Who Saved Who?
For the people who didn’t realise just how much a dog could change their life, until one did.
Who Saved Who? is a curated portrait experience and fine art book for people whose lives have been profoundly changed by a dog.
Round one has now closed for applications.
“I consider myself very lucky that over the past five years, Jo has photographed my three dogs on several occasions. Seeing her in action, how she connected with my dogs on their terms, especially my fearful reactive dog, with so much patience and skill, was an experience I will never forget.
Jo is a true artist. Her gift is capturing the essence of a dog's personality, not just how they look, but who they are. I find myself talking to my dogs in the framed portraits, because I can still see their soul in the image.
Now that Jedda has gone and the other two are getting old, those portraits are priceless to me.”
Kathy - Mum to Bowie, Jedda and Pepe
Some stories may look different on the surface, but they often lead to the same truth.
Some dogs arrive in unexpected ways and simply become part of the family.
Some help us through grief, illness, or the most challenging times of our lives.
Some guide us, protect us, or give us the courage to keep going.
Some were rescued. Some were chosen.
Some quite literally saved the person at the other end of the lead.
And somewhere along the way, many of us realise the same thing.
We thought we were saving them, but often it is they who saved us.
Not every story looks the same, but they all lead back to the same question…
WHO SAVED WHO?
Who Saved Who? is a fine art portrait project exploring the extraordinary bond between dogs and the people whose lives they’ve changed.
Each selected story will be interpreted through a portrait experience designed to feel true to that bond, whether that means being photographed with your dog, including only part of yourself, or allowing your dog to carry the story more symbolically.
All portraits will be created in my Wootton studio, where I can photograph each story in a calm, considered, and consistent way.
Over the course of the project, these portraits and stories will be brought together in a beautifully produced limited edition fine art book, along with a curated exhibition celebrating the role dogs play in our lives.
This project builds on my earlier fundraising books, but for the first time, it turns the spotlight onto both sides of the bond, the dog and the person whose life was changed.
Dogs have shaped my life for as long as I can remember.
Long before photography became my work, I was the person drawn to the dogs who needed a chance. I was saving dogs well before I ever picked up a camera professionally, and over time I came to understand something simple, but powerful.
Yes, we save dogs. But they save us too.
That truth has followed me through every stage of my life, through the dogs we’ve loved and lost, through the dogs who share my life now, and through the many years I spent volunteering in the shelter system.
Over those years, I photographed thousands of shelter dogs, and other animals too, so they had the best possible chance of being seen and adopted. Again and again, I witnessed the extraordinary connection between animals and the people who opened their hearts to them.
Many of the dogs who shaped my own life are no longer here, my original girl Ruby, and our three dogkateers, Daisy, Luna and Harvey. They are the reason we left Sydney for our beautiful country life, and they remain part of everything I do. Each of them left their mark in a different way, and the way I see, feel, and photograph dogs today comes from them.
Ruby
Daisy
Luna
Harvey
Jesse, Sprite and Henry carry that story forward, each with their own way of settling into the centre of my world.
Jesse, Henry and Sprite
Who Saved Who? is my third fundraising book project, following Teeny Tiny Dogs and Their Stories and Tails of Barrington Coast. Those earlier books celebrated dogs as the heroes.
This is my first fundraising project to include both dogs and the people who love them, because this story belongs to both sides of the bond.
It is about the dogs who changed us, the people who love them, and the stories that live between them.
This project exists to honour that.
THE ARTWORK
This is more than a book. Your story will be preserved in these pages, but the portrait experience often becomes something even more personal. A piece of art that captures the way your dog looks at you. A beautiful portrait that lives on your wall, or a collection of portraits in an album that holds that feeling long after the session day itself.
Most people find that this is the part they treasure most. And you will have the opportunity to create something meaningful through these beautiful pieces of art, designed with care for your home.
If this resonates with you, I’d love to hear your story.
The details
If you are selected, your Who Saved Who? Experience begins with a $195 participation fee, which secures your place in the project, your studio portrait experience, and a double page spread in the book featuring your story. $100 from each participation fee is donated directly to STAY Foundation, supporting people to keep their pets safe, loved, and at home. A portion of artwork sales will also be donated to STAY Foundation.
Your portrait experience begins with a planning conversation where we talk through your story, your dog, and how you’d love to be photographed. From there, you’ll have a studio portrait session designed around your dog’s comfort and personality.
Following your session, you’ll be invited to a portrait reveal where we’ll view the images together and explore heirloom artwork options for your home. My artwork range starts at $750, and most participants invest between $1,500 and $3,500 in their portrait collection. Many people are surprised by what's possible within a range that works for them. Payment plans are available, and we can talk through what suits your situation before you commit to anything.
You can view my artwork products and pricing here.
For those who would love to extend their session, there is also the option of additional time in the studio or outdoor portraits on the property, and extended sessions can include additional dogs or other family members. We can explore this together during your planning conversation.
The book will be produced as a signed and numbered limited edition fine art release.
