Hello! I'm Shirley

with my lil' muse, poppy!

A fluffy brown poodle poses with a vintage camera while someone takes their photo on grass.

I love combining my love for the outdoors and hiking with photography, to create natural, authentic photographs of my dog Poppy. And this is how I started ShutterBark Studio!

A few months after bringing Poppy home, I picked up my camera again. I headed out to a quiet park in the morning with my little family and started taking photos of Poppy.

I didn’t know it yet, but this was the start of something much bigger for me - an obsession with dogs (of course!), a new way of seeing and connecting, and telling stories of furbabies and their families.

Poppy taught me that sometimes the best photos happen when you stop trying to control the moment and just…follow the dog. Instead of posing Poppy, I prefer photographing her in her element with her doing what she loves doing, be it zooming or sniffing her heart out of the grass. That style stuck. I still photograph dogs the same way: always on their terms and pace.

Follow our adventures! @maltypoppy

A joyful goldendoodle dog bounding across a sunny lawn with trees in the background.

A fluffy brown dog peeks through lush green foliage in a natural setting.

A golden retriever explores a grassy hillside during a sunny afternoon.

A happy goldendoodle dog running and playing on green grass in a park setting.

An energetic goldendoodle wearing a pink harness runs playfully through grass.

Giving Back - SoSD Singapore

Red holiday promotional banner featuring outdoor dog photography session with decorative stars.

Decorative red and white checkered stars hang from tree branches in an outdoor setting.

White and red star decorations hang from tree branches in dappled sunlight.

Small dog sitting in grass with red and silver star decorations hanging from tree branches above.

Red and white star decorations hang from tree branches in a garden setting.

A small fluffy dog sits beneath hanging red and white star decorations outdoors.

A dog rests on a log beneath festive hanging star decorations in a garden.

Decorative paper stars in red and white patterns hang from tree branches.

Dog resting on ground under trees decorated with festive hanging star ornaments.

A dark-colored dog wearing a festive red and green bandana walks through grass.

To celebrate the Christmas season in 2025, I organized a pay-as-you-wish Christmas-themed photoshoot fundraiser, benefitting SoSD Singapore's Pawsitive Future campaign. 100% of funds we raise helps to fund professional training for shelter dogs, to build their confidence and teach them the skills they need to be more adoptable.

30 families and photoshoot sessions, over 2 weekends later, $2,327(!) was raised for the program. My vision for the past 3 years have always been to give back to the community somehow, and what better way to do it in true ShutterBark Studio fashion: in a photoshoot set up in the wild. We will be doing this again in 2026 :)

Tails on Trails - Community Hikes & Bike

Multiple dogs lying together in a row on lush green grass in a park setting at Pulau Ubin

Playful dog rolling on gravel path showing happy expression at Bukit Brown

Dog on leash playing outdoors with owner on gravel path at Bukit Brown

Dog walking on grassy field with lily pads visible in background at Pulau Ubin

Scenic view of pond with lily pads and grassy shore where dogs are playing at Pulau Ubin

Dogs on leashes exploring pond edge surrounded by lily pads and grass at Pulau Ubin

What can we say - my family loves a hike / bike situation with our dog, and we love a dirty happy dog ;) In 2025 ShutterBark hubby kicked off a community bike sesh because he wanted to cycle with Poppy in her lil' K9 Sportsack. From there on we have been organizing hike or bike sessions almost every month. We've made new human and dog friends, and brought them to various hiking spots, like Sentosa Imbiah, Pulau Ubin and Bukit Brown. More adventures to come, the dirtier the better!