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Robert Ashton Pet Photography Robert Ashton Pet Photography
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About

A photography business full of petsonality

RAPP is the brainchild of Robert Ashton, a professional photographer with over 30 years’ experience in the UK. Originally a commercial food photographer in London, Robert moved back to his hometown of Huddersfield looking for a change, which was when he discovered the power of pet photography. Moving on to a new chapter of his life with his wife Nardia and rescue dog Jess, he now resides in Tauranga, offering his unique skills to the people and pets of New Zealand.

Bella and Kara

In the beginning

When a neighbour called Pamela asked Robert if he would photograph both her and her beloved miniature daschunds Bella and Kara, it became a career-changing moment. Greeted with open arms (and paws), the shoot went swimmingly, but it was Pamela’s emotional reaction to the shots that made Robert realise that this was a career worth pursuing.

Robert and family

Your pet’s second best friend

Robert works all over New Zealand, and is available for everything from private consultations to special events and commercial shoots.

I would love to help every pet owner capture at least one fabulous image of their pet that
they can cherish forever.

ROBERT ASHTON
WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
What a great experience watching Robert photograph by spoodle X Lulu. He is very professional, patient and fun to watch.Lulu can be rather nosy and easily distracted, but he had treats and squeaky toys and got some very special photos.I thoroughly recommend Robert to take special and memorable photos of your pet too.
Emily West
06:18 18 Oct 22
Robert was patient with our two dogs, one of which was very anxious. We didn't get a lot of shots, but what we did get were fab.
s h
05:27 18 Oct 22
Rob made our pet photography session lots of fun for both myself and my dog Mr Floyd. The resulting photographs were outstanding. I would not hesitate to recommend him to my friends with pets.
Leigh Lamont
09:00 04 Jan 22
Thanks Rob for the great experience! You've made Finn and I feel relaxed and the photos are absolutely gorgeous, you've captured some beautiful moments that will last a life time!
Simi Merhar
05:08 10 Dec 21
Rob was great with our ADHD dog! We're got some amazing photos! I highly recommend Rob. You won't be disappointed!
Lianne Turner
04:12 27 Nov 21
Recently our little champion charlie had a photo shoot with Robert and his teamA wonderful experience .Charlie was relaxed and Robert had a gentle way in engaging him. great photos , good service, good time frame.Recommend 5 stars
a henderson
19:52 20 Nov 21
Rob Ashton did a marvellous job photographing our dog. He captured her personality perfectly and was great to work with.
Nicky Wilkins
02:09 17 Sep 21
We had an absolutely fabulous time at our photo shoot with Rob and he captured Jack's smile and personality perfectly. Especially Jack's fabulous bowtie! What a star Rob is! A master of his profession. Jack and I would highly recommend Rob's services to anyone.
Monique Powell
06:43 26 Aug 21
Robert photographed my hungarian vizsla Hunter over in the Redwood forest and did an amazing job! scouted the location forst had tons of creative ideas and learnt all about hunter so he could capture the personality I know and love. I got an amazing mix of portraits, incredibly majestic photos that will end up on the walls and then just goofy funny loveable photos. would highly recommend Robert to anyone.
Danielle Meier
20:57 03 Aug 21
100% recommend Robert! We had the best time, and the images he captured of our Ted were amazing.
Carolyn Reynolds
04:19 02 Aug 21
They say never to work with animals or children, but Robert makes the process seem so effortless! My dog is a complete nut job but with a fair amount of sweat & tears (mine), Robert was able to get some amazing shots of Ted! The incredible image Robert captured of Ted now takes pride of place in our family room to be admired by all.
Carolyn Reynolds
04:12 02 Aug 21
Was a great experience for both myself and my dog Pippa 😊 thanks so much team great photos !
Danika White
06:10 28 Jun 21
Robert did such an amazing job getting shots of my 2 chihuahuas, one being blind and the other only a 3 month old puppy. He managed to capture so many gorgeous images regardless of how difficult taking photos of a blind dog and nervous puppy can be. We will definitely be booking in again when my puppy is older for a follow up shoot. 100% recommended his service - incredible value!
Jade Mobberley
22:10 16 Jun 21
Kelly Bentley
