First prerequisite is: You Must Love Dogs. No dog hair on your shirt when you show up at Registration? No entry. :P (Just kidding. Kind of.)

But truly! This is a specialty conference for dog photographers, by dog photographers. Be aware that this is not a generalized photography conference that dips into all genres of subject matter - this is a dog photography ONLY conference.

There will be something for photographers of all skill levels at Shutterhound! Whether you’re just starting out and are still looking to learn the basics of the craft, or you’re a seasoned veteran craving inspiration, business advice and technique from the best in the biz, this conference is for you.

For a list of subjects that will be covered throughout the course of Shutterhound, click here (and scroll down past the cutest fluff ball pup you’ve ever seen!): https://www.shutterhoundconference.com/about-shutterhound

This conference will be mostly classroom-based, so if you show up at Shutterhound without any camera gear, your experience will still be full and complete. That said, we are currently exploring options for separately ticketed hands-on workshops to be scheduled for early mornings during the conference dates (without the need to extend your hotel bookings outside of the Shutterhound room block). You will be kept closely up to date with all developments and updates on this front and be made aware well ahead of time if additional ticketed experiences are set to go on sale! We’ll give you plenty of heads up to prep should you need to bring your camera!

At this time, all dog models at the Shutterhound Conference will be there for live demonstration purposes by the instructor only. We are looking into potential options and logistics for bringing a few dogs into small studio settings during trade show hours for folks to try their hand at some shots, but for full disclosure, at this point in time that concept is still in development. As you can understand, with a need to be sensitive to the well-being of a potential dog model - it is a bit of a logistical challenge to expect a dog to handle hundreds of people passing by in a busy setting, all while snapping photos and making attention-grabbing noises. With that in mind, we advise that you don’t buy your ticket based on any assumption that there will be live shooting opportunities. That way, if we’re able to work out a safe way to host shooting booths with live dog models, it can be considered a fun surprise / bonus! If you are specifically after a more hands-on, small group workshop experience with extensive time dedicated to individualized instruction while photographing dogs on-location under the close eye of a pro dog photographer, then a large conference setting might not be your best option. Consider booking a retreat or workshop type experience. Kaylee Greer, Sam Haddix and Nicole Begley have joined forces to teach an incredible domestic US based dog photography workshop called Houndvision. You can sign up for the Houndvision email list to be kept in the loop for any future workshop announcements. To learn more about Houndvision, go to https://learn.hairofthedogacademy.com/houndvision

No. The Shutterhound Conference pass is for attendance to the event only and does not include your hotel room. You are responsible for booking your own hotel room and can do so through our Mirage Room Block which we’ve arranged with the hotel exclusively for Shutterhound attendees. Booking your room through the Shutterhound room block provides you with an exclusive, deeply discounted rate not available to the public. With this in mind, make sure to book your Mirage room through the link on the official Shutterhound website and not separately through any third party booking services or through the normal, public-facing Mirage website.

For clarification, your Shutterhound conference ticket also does not include meals or transportation.

Good News! The Mirage Hotel is dog-friendly, for a nightly fee. That means you can bring your best bud along on your epic adventure to Las Vegas. With that said, the Shutterhound Conference rooms will be off-limits to personal pets during event hours, as we need to keep it exclusive and distraction-free to any Shutterhound dog model talent as well as working service dogs, who are always allowed. Read up on The Mirage’s full pet policy here: https://www.hardrockhotelcasinolasvegas.com/hotel/dog-friendly

Yes. In order to create an incredible, varied conference experience with something for everyone, we are bringing you 20+ unique and incredible classes, across a multitude of subjects. This means that for parts of your conference days, there will be time blocks where you get to choose to the attend the class that is of most interest to you at that time.

Naturally, you may travel to Las Vegas with any and all of your favorite crew members! However, in order to attend the Shutterhound Conference in the event center at The Mirage, all members of your party must have a full conference pass for access. Your family / friends may accompany you to Junie’s No Swimming VIP Pool Party, so long as they have their own ticket(s) to the event. Single tickets for that event can be purchased beginning January 1, 2023 @12PM EST.

No, we’re so sorry to say we are only offering Full 3 Day Conference passes, regardless of how many days you are available to attend.

We’ve rented out an epic space for the evening of September 5th for a special event! It will take place poolside with the soundtrack of (manmade and very lovely but very fake) waterfalls and (very lovely and very real) palm trees swaying in the warm night air! This is a mixer-type party that includes alcohol and hors d’oeuvre, where you’ll be able to network and mingle with all the fellow dog crazies of your very special and niche industry! All Shutterhound speakers are highly encouraged to attend, so this is a great place to say Hello to your favorite dog photography rockstar, if you happen to bump into them! Space is limited at this special event so be sure to get your tickets early before it’s booked out! Learn more about Junie’s No Swimming VIP Pool Party here: shutterhoundconference.com/poolparty

Because we are focused on creating the most epic, knock-your-socks-off and unforgettable in-person experience possible, at this time we have no plans to record the conference and make it available for sale digitally afterwards. This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime hand-curated experience that requires your in-person magic and mojo!

No, there are no requirements that you stay at The Mirage in order to participate in Shutterhound. Staying at the Mirage is highly encouraged as it puts you right in the heart of the action and amazing energy, and helps make the Shutterhound experience the best it can be. (Plus, we’ve negotiated you some cuckoo bananas room rates! What a deal!) That said, you are more than welcome to stay anywhere at all that you’d like! This includes people who live locally and want to commute into the conference daily from home. As long as you can make those approximate 9am-6pm conference hours each day, the origin destination of where you make the journey from is your prerogative! :)

Conference tickets must be paid for in full at the time of purchase. We do not offer financing options. Check with your bank, credit card company, or the various online financing service systems to explore your personal options.

Yes! There will be a trade show during the conference. Our vendor lineup is formalizing so stay tuned for updates here on the official Shutterhound website, as those details are released.

Harry Reid International Airport

5757 Wayne Newton Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89119

The distance from The Mirage to Harry Reid International Airport is less than 4 miles. Driving times vary based on traffic and time of day, but tend to come in anywhere from 12-25 minutes. For those coming from the airport without a car, you can find all ground transportation information and options here: hardrockhotelcasinolasvegas.com/amenities/transportation

Yes, The Mirage has it’s own dedicated parking garage. All parking information and fees can be found here: hardrockhotelcasinolasvegas.com/amenities/parking

Yes! You thought right! :) The Mirage is officially transferring to Hard Rock ownership on Dec 31, 2022. With that said, it will still be referred to as The Mirage through 2023, and no hotel room bookings or events will be affected by the transfer of ownership. To read the full details about the sale, click here: hardrockhotelcasinolasvegas.com/mirage-transition

Yes! There are plans to host multiple book signings! A great majority of our rockstar Speakers are bestselling authors with various dog photography related books that will be available for sale throughout the event. As the schedule finalizes, you will be made aware of Book Signing event times!

Please understand all levels of Shutterhound Conference Passes are non-refundable without exceptions. However, Shutterhound will honor a one-time transfer of your ticket to a different name for a $50 admin fee. In the event of a transfer, contact info@shutterhoundconference.com

Contact info@shutterhoundconference.com to explore availability and options.

We’re so sorry! The VIP ticket availability is incredibly limited to be as respectful as possible to each Speaker’s time and bandwidth. You may be able to catch your favorite Speaker for a quick Hello at their designated book signing times though!

That would be Joshua the Pit Bull.

Didn’t think you’d get this far down in the questions. :P