Turn the photos in your head into reality—without the frustration, perfectionism, or guesswork
A learning library for pet photographers who want to grow, experiment, and create art in a supportive, judgment-free space.
🙋🏻♀️ You see stunning pet portraits online and wonder, “Why don’t my photos look like that?”
🙋🏻♀️ You have big creative ideas, but they never quite translate into reality.
🙋🏻♀️ You’ve tried tutorials and experimenting on your own, but without clear guidance, feedback, and accountability, progress feels slow and frustrating
🙋🏻♀️ You want to improve your editing skills, but are stuck in a constant battle of “Am I on the right track?”
A pet photography library designed to take you from frustration to transformation, wherever you are in your journey: with hours of lessons, tutorials, guests, behind the scenes footage, resources and more.
✅ Structured learning paths so you always know what to focus on next
✅ Editing Tutorials galore! Over 20 FULL step by step editing tutorials, on a range of photos, across all seasons
✅ Guest Speaker archive: a range of recorded guest speaker talks, sharing their expertise on business, websites, social media, videography, action photography, landscape and more.
✅ Hands-on challenges to push your creativity in new directions and keep you accountable
✅ Direct feedback & community support so you’re never figuring it out alone
No pressure. No perfectionism. Just progress.
Why I Created the Learning Journey
I know how frustrating it is when your skills don’t match your vision—or when you feel like you’re missing out on capturing something special. I created the Learning Journey to change that. As a fully qualified teacher, I designed a structured, supportive way to learn—without the pressure, perfectionism, or confusion.
I know what it’s like to see an image in your mind and feel frustrated when your camera and editing skills just don’t match up. I also know what it’s like to feel like you’re missing out – on moments, on capturing something beautiful, on immortalising our four-legged companions while they’re adventuring beside us.
When I started, I spent hours trying to figure things out, wading through lessons and tutorials, videos and blogs, not sure if I was on the right track or moving in the right direction.
I created the Learning Journey so you don’t have to go through that same struggle. As a fully qualified teacher (BA & MTeach), I wanted to build something that actually helps people learn in a structured, supportive way—without the pressure, the perfectionism, or the guesswork.
2018
Same place (almost), same dog, biiiiiig difference!
2022
If you’ve ever felt the same frustration, the Learning Journey is here to help—structured guidance, real support, and a clear path forward. Ready to take the next step?
What's Inside the Learning Journey?
📸 Capture the Moment
✅ Confidently handle your camera in any situation
✅ Composition, lighting & location mastery
✅ Dog behavior & posing for portraits and magical storytelling photos
✅ Panoramas, self portraits, landscapes, action photos and more
🎨 Editing Magic
✅ Start to finish in Lightroom, Photoshop, or both
✅ Colour grading, shaping the light and creating storytelling images
✅ Removing distractions, enhancing details
✅ Explore new styles & techniques
💡 Learn, Grow & Connect
✅ Challenges & creative prompts – get out of your comfort zone!
✅ Critique & feedback archives – watch critique videos that cover HUNDREDS of different photography topics
✅ Guest expert talks & exclusive lessons
Included Courses & Content
Lessons on…
- The most important lessons to start you off right
- Composition Basics & 90 Minute Composition Workshop
- Advice on lenses and cameras, and why they matter
Lessons on…
- Depth of Field - how to get soft, blurry backgrounds
- Master Focus modes, areas and settings for tack-sharp photos
- Uncover the Exposure Triangle. Confidently set your camera settings & understand why
- 5 Workshop recordings included
Lessons on…
- How to tell which light works best for pet photography
- How light direction and quality can make or break your photos
- How to take photos indoors, without a fancy setup
- Includes 2 Workshop recordings, and a BTS in a dappled shade location
Lessons on…
- Getting started in Lightroom
- How to look for distractions in your editing, to keep your audience in your photo
- Comprehensive Lightroom guide and full tutorial included
- Includes 2 Workshop recordings, and a BTS in a dappled shade location
Lessons on…
- What to look for in a location
- How (and why!) to make panoramas
- Fun quizzes, examples and resources to help train your eyes to "see" locations
- 10 Behind the Scenes location videos, from forests, to suburban, to heather, to snow.