01:08 16 Apr 21
My pup is young and can be reserved around new people, especially men but not with Robert .. animals recognise a kind human and Robert is kind and very talented. I am thrilled with my photographs. I highly recommend Robert!
Sue Evans
06:37 31 Mar 21
Robert is a first class photographer! You will be impressed with the gorgeous images he produces.
Sue Evans
06:33 31 Mar 21
We contacted Robert when our boy Chester was diagnosed with cancer to capture some last memories and we are in love with the photos. Robert was so helpful, fitting us in last minute as we had limited time left with Chester. Robert was also so mindful of Chester, especially as he wasn’t 100% healthy and it was so evident how experienced Robert was. We sadly lost Chester this week, but we are forever grateful for Rob for giving us these precious memories of our ball obsessed pup. Thank you SO much!
Kerry-Rachel Murphy
22:13 27 May 20
We would 100% recommend Rob! Friendly, and gorgeous atmosphere! Oscar loved it too 🐾📸
Millie Holgate
13:52 05 Mar 20
Absolutely stunning work and lovely man.
We brought Poppy, our rescue dog, to see Rob at one of his free shoots in December.
He was fabulous with her, she really liked him (the treats helped) and she was very comfortable and happy!
The whole experience was wonderful.
The photos are stunning, we are over the moon and we can’t thank or rate Rob highly enough!
Nikki Morgan
17:27 13 Jan 20
Thank you so much for the wonderful photos that you took of Millie. They absolutely reflected her personality. I was pleasantly surprised at how relaxed and cooperative she was due to your patience. Hope you and your family have a great Christmas. Ann
Ann Allen
17:29 22 Dec 19
I had a fantastic experience using Rob Ashton Pet Photography. There is no hard sell and he is very flexible and patient during the actual shoot. His experience shines through in the amazing photo results. His partner is also lovely and very patient whilst choosing pics! The finished canvas I ordered is stunning. Communication is also excellent throughout from initial enquiry to receiving your prints. I would highly recommend this company for special memories of your wonderful pets!
Jen McCarthy
15:59 22 Dec 19
I had a fantastic experience using Rob Ashton Pet Photography. There is no hard sell and he is very flexible and patient during the actual shoot. His experience shines through in the amazing photo results. His partner is also lovely and very patient whilst choosing pics! The finished canvas I ordered is stunning. Communication is also excellent throughout from initial enquiry to receiving your prints. I would highly recommend this company for special memories of your wonderful pets!
Jen MCCARTHY
15:57 22 Dec 19
The highlights were being involved in the process as a family, assisting Rob to get the best out of our dog + cat.
And the amazing canvas that resulted. We love it and we didn't go with the intention of making a purchase but we couldn't resist.
It has pride of place on the kitchen wall and makes us smile every day.
Rob really does capture JOY.
Highly recommend.
Sharon Adele Bird
15:37 22 Dec 19
Fabulous process with both my dog and cat with both my children and I assisting so it felt like a real family project, culminating in an amazing canvas we all love.Rob was very patient and gave clear, concise instructions so we all knew what to do.The canvas makes me smile every time I see it. It has pride of place on the kitchen wall. 🥰🐾
Sharon Bird
15:32 22 Dec 19
Just received our photos and they couldn't be more perfect. We love them. Robert was so great with our kittens and dog during the photo shoot and has really captured them perfectly. Thank you. Would highly recommend.
Kelly Jeffery
13:52 21 Dec 19
I cannot thank Rob enough! I took my puppy Otto to be photographed and Rob did an amazing job. He made us feel relaxed and captured some amazing photos! The picture quality is fab. I will definitely use Rob again 🙂
Nic Taylor
17:30 12 Dec 19
I'm so pleased we had the dogs done... I absolutely love the photos and will treasure them forever 😍 everyone always comments how beautiful they are too!
Hedy Navarro
09:01 29 Nov 19
Our vets where advertising a free pet portrait session at the practice on Facebook and I decided to sign up for it on a whim.

Rob shortly contacted me to take some information such as what type of pets I'd like to be photographed and we had a nice chat about what to expect. I expressed some concerns that my two cats (a Bengal & Mainecoon) wouldn't behave since they are not the fondest of the vets. Rob explained all we can do is try and if we where not successful i was under no obligation to buy any photographs.

