my position on ethical breeding. In this situation a fee of £50 would be charged to cover my travel costs, with the remainder being refunded.
How do I book?
If you're an ethical breeder and would like to book a litter shoot with me, here's what to do!
1) Send me details of your litter's breed and due date via the 'Enquire Now' button below to check availability
2) If I'm available, I'll provisionally reserve a photo shoot date for you approximately 6 weeks from the due date. I'll then send you an application form to collect further details from you regarding yourself and your breeding ethos, and ensure that we're a good match for an ethical partnership.
3) Your date will be confirmed once my litter shoot checks are completed, your contract is signed and on payment of your booking fee