Lessons on…
- Why pose and expression matter, and how they can change the mood of your photo
- Different types of poses and the stories they tell (or don't)
- How to get your subjects' attention (and when it's too much!)
- Working with challenging dogs, dog POV and body language, guest talk regarding anxious, excited and reactive dogs.
- How to photograph and edit black dogs
- Guest talk from Frey Jun CCFT CCRP on dog health and wellbeing
Lessons on…
- Training your dog to stay
- What to do if your client dog won't stay
- Trick training: back up, chin down, hide your nose
Lessons on…
- Some more advanced Lightroom tools and techniques
- All about White Balance workshop
- Starting with Photoshop
- 2 x Beginners Photoshop Workshops
- Editing Rationale workshop
- One full Photoshop-only, beginner-friendly editing tutorial
Lessons on…
- Finding your style (and whether that's even important)
- Make your Dog POP workshop recording
- How to make editing decisions - having a solid editing rationale
- Action Photography, including 1 lesson from guest Chris van Riel
- Christmas photos, deep dark forest photos, creating storytelling photos, taking candid photos, editing pets and people, self portraits, product photography, group photos, snow photos and more and more.
- Guest talks from Andrea (the Good Mutt) on Landscape composition, Sabrina on Self Portraits,Fine Art Studio Photography by Tina Brikland Borsheim, Creating flower photos with Alessia Monaco, Videography with Marlen Mansfeld
Lessons on…
- 30+ different tools and editing techniques across both Lightroom and Photoshop
- The full Inspawration Editing Process, start to finish
- 6 Workshop recordings, including the 4 hour advanced editing workshop, changing colours workhop, shaping the light, fixing backgrounds and more
These are short 15-20 minute image edit walkthroughs. Not tutorials, but breaking down an edit layer by layer. Perfect if you know the process and don’t want to watch another tutorial.
- Foggy or deep dark and mysterious storytelling edits
- Backlit edits
- Snow edits
- Bright and golden edits
Support & Resources for EVERY Stage of Your Journey
Want to master your camera settings & shoot confidently?
✅ Locations Course → Learn how to find locations, no matter where you are, with plenty of Behind the Scenes to take you with us.
✅ Mastering Natural Light→ Learn about lighting types and direction to know how and when to take your best photos
Want to level up your editing?
Beginners & Advanced Lightroom and Photoshop Workshops → Master powerful editing techniques. 20+ Full Editing Tutorials → Step-by-step breakdowns of real-world edits in different styles. Editing Toolboxes → Quick, practical solutions to common editing challenges. Guest Artists → learn new tools, processes and techniques to expand your skills and refine your style Want to push your creativity & develop your style?
Style Workshops → Learn how to find, develop and embrace your unique style Creative Editing Workshops (Sabrina Theden, Blooming Dahlia, Chris van Riel, and MANY more.) → Learn from artists with unique styles. Challenges → Step outside your comfort zone, try something new, test your skills and photograph with intention and focus. Want to grow your business & attract clients?
✅ Website & Social Media Workshop → Build a strong online presence that attracts clients.
✅ Pricing Calculator & Business Resources → Set your rates & structure your offers for success.
✅ Choosing Client Photos (2-Hour Live Workshop) → full client workflow discussion while I prep a client gallery.
📸 How Will I Improve My Photos?
No more jumping through random tutorials and YouTube videos and hoping for the best.
Inside The Learning Journey, you’ll find structured Roadmaps designed to take you from where you are now to where you want to be—step by step.
💡 What’s Included:
✔ Learning Roadmaps – Four Learning Stages: Start at your current level and progress through structured lessons at your own pace.
✔ Video Lessons: Clear, easy-to-follow tutorials covering camera skills, editing, composition, posing, and more.
✔ Guided Assignments & Monthly Challenges: Practical exercises to apply what you’ve learned and see real progress.
✔ Community Feedback: Share your work, ask questions, and get personalized guidance on your journey.
Whether you’re just starting out, refining your skills, or exploring new styles, you’ll follow a path that makes sense for your goals—without overwhelm or second-guessing.