The day came and Rob and Nadia where amazing. We managed to get some really good photos of our girls together, they ended up being really relaxed and chilled out. It is clear Rob knows exactly what hes doing. Rob, his assistant Nadia, My wife and I all worked together in the photo shoot. It was a fun experience to actually be part of the shoot and at the end of the day we got some really good photos.

I took the opportunity to have my cats photographed on a whim because I didn't know then it was something I needed, now after seeing my two cats professionally photographed i know now otherwise.

I would whole hardheartedly recommend.

Would use his services again!
Phil Oldroyd
10:21 06 Nov 19
Over the moon with my print. My dog was so good and is only 1 year old so didnt think he would be. Very professional and the pictures were so good.
Kelly Hamriding
15:05 02 Nov 19
Rob did amazing pics of our dogs, which was a very difficult feat! He was so kind and gentle.
He managed to get my dogs attentions and some truly amazing pictures!
The quality of the work was amazing and quick turnaround too!
Brilliant value for money!
Definitely recommend Rob!
Jan Clark
23:59 27 Sep 19
portraits were really good highly recommend really nice guy would definitely use again
Tracy Lambert
16:59 26 Sep 19
This is the first time I have used Rob, but it wont be the last.
Rob knew exactly how to get my Beagle to sit, lay down and be camera ready for every shot!
Thank you Rob for making us feel at ease through the whole shoot and for capturing our best boy so perfectly. We have photos that we will treasure forever
Becky Marsh
08:32 22 Jul 19
Rob came to the house for a photo shoot with our 3 spaniels. He was very patient with them as they are 13 years old, 8 years and a 4 month old puppy with varying degrees of concentration. Rob was here for over 5 hours until we were happy with the results. His tactics at keeping their attention was great fun for us allWithin a short time he sent us digital images and then our problems began as we had to choose from many high quality images.When we eventually chose which images we wanted Rob quickly fulfilled our order and we are thrilled with the results and would recommend Rob highly.
zeb anwar
19:50 01 Jul 19
I cannot explain how overjoyed I am with my finished print of my lovely Dolly and Cooper. Rob was brilliant from start to finish plus extremely patient with my two very lively Jack Russell’s. I would not hesitate to recommend Rob for all of your pet photographs. He really does capture your pets character in a picture. Thank you.
Fiona Matulka
16:41 22 May 19
I cannot explain how overjoyed I am with my finished print of my lovely Dolly and Cooper. Rob was brilliant from start to finish plus extremely patient with my two very lively Jack Russell’s. I would not hesitate to recommend Rob for all of your pet photographs. He really does capture your pets character in a picture. Thank you.
Fiona Yalçin
16:40 22 May 19
Rob was phenomenal throughout has such a good rapport with animals and genuinely cares about getting the best shot whilst keeping the pets happy!
Angela Salmon
18:59 15 May 19
Fantastic pet photographer - highly recommended. Rob was so patient with Alfie (and us!) and the photographs we received were brilliant. Rob connected with Alfie with ease and captured his personality perfectly. We will treasure the photographs forever. Jan
Jan Vicary
19:27 27 Apr 19
I saw Robert's work in the press a while ago and thought the photographs were fantastic so when we decided to have some pictures taken of our dog, I immediately thought of him. It is very difficult to get our dog to sit still but Robert's skill and experience ensured that we got some fantastic shots. I was also very impressed at the way the shoot was organised ensuring that the pets do not get restless. I cannot recommend Robert highly enough, thank you!
rachael Wood
13:38 16 Jan 19
After researching for a pet photographer in my area I came across Rob’s page. I loved the style of his photos as I noticed he captured real quality moments and character of each animal. I contacted Rob and he got back to me straight away. The next day Rob came to my house and we completed the photo shoot. Rob is very friendly and professional and his love for animals is class. I had the picture done for a present for my partner. When my partner opened his wrapped picture of our dog, my partner was brought to tears (of joy) he captured the perfect picture of Nelly. Thank you again Rob for your time, patience, expertises, and speed of the final product. We love our picture and hugely recommend Rob.... what a lovely experience it was and a huge pleasure to meet you.Melissa Turner x
Melissa Turner
17:59 06 Jan 19