If this feels like your story, I’d love to hear it
How the Experience Unfolds
The Pre-Session
Design Consultation
Once your place in the project is confirmed, we’ll begin with a planning conversation, either in person at the studio or via Zoom, to talk through you, your dog, your story, and how you’d love to be photographed. We’ll also chat about what you might like to wear, any special considerations for your dog, and the artwork options available to you, so everything feels clear before your session day arrives.
The Fine Art
Studio Portrait Session
In the peacefulness of the Wootton studio, surrounded by natural light and country stillness, you and your dog will simply be together. I'll guide the session gently, following your dog's lead, capturing the quiet moments of connection that are so easy to miss in everyday life but so meaningful to hold onto. There is no rush. No performance. Just the two of you, and the art that comes from it.
Portrait Reveal
and Design Appointment
After your session, we’ll come back together to view your portraits and talk through the story that will accompany them in the project. For some participants, this may happen on the same day after a short break, while for others it may take place at a separate appointment. This is also where you’ll choose any artwork you’d love to take home, with my guidance in selecting the pieces that best suit your images and your home.
Artwork Delivery
or Studio Collection
Once your order is finalised, your artwork will be professionally crafted with care and is usually ready within 4 to 6 weeks. It can then be collected from my Wootton studio or arranged for delivery.
“When I explained the kind of portraits I was hoping for, I wasn’t sure anyone would truly understand what I had in mind, but Jo did. She created the most beautiful images of both my dogs, and the whole experience was wonderful from the moment I arrived at her country studio to receiving the finished framed portraits. I couldn’t have been happier.”
Ebony, Mum to Lex and Joy
The Invitation
Not every story here involves rescue, or a dramatic turning point.
Sometimes the bond between a dog and their person is built in quieter ways, through companionship, loyalty, and the kind of love that becomes part of everyday life.
If your dog has changed your life in a way that feels hard to explain, but impossible to ignore, this project may be for you.
It might be through grief, healing, friendship, or simply the steady presence of a dog who became far more than you ever expected.
If that feels like your story, I’d love to invite you to apply.
If you've read this far and something in you is saying maybe, that maybe is worth something. The people I most want in this project are often the ones who almost talked themselves out of applying.
THE OPTIONAL UPGRADES
Full Family Session Upgrade
$100 add-on. Extends your session to include other dogs and family members (up to 5 participants, dogs and/or people). Fee converts to a $100 artwork credit at your ordering appointment. Non-refundable.
Outdoor Portrait Upgrade
$100 add-on. Extends your session to include other dogs and family members (up to 5 participants, dogs and/or people). Fee converts to a $100 artwork credit at your ordering appointment. Non-refundable.
what happens next
Round one applications have now closed and I'm undertaking the Who Saved Who? photo sessions. I will be launching a second round towards the end of 2026.
Please join the waitlist if you would like to find out when applications are open again.
About the Charity - STAY Foundation
This project is proudly aligned with STAY Foundation.
$100 from every participation fee will be directly donated to STAY.
While many organisations focus on rehoming pets once they enter the system, STAY works to prevent that crisis from happening in the first place, helping people keep their pets safe, healthy, and at home.
A small number of stories connected to STAY may also be included in the book, helping to highlight the real impact of this work.
BE THE FIRST TO KNOW WHEN ROUND TWO APPLICATIONS OPEN
If Who Saved Who? has spoken to you, you missed out on submitting an application for round one, you’re welcome to join the updates list below.
You’ll be among the first to hear when a new application round opens, along with occasional news as the project unfolds.
I’ll use your details to keep you updated about Who Saved Who?, including future application rounds and occasional project news. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Saved Who? is open to people whose dog has had a meaningful impact on their life, and whose story reflects the heart of the project. Applications are welcome from all kinds of dogs, whether rescue dogs or not, though stories of transformation, healing, loyalty, and deep connection are especially at home here.
There’s no single type of story I’m looking for.
Some may involve rescue or significant life events, others may be far quieter, built through years of companionship, loyalty, and love.
What matters most is the connection you share with your dog, and the way they have shaped your life in a way that feels meaningful to you.
Absolutely.
This project is open to anyone who shares a meaningful connection with their dog. While many of my clients are women, the heart of this project is the bond itself, not who you are.
Some stories are shaped by grief, others by joy, and many by everything in between. If your dog has changed your life, you’re welcome here.
Not at all. Your dog does not need to sit, stay, or behave flawlessly to be part of this project. I work in a calm, patient way and will guide the session around your dog’s comfort and personality.
In some cases, yes. If two or three dogs are central to the story, you are welcome to mention this in your application. Final inclusion and portrait planning will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Artwork begins at $750, and most participants invest between $1,500 and $3,500 in their portrait collection, choosing pieces that feel right for their home and their story. Payment plans are available.
No. This project is about the connection between dogs and the people they have changed, but that does not always need to mean a full portrait together. For some participants, it may be right to be photographed with their dog, while for others the story may be told more subtly, through a hand, a gesture, or another small presence within the frame.