Calendar Contest Session Guide

Black and white wall art of a puppy with long, curly ears hanging on a white wall in a modern living room.

2026 calendar cover girl, Lucy

A woman sitting on a wooden box holding a small to medium white dog on her lap against a black background.

Hey, Calendar Winners!

We still can’t quite believe that our 3rd annual calendar contest raised $21,643 for A Purposeful Rescue! And we truly can’t thank you enough for both entering your dog and using your time and energy to raise these funds.

Every APR foster dog we’ve photographed has been so special, and we’re grateful more “magical unicorns” like them will be supported because of your generosity. Simply put, you rock.

In case you’re not really familiar with Shuttermutt Photo, hi! We’re Adam and Laura Claus, the husband-wife team behind the coziest, fine art pet photography studio in LA. We help families celebrate their beloved pets with a personalized photo experience and custom artwork. It’s an honor for us to celebrate families and pets of all kinds in our studio, and we can’t wait to meet yours!

Living room with a gray sofa, patterned gray and black pillows, a gray throw blanket, a white coffee table with a vase of white flowers, a book, and a candle, with three dog portraits on the wall above the sofa.
Adam and Laura Claus taking photos of a dog in the Shuttermutt Photo Pet Photography Studio in Los Angeles

2025 and 2026 calendar girls Esther & Marcy Mae

Since your calendar portrait session will be a one-of-a-kind day with your dog, we also want to give you the chance to create custom artwork while you’re in the studio. After all, the animals who have a place in your heart also deserve a place on your wall!

We’re holding calendar sessions in July and August at our North Hollywood studio, and below you’ll see a breakdown of your two options for a session (calendar mini-session vs. full experience). Please review each option, then schedule your chosen session using the buttons at the end of this guide.

Okay, scroll on! :)

A Day to Remember with your BFF

Gray quotation marks on a white background

One of the most incredible days

I’ve ever had with my pet…I’ll never forget the experience, and the artwork is absolutely stunning!

TRICIA, MOM TO CALENDAR BOY JJ

Complimentary Mini-Session

Option 1:

  • This fun, easy-going photo session is free of charge and just for capturing your dog’s calendar image.

  • Lasts approximately 30 minutes

  • You will be able to purchase the 2027 A Purposeful Rescue calendar with your dog’s photo later this year. There is no other option to view or purchase your dog’s photos from the photo session, and no photos of your dog are provided to you.

  • Shuttermutt Photo will choose the background color for your dog’s photo.

Option 2:

Full Shuttermutt Photo Experience

If you’re like most people, you’ve always wanted to do a portrait session with your pets, but you just keep putting it off. So if this calendar is giving you the incentive to finally do it, let’s make it happen!

The easiest way to understand the full Shuttermutt Photo experience is to watch the 1-minute video below, then keep reading for calendar session specifics.

  • In addition to your dog’s photo being captured for the calendar, you’ll enjoy personalized photo and artwork design sessions, typically lasting 3-5 hours total. The session fee for this experience is $250 for 1-2 pets (additional pets of any species +$50 each), and this covers your time in the studio (no actual photos included). 

  • You choose your background color, and you may take family photos with your pet(s).

  • After the photo session, you’ll see your pet’s best portraits. We’ll then use your favorites to design custom fine art for your home (framed prints, photo albums, or photo keepsake boxes). We’ll virtually see how various photos, sizes, and designs could look on your home’s walls. Then you’ll receive your pet’s artwork a few weeks later! All photos purchased for artwork are also provided as digital files.

  • Here are our current artwork offerings and prices. As a thank you for your contest participation, we’ll credit $150 of your session fee toward your artwork purchase.

  • Since most families add a few loose prints to their artwork collection, we’d also love to give you one additional photo of your choice as a complimentary 8”x10” print with your artwork purchase ($150 value).

  • Artwork orders happen on the same day as your photo session, and most families spend $2,000-3,000 on their artwork collection, paying half when ordering, and half upon receipt of their artwork.

Booking Your Session

Okay, those were the session need-t0-knows, but we also encourage you to browse our website and Google reviews to get the full studio picture. When you’re ready to book your session, use the appropriate button below. We ask that you complete your booking page by July 15th.