🎨 What Editing Skills Will I Learn?
Editing can feel frustrating when you don’t know where to start—or when you feel like your edits just aren’t matching your vision.
Inside The Learning Journey, you’ll find step-by-step editing tutorials designed to teach you both the fundamentals and creative techniques—so you can confidently bring your photos to life.
💡 What’s Included:
✔ Editing at Every Stage: Follow a structured path that takes you from beginner edits to advanced creative transformations.
✔ Full-Length Editing Tutorials: Watch start-to-finish edits in Lightroom & Photoshop and learn exactly how to achieve specific looks. One more tutorial available every month!
✔ Bite-Sized Editing Toolboxes: Quickly learn techniques like removing distractions, shaping light, changing colors, and more.
✔ Explore the Edit: See layer-by-layer breakdowns of complex edits to understand how pro-level edits are built.
✔ Live Editing Sessions: Join real-time editing walkthroughs and ask your questions as you watch.
No more guessing, no more confusion—just clear, structured editing lessons to help you transform your photos with confidence.
Above: a snippet of the Editing Tutorial Library. Below: An actual Explore the Edit, taken from the membership
⭐ What Makes This Different?
💡 This isn’t just another online course or Facebook group. It’s a structured, supportive, and inspiring space built for pet photographers like you.
✅ A Focus on Dog Wellbeing & Training – We don’t just talk about photography—we also care deeply about the health, comfort, and safety of the dogs in front of our cameras. From expert guest talks on dog fitness and behavior to discussions on ethical posing, you’ll learn how to work with dogs responsibly while capturing stunning images.
✅ A Women-Run Business, Built for Community – The Learning Journey is a supportive, non-competitive space where creativity thrives. No gatekeeping. No egos. Just a group of passionate, like-minded photographers learning and growing together.
✅ For Storytellers, Not Just Technicians – Yes, we’ll teach you the technical side of photography, but we don’t obsess over perfection. Instead, we focus on giving you the tools to bring your vision to life—no matter the moment, no matter the dog in front of you. Whether you’re crafting a fairytale-like portrait or capturing the real, unposed magic of your pet, we’ll help you balance skill with creativity—so you can create photos that feel as incredible as they look (even if your ADHD brain gets a little too excited and clicks before double-checking your settings!).
✅ Structured Learning, Designed for Neurodivergent Brains (like ours!) – If you’ve struggled with self-paced learning, you’re not alone. The Learning Journey provides clear Roadmaps, accountability, and structure while allowing you to learn at your own pace—without pressure or overwhelm.
💡 You don’t need to be a pro. You don’t need fancy gear. You just need a love for photography, a willingness to experiment, and a desire to capture the magic of the animals you love.
Our AMAZING Community…
… and some of the loveliest feedback 🥺
Meet your teacher...
Hi, I’m Emily. With me are Journey and Loki (aka Professor Snoot).
I created The Learning Journey because I know what it’s like to have big creative ideas but struggle to bring them to life.
As a professional photographer, fully qualified teacher, and neurodiverse creative, I’ve faced all the same frustrations—perfectionism, self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and trial-and-error learning.
That’s why this space exists: to help photographers at every level create the images they dream of, without the overwhelm
Let's start learning!
The Learning Journey - Online Pet Photography Course
€997 – one payment, lifetime access
Payment plans available
The complete Pet Photography learning experience you’ve been waiting for.
Attention coaches/teachers/educators!
We welcome photographers from all stages of their journey – whether complete beginners, through to seasoned professionals. We want you to learn to take beautiful photos of your own pets and client pets, and to bring the joy of photography to your clients.
That is who this membership is built for, not those looking to be coaches, trainers, teachers, or who are wanting to make their own tutorials and lessons.
We recognise that information doesn’t exist in a bubble, and acknowledge those who have taught US, in some of the earliest lessons. However, to keep our creative process, resources and ideas safe, we know it’s almost impossible to be actively learning from and involved in a membership while teaching – without re-teaching the techniques, processes and ideas that are being learned!
Therefore, it is in our terms and conditions that members cannot be teaching, making tutorials/lessons, holding workshops etc, while in the Learning Journey.
