Made the way things used to be made
Heirloom Hound
Made to be handed down.
The Heirloom Hound Series comes from three loves: a love of dogs, a love of art and a love of things made to a high standard. Dogs give us loyalty without condition, and they deserve more than a passing snapshot. Art, in the spirit of the great 18th-century master paintings, shows that a portrait can hold character as well as a likeness. And crafted things, made by hand and built to last, are the ones we keep, repair and pass on.
How it's made
Every piece begins in your home. I bring a studio to your home and photograph your dog in comfort, on their own ground, at their own pace. Then the slow work starts. I spend up to 20 hours researching and capturing a landscape that suits your dog and tells their story, so no two pieces are alike. Your dog and their setting are then built together by hand in Photoshop, layer by layer, as a painter would build a canvas. The finished image is printed on fine art paper and framed, ready to hang.
Nothing about it is rushed, and nothing is taken from a template. As far as I'm aware, there's no other pet photographer doing images like this.
Limited by design
I take on only 20 Heirloom Hound commissions each year. That's not a marketing line. It's the number I can make properly, with the care each one asks for.
If you'd like your dog remembered this way, the first step is a free, no-obligation 30-minute consultation. We'll talk about your dog, your home and what you have in mind.
your dog, remembered
Perhaps you've thought about a portrait before. Perhaps you've held back because most pet photography feels much the same: a studio backdrop, a quick session and a print that could be of any dog. You want something that feels like them, and something worthy of the place they hold in your home.
Time with them passes faster than any of us expect. The best time to have your dog's portrait made is while they're here to be part of it.
That's what the Heirloom Hound Series is for. I come to your home, so your dog is relaxed and entirely themselves. I take the time to learn who they are, and I build a landscape around their story, one that no one else will have. The result is a piece of artwork, made by hand, printed on fine art paper and framed, that belongs in your home for generations
It isn't a quick session or a standard package. It's a portrait made with the care your dog has earned, and it's the kind of thing you'll never regret having done.
"Martyn has a natural talent for photographing dogs. He has a keen eye and can produce some stunning images. Would 110% recommend!"
Maggie & Skittles The Jack Russell - Kilmarnock
Heirloom Hound
£849
Every dog owner has photographs. Few have something worth handing down. That's the gap the Heirloom Hound Series was built to fill: a way of working that owes more to fine art than to a typical photo session, blending your own home studio sessions with hand-picked landscapes and painstaking compositing until each piece looks closer to an old master's canvas than a modern photo. It's slower, harder, and far more deliberate than anything else on offer in this line of work, and that's by design.
Taking on just 20 of these a year isn't a limitation; it's the standard. Every piece is printed on fine art paper, framed, and finished with the same care you'd expect from a family heirloom, because that's what it's meant to become. This is where Benslie shows its true colours: not quick turnarounds or convenience, but craftsmanship built to outlast trends and be passed
WHAT YOU GET
- Free phone consultation: Before anything's booked.
- 60–90-minute home studio shoot: Done at your house, on your dog's own ground.
- Unlimited photographs: Taken throughout. Nothing's counted or rationed.
- Free travel: Within 30 miles of KA13. No call-out fee, no exceptions.
- Your own online gallery: A private space to sit with the images.
- Professional editing: Every chosen image finished by hand, to the same standard, every time.
- Premium framed fine art print worth £699: 20x16" Heirloom Heritage Framed print, your choice of frame colour.
- Social media package, worth £250: For showing your dog off for the world to see.
- £150 voucher: Put towards anything else in the collection.
- Triple Satisfaction Guarantee: You'll be glad you did this, from the first call to the finished piece on your wall.
Frame Colours
"Martyn created amazing photos for us. Highly recommend him for all photography needs."
Katie & Skye The Collie - Edinburgh
FAQ
Do you use Ai in your photography?
Every Benslie portrait is made by hand, from the first frame to the final print. I don't use AI to generate, replace or alter any part of an image. Your dog is photographed by me, in person, and what you see in the finished piece is your dog, not a convincing approximation of them.
The same is true of the Heirloom Hound Series. Each piece is built from real photographs: your dog, shot in a home studio at your house, and landscapes I've researched and captured myself, often over many hours. I then composite them by hand in Photoshop, layer by layer, much as a painter builds up a canvas. Nothing is generated from a prompt.
I hold a first class degree in photography and have worked in the pet industry for over a decade. That experience is what goes into your artwork. An heirloom should be made by someone who has met your dog, spent time with them and understands what makes them theirs. That's not something a machine can do for you.
How long does the process take?
At least six weeks from your session to the finished piece.
Heirloom Hound pieces are made slowly, and on purpose. Here's how it unfolds:
The consultation: We start with a free, no-obligation 30-minute call, so I can learn about your dog, your home and what you have in mind.
The session: I bring a home studio to your house and photograph your dog in comfort, in their own surroundings. Sessions usually take 60 to 90 minutes, and we work at your dog's pace.
The landscape: This is the part most people don't expect. I spend up to 20 hours researching and capturing landscapes that suit your dog's story, so the setting is unique to them.
The composite: Your dog and their landscape are then brought together by hand in Photoshop, in the manner of an 18th century master painting.
The print: The finished image is printed on fine art paper and framed, ready to hang.
A piece like this can't be rushed without losing what makes it worth having. Six weeks is the upper end, so if you have a date in mind, such as a birthday, an anniversary or a Christmas gift, do mention it on our call and we'll plan around it.
What makes this session special?
Because nothing about it is off the shelf. Your dog's portrait is made for them alone. Most pet photography stops at a good photograph. The Heirloom Hound Series starts there and goes a good deal further.
It comes to you. I bring a home studio to your house, so your dog is relaxed, in familiar surroundings and entirely themselves. There are no unfamiliar rooms and no rushing, just a calm session at your dog's pace.
The landscape is chosen for your dog. I spend up to 20 hours researching and capturing a setting that suits their character and tells their story. It isn't a stock backdrop or a template. No one else will have the same one.
It's built by hand, like a painting. Your dog and their landscape are brought together in Photoshop as a composite, in the style of an 18th century master painting. Each piece is put together slowly and with care, and it looks like nothing you'll find on a shelf or a website. It's finished to last. Your portrait is printed on fine art paper and framed, ready to hang in your home. It's made to be passed down, which is where the name comes from.
It's made by someone who cares. I have a first class degree in photography and more than a decade of experience in the pet industry. I also know how quickly the time goes. That's why I do this: to give you something to remember them by that's as good as they deserve. As far as I'm aware, no one else in Scotland offers work like it.
Limited Space available
Every piece is made by hand, from the home studio session to the landscape research to the composite and the final framed print. To give each one the time it deserves, I take on just 20 commissions a year.
If you'd like your dog painted into a landscape of their own, start with a free, no-obligation 30-minute consultation. We'll talk about your dog, your home and what you have in mind, and you'll leave knowing exactly how it works.