Great service. Robert knew all the tricks to get our pup to sit a pose in a strange environment. Would fully recommend and use again.
MkDk
07:58 31 Dec 18
Rob is a lovely guy and made both nelly and I feel comfortable. We did the photo shoot in the comfort of my own home and captured some amazing pictures, so many that I found it difficult to choose from. Thanks again Rob and will deffo be contacting you again in the future for some outdoor captures 😊
Melissa Leela Turner
15:46 18 Dec 18
Absolutely brilliant, was extremely patient with our dogs (who are not the calmest!) and we still managed to get some absolutely beautiful shots of them. Would highly recommend Robert to anyone who wants a professional shoot of their beloved pets
Natalie Taylor-Hogg
13:32 16 Dec 18
Both my baby’s Theodore and Bear had a photo shoot- Rob was very professional and we got the best pictures we can treasure for a lifetime. Both my boys felt comfortable and relaxed! I would definitely recommend!
Jodie Wilson
15:12 15 Dec 18
His commitment to getting the best possible photos of his client. I have fabulous photos of my dog and cat. He is a wonderful photographer.
Maggie Elkington
10:22 28 Nov 18
Highly professional pet photographer. Amazing skills and superb finished product. Great calm personality, helps you relax with your pets. Don't hesitate to contact Robert he'll provide you with a first class service.
Russ McCulloch
17:39 27 Nov 18
we had some beautiful photos of our Irish red setter oisin taken by Rob he's a first class photographer and excellent at putting your pets at ease. We can highly recommend him. thanks Rob.
Kate and Peter Hastings. x
Kate Hastings
08:28 27 Nov 18
Had a fantastic time with Rob at Stanley House open day.
The pics are fantastic, my cat was very calm the whole way. Overall superb experience and speed of delivery of the finished product 🙂
Will definitely recommend and book again!
Cécile Planque
23:29 26 Nov 18
Amazing experience and great quality photos. Went to one of the free sessions and his work definitely speaks for itself. Highly recommend!
Kate Blackledge
14:27 21 Nov 18
We was really pleased with the results of the photos thankyou
Barbara Brunt
11:13 27 Sep 18
Great photos of my miniature poodle. Being a black dog it is hard to get a good photo of him. Extremely pleased with photos, would definitely recommend.
Keith Ridding
19:15 17 Sep 18
Had a great time at the photoshoot with Rob at my local vets. We took my cat Dixie to get some photos done and although cats aren't the most cooperative, Rob remained calm and professional throughout. He was very patient with Dixie and caught some beautiful shots of her which we absolutely loved. I can't recommend Rob enough!
Becky Whitaker
19:19 13 Sep 18
I can't recommend Rob highly enough. I have been wanting to get a portrait of my Staffy for quite some time now but to say she is boisterous would be an understatement. She will not sit still for a second so I was doubtful that Rob would be able to get any good shots. How wrong I was. I eventually chose this one as a present for my husband and we are both absolutely delighted with it.
Sharon Richmond
12:13 23 Aug 18
Excellent and skilled photographer resulting in a photograph admired by many.
Derek Levy
12:17 18 Aug 18
Rob is fantastic, I came to him with the unusual idea of wrapping my dog van with images of my 4 dogs. Rob jumped at the opportunity and quickly booked me in for a photoshoot at his studio. My dogs each have their own issues but Rob was great at making them feel welcome, and working around their nerviousness. After the shoot, we worked with his re-toucher to perfect and size the images for printing on my van. Rob, being the perfectionist he is project managed everything including dealing with the 3rd party sign writer. The final result looks great and i couldn't be happier. I have and will continue to recomend Rob at the various competitons I attend. Thanks, Nathan.
Nathan Anderson
12:53 17 Aug 18
Fantastic service. I wanted a professional shot done of my two greyhounds. Working with two dogs that are not used to a situation like this is quite challenging but Robert was very patient and put my dogs well being first throughout. I absolutely love the finished product, it's exactly what I wanted and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him to anyone. Will definitely use his services again when needed.
Mary Winstanley
21:44 16 Aug 18
Brilliant experience, really nice guy and very talented!
Sophie Roseanne
08:47 08 Aug 18
Friendly Service. Good Pictures 🙂
Paul Campbell
16:20 03 Aug 18
Well, I don't think there are enough words to describe how happy my daughter was with her pictures of Rex & Charlie! They are both reactive, rescue German Shepherds and yet Robert and his wife managed to make them feel really relaxed and took the most amazing photo's she could have hoped for. Now we have a lasting memory of our dogs which completely captured their character. We would absolutely recommend Robert and we will definitely be using him again in the future.