If you are wanting to teach, and have interesting, innovative or unique skills, techniques, ideas or knowledge – contact us! We LOVE having guests on-board! But, this isn’t the place for you to learn.
We hope you understand ❤️
The Learning Journey doors close in...
I've been a member for a little over a year now (yay!). There's so much information in the learning journey. I feel like everything a photographer wants to learn about is there, and yet Emily still keeps expanding with useful and interesting things every month. From beginner to more advanced photographers, there's plenty of information for everyone. Some things I particularly love are the challenges and lives. Both Emily and Sabrina are the kindest people, and getting to connect and learn through the lives is a wonderful thing. They're always so interesting and with that super motivating! The challenges get me out of my comfort zone, doing things I might've never done if it wasn't for the challenge.
The community is simply amazing. There's so many kind, supportive people who give great feedback and genuinely want all the best for you. The community is my favourite social place to be on the internet. Seeing everyone's progress, getting help and helping others with struggles, cheering for personal wins, learning from one another and hyping each other up. The community is there for everything, not just feedback on photo's but also questions about gear, social media, websites, sharing the results of your challenges and holding you accountable.
I cannot even begin telling all the things I've learned, because it's so much. I started at the beginning and now I know so much more about my camera and composition and I'm just learning how to edit everything. I feel like I've so many more things to learn and I cannot wait to see where I'll be in another half year.
There is also an amazing community behind the LJ. Everyone there is so kind and supportive. Because of that it's easy to share your work and ask for feedback to get your work to a whole new level. Basically you get extra tips and tricks from other members or people help you find the lessons in the LJ were everything is explained.
I can only say: come and join us and start learning amazing things!💕
Learning Journey FAQ
If you’ve ever imagined the perfect pet photo in your head but felt frustrated when it didn’t turn out how you envisioned—this is for you.
The Learning Journey is designed for pet photographers of all levels who want to grow, experiment, and create art in a supportive, judgment-free space. It’s not just a collection of tutorials; it’s a structured, engaging experience that keeps you inspired, accountable, and constantly learning.
You don’t need to be a pro to join. Whether you’re just starting out, improving your skills, or exploring advanced techniques, the Learning Journey adapts to you. You’ll follow step-by-step Roadmaps, take part in hands-on challenges, get inspired by guest speakers and level up your editing.
This is for you if:
✅ You see stunning pet portraits online and wonder why yours don’t look like that.
✅ You have big creative ideas but struggle to bring them to life.
✅ You love photography but don’t want to deal with perfectionism, competition, or unrealistic expectations.
✅ You’re looking for a community of supportive, like-minded pet photographers who get it.
This is NOT for you if:
❌ You’re looking for a rigid, “follow this recipe” type course.
❌ You expect instant results without putting in the effort to practice.
❌ You’re only interested in learning the business side of pet photography. (While we have business resources, our focus is on artistry, storytelling, and creativity.)
❌ You want to learn a completely different photography style, like studio or flash photography. While we DO have guest speakers who have “filled in the some of the gaps”, the majority of the information leans heavily to natural, outdoor pet photography as per Emily’s style and expertise.
❌ You’re wanting to teach, make webinars/tutorials, or hold workshops (being a member while teaching is against our Ts&Cs!)
The Learning Journey is built for photographers who want to create art—not just technically correct photos. We focus on capturing emotion, storytelling, and magic, while also giving you the technical tools to bring your ideas to life.
If you’re ready to finally create the photos you dream of—then yes, the Learning Journey is absolutely for you. 😊
Yes of course!
I’ve never wanted anyone to feel like they had to go out and buy a camera or fancy lens in order to participate.
I will talk about camera settings, and there are lessons that go over these in detail, as well as different types of lenses and things to consider, however it’s not a requirement.
In fact, I think if you’re taking photos with your phone, that learning the fundamentals is even more important.
Definitely! In fact, this online learning option is perfect for you, as it will take you from the most important, fundamental skills, through to more advanced techniques and business aspects!
Whether you’re still on complete Auto-mode on your camera, or you’ve never used editing software before, you will start at the start and move through your journey in manageable steps.