We have set aside three days in July and August for the mini-sessions: July 17th, July 19th, & August 2nd. We appreciate you valuing our studio time and trying your best to schedule one of these dates for your session. If you need another option, just call or text us. For full sessions, you’ll be able to choose any available date through September.

If you’d like to talk over session options before scheduling, just give us a call from 9am-7pm at (818) 698-3484.

Thank you again for being such an incredible supporter of APR. We can’t wait to meet you and your pet(s) in the studio soon!

Schedule Mini-Session
Schedule Full Experience
  • A decorative wooden table with a tall black vase holding green fern leaves, a framed photo of a woman holding two cats, a gold-framed mirror on a white wall, and a reflection of a cabinet in the mirror.
  • A hand holding a black photo album with a picture of a smiling Australian Shepherd dog inside.
  • A printed photograph of an orange tabby cat licking its nose, surrounded by scattered wooden puzzle pieces on a white surface.
  • Modern living room with two large windows, a Dalmatian dog painting on the wall, a white vase with branches, and a seating area with cushions and throws.
  • Open photo album page showing a close-up of a colorful budgerigar bird with a pink background.
  • Interior of a modern living room with a framed close-up picture of a dog's eye on the wall, a white textured armchair, and a small side table with a vase of white flowers. A large window shows a view of greenery outside.
  • A small black and tan Chihuahua puppy with one ear up and one ear flopped, looking directly at the camera, inside a black background, framed by a tan picture frame with a brown ribbon on the right side and two purple flowers at the bottom.
  • Photograph of a notebook or photo album open on a desk, displaying two images of bearded dragons; the top image shows a bearded dragon with a purple background, and the bottom image shows a bearded dragon being held by a hand with a gray background.
  • A living room with a blue sofa, colorful pillows, two side tables with lamps, a framed picture of a dog's face on the wall, and two pink ottomans with a tray on top.

What makes Shuttermutt Photo different?

  • Before your session, we’ll learn about your pet’s personality, interests, health, and needs in order to prepare for their comfort and success in the studio. Your family will be the only client in the studio on the day of your session, so we’ll use the pace and tools your pet needs in order to capture their true magic. Are they obsessed with rotisserie chicken and toys? We’ll have them ready. Or are they a blind and deaf senior? We’ll use our tricks to guide them in front of the camera while still showing off their best side. Do you have four dogs and three kids? Fun! We’ll capture the sweet chaos.

    If your family wants to be photographed with your pet, we’ll make sure everyone feels confident as we capture both candid and posed moments, including any particular connections you want to remember (i.e. paw in your hand, pet tattoos, kids playing).

    We suggest reading other clients’ experiences in our Google reviews.

  • We know this might be the only time you invest in having your pet and/or family professionally photographed, and we take that very seriously. We promise to give you our very best and to make sure you feel understood and cared for—from the first phone conversation where we learn all about your pet to when we reveal your final artwork.

    Before the session, we’ll be here to guide you through choosing the best background color to complement your pet’s coloring, even mocking up samples of how different colors would look on your home’s walls. We can also suggest outfit colors for the family.

    When you leave with your artwork, we’ll give you a kit with all the materials needed to care for fine art.

  • When it comes to artwork, we want you to get what you want which is why we don’t do packages like most photographers. And as artists, we don’t want to be limited! We love that no two families’ artwork is the same, because no two pets are the same! The lighting designs, photo compositions, and artwork designs will be unique to your pet’s look and personality, as well as your home’s design and your personal style.

  • Your pet’s artwork will be of the highest quality you can get. It’s important to us that their photographs look just as incredible decades from now, so we either use our own fine art printer or special print labs we trust to create your archival artwork. Our wall art is 99% UV protected, so even the SoCal sun can’t damage your pet’s portrait!

  • We donate adoption photo shoots for pets who’ve been through considerable trauma and time in the LA shelter system, so we understand how to be extra sensitive to your pets who may have had similar experiences.

    We also hold annual fundraisers for our friends at A Purposeful Rescue and have raised $40,000 to date! By commissioning your own pets’ portraits in our studio, you allow us to continue donating adoption photo sessions for local rescues. Thank you!