Joy Finnih
18:00 20 Jun 18
Had such a good experience! Rob did a good job with Dougie and we got some good pictures. Thank you
Paige Cox
19:39 08 Jun 18
Great experience ! 2nd time we have had our dogs photographs taken with Robert and the service was again very good , both professional and patient which is a necessity when working with animals. The results are also excellent, we love the photos, thanks again Robert.Andrea & Paul Liderth
Andrea McDonough
12:42 10 May 18
My little Bella was a little naughty at first but Robert had it all in hand and the photos were fantadtic😀😀
June Anders
16:43 09 May 18
We have just picked our portrait up of Morgan no words can express how pleased we are with the finished product. When we arrived to have Morgan's picture taken I didn't anticipate the care ,devotion , patience and professional attitude Rob would give towards both Morgan and ourselves . Every single frame we had taken was to perfection . I would 100% recommend anyone to give Rob a try you will not be disappointed . Thank you so much Rob it's a portrait in a million .
Gill Wragg
13:25 08 May 18
Rob was amazing when I took my dog and cat for a photo shoot. It could have been really complicated but the results were brilliant. Wonderful photos of Hope, my dog and Fernando, my cat, but what was great was that Rob was able to take one of them both together. I had wanted one of them for so long and he made it surprisingly easy. A great pet photographer. Thank you Rob, have already recommended you to friends who love the results of my photos.
maggie Elkington
09:28 01 Apr 18
Rob was fantastic with both my dog and my two cats and I am so pleased with the prints! My pets were calm and at ease during the shoot and this is reflected in the fab images I received. Thanks very much Rob and Nardia!
Jess S
17:56 28 Mar 18
We have had two pet portraits done now by Robert, and they are truly stunning. Partly down to our cats Smokie and Meg being very well behaved and staying still for the camera! Robert knows how to capture their personalities and gave us plenty of beautiful shots to choose from.
michelle miller
17:52 28 Mar 18
Absolutely brilliant photographer, took some great photo's of my dog Blue actually sitting still, which isn't an easy task to do. Very patient, understanding and lovely gentleman. Highly recommend him if you want professional photographs of your pets.
Louise Makin
17:46 28 Mar 18
Fantastic experience, Robert made the shoot fun, enjoyable and easy for Robbie, who we cannot get to sit still for any amount of time. We have ended up with lots of great shots of Robbie. Would definitely recommend to anyone wanting that perfect shot of their furbabies.
Jo Foster
13:29 28 Mar 18
Robert was very patient with our three slightly over - excited pooches and we were absolutely delighed with the final canvas, which now has pride of place in our lounge.
David Hollowood
18:59 27 Mar 18
Very professional, very skilled photography. The best part of the whole morning though was Robert’s concern over my dog Finlay. He was constantly making sure he (Finlay) felt safe and secure and was always happy and comfortable. Huge thanks Robert and a full recommendation to anyone as the outdoor shots we did at Lyme park are terrific!
Sophie Worrall
21:36 25 Mar 18
We had a really good day with Robert. We went to a local country park. Robert was very relaxed and patient. He explained the best positions for Izzie to be in so that he could get some good shots, he took his time and ensured that she was happy and relaxed.The photos he produced were stunning, truely capturing the essence of Izzie.
Emma Greene
19:36 07 Mar 18
Rob was a fantastic help with my dog Photography. I am just starting out my own business and he not only helped me with technical advice but also gave me great tips on the business side. I highly recommend him and certainly will be going back again!
emily h
13:46 03 Mar 18
Thank you very much for the photography session which we had with you and our beloved poodle, 'Thomas'.We thoroughly enjoyed the photo session. Your natural calmness put us all at ease from the start. We knew that we would have some great photos from the minute that you took the first picture. The anticipation that he showed made such a great picture, anybody who has a Poodle will know that they can become incessant in their pursuit of a ball, stick or Frisbee!A true professional who knows his job!Thanks you!Russ, Andrea and our lovely Poodle Thomas.
Russ McCulloch
16:22 02 Mar 18
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