As well, you can ask any questions in the Facebook group or Inspawration Connect, no matter how silly (spoiler alert, there’s no silly questions), and the monthly critique sessions and Q&A sessions provides a chance to get feedback on your photos, and to ask questions live. (plus it’s super helpful to watch other people’s critiques!)
While all of my tutorials are based in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, it is possible to use many of the techniques in other programs.
I have recently created lessons exploring Affinity and Pixelmator Pro, to see how the programs vary, which features, keyboard shortcuts and techniques match up, and which don’t. As other students using other programs join, I will create more of these, to have a “library” of alternative programs and how to get the most out of them.
One of the reasons I’ve structured the LJ the way I have, is from feedback from my other students, who felt time poor, and like they were falling behind on their lessons.
In the Learning Journey, you will have a collection of lessons to view each month. If you don’t get to them, no worries! You can return to them whenever you want. Each month, a new topic with a collection of lessons will open up for you to work through. You have plenty of time for the lessons and bonus content, but it should be enough to keep you busy!
If you decide to go your own way and leave the membership, your access will cease at the end of that payment period (and we’ll all be sad to see you go).
Of course!
In fact we don’t even use our Facebook group any more, as we have our very own Inspawration Connect, which has a chat function, no algorithm, you can set up notifications to be emailed to you, and it even has its own App!
Then I’ll be very sad to hear that, but of course if you’re looking for something we’re not providing (for example, studio photography lessons!) then we completely understand!
To that end, if you aren’t satisfied with your membership, please get in contact and we will try and find a solution (and hopefully get some feedback to find out what we can improve upon!).
All lessons and videos are currently only available in English, except for the German version of Sabrina’s Flower Magic tutorial
So let’s recap… here’s what’s in the Inspawration Learning Journey Complete Access…
The Learning Journey Roadmaps 1-4
You’ll get started off right with our Fundamental Content to make sure you’re setting strong foundations in your photography. Then, you will be able to access a resource library of previous content for all stages of the Journey, as well as new content being added each month across a variety of topics. Continue to build on your knowledge, improve and be inspired.
Roadmap 4 takes you Beyond! Learn about business, from social media, to pricing & products, to working with clients, access mental health lessons, and work through our huge Editing Tutorial library (20+ tutorials in the end!)
€2000+ EUR Value
Exclusive Community
Our community is based in our own private network, Inspawration Connect. This means no distractions from Facebook, no fighting with the algorithm. Just a safe space for you to ask questions, post your photos for feedback from me and others, read and learn from the feedback and suggestions given to others, and make connections with other students on their journey.
Honestly? Priceless.
Monthly Critique Archive
Access to all previous monthly critique videos (PACKED full of information across a HUGE range of topics!) since 2021. That’s at least 120 HOURS of video content to learn from.
€70 EUR Value
Editing Tutorial Library
All members have access to 3 Full tutorials, one for each learning stage, so you can learn the full Inspawration Process.
With a library of over 20+ tutorials, in a range of situations with more being added all the time, you’ll have heaps of opportunities to watch Emily’s workflow, learn her rationale and decision-making process behind her editing, and master new skills and tools in your editing program.
€3000+ EUR Value
The Learning Journey is a monthly collection of lessons, resources, workshop recordings, critiques & live Q&A sessions designed to take your pet photos from “meh” to amazing.
Learn without overwhelm. Learn with support, feedback, and a growing community of other pet photographers just like you.
More of What Our Students are Saying...
Yes to all of the above! It was easily one of the best decisions I made in 2023 because while I also learned tons and tons about composition and editing, the biggest learning opportunity the LJ, both the lessons and the community, offered me is making photo sessions fun for Jordan, my dog who has much better things to do than to pose and be still. But while Emily and the LJ content enabled ME to be a better photographer, I also learned how to be a better dog handler that also happens to take photos at the same time.
I know all of this sounds kind of romanticised and marketing-y but that's just what it comes down to: Taking photos of Jordan has become a really fun activity for the both of us and I think the results from me and other members speak for themselves 🧡 (Side note: I still mainly take photos of her on a leash for safety reasons. But knowing how to edit it out seamlessly is also a skill I learned!)