6-Month Community Course
Sh!t Hot Shots
Bootcamp
Level: Mid-Advanced
Status: Pre-Enrolment
Duration: 6 months
“If you are looking to find the WOW among the average, this course will help guide you there. ” ~ Liz, USA
Student Rating for Sh!t Hot Shots:
(read reviews)
What in the Sh!t Hot is this?
6-Months of support and community, alongside the shooting-only dog photography course that changed the game.
Why Bootcamp?
Sh!t Hot Shots has been a cornerstone online course ever since its original launch day, but the course requires a total re-shaping of how you choose where to take photographs through following a 5-pillar framework when you get to a location. This re-wiring of habits can be tough, and it can be hard to know if what you created, or where you selected, meets the framework taught in the course.
That’s where Bootcamp comes in:
Aim: To support the implementation of Sh!t Hot Shots coursework and push students to progress faster, harder and be more creative, whilst offering support sessions, image & location critiques all wrapped up inside a community-based space.
Please note: The content & community is delivered in English. All live sessions are recorded and posted into the community space. The lessons inside Sh!t Hot Shots focus solely on dogs but the principles can be applied to any genre of outdoor portraiture, including horses, cats, children, chickens or <insert your favourite adorable critter here>.
Please pick your path:
To make Bootcamp make sense, it's helpful to know if you have previously enrolled in Sh!t Hot Shots, the online course. Bootcamp is open to both new and previous course students, but your Bootcamp access point is a little different. First, please choose from the following options: I'm brand newI already took the courseNew here? Hello!
If you’ve never taken Sh!t Hot Shots, this is your introduction to both the online course, its requirements, and the requirements for Bootcamp too:
25+
Lessons
5
Locations types
[forest, fall, beach, field & urban]
1
Step-by-step shooting framework
∞
Possibilities!
6
Months of community
3
Support sessions
every single month
Course requirements
It took until 2020 to create my own editing workflow that saw instant success. It took me from then until now to create a replicable framework for shooting success that creates “WOW” shots every single time, regardless of location or editing workflow.
I’m not saying that every single image I take is a sh!t hot shot – of course not. But in every shoot, I’ll take a shot that can do well at international level and that’s all thanks to this framework. We dig into it in excruciating detail via the course, but before you enrol, you need to be at the “starting point” for using the tools inside. You’ll need to:
- Be able to use your camera [no? click here]
- Be able to take a sharp photo every time [no? click here]
- Be able to correctly expose your images [no? click here]
- Have some form of an editing workflow [no? see below]
If you meet all of the above criteria, continue onwards!
Bootcamp Requirements
To get the most from our 6-months together, ideally you need to commit to:
- Travel: A minimum of 2 trips per month to visit your chosen locations and shoot some shots (a spare for if the weather is bad)
- Time: A minimum of 2 additional hours per month to join or watch the replay of live recorded support sessions
- Commitment: A willingness to break bad habits and fully apply yourself with positivity to a new way of working
What's is Sh!t Hot Shots?
The already available online course lessons are unique because they are applicable to almost any style of photography. It’s all about the shooting and how to make shots instead of just taking them.
For that reason, if you’re looking for editing workflows you might be better off looking to the Membership which is home to over 40 different Full Edit tutorials, or the OAOCPC which covers, in-depth, exactly how to create the 2020 awards style of work.
The Framework
This is a complete framework created to transition from taking photographs to making photographs.
We’ll cover the theory behind each of the 5 pillars and work through examples of those too before moving on.
The Shooting
A course called Sh!t Hot Shots wouldn’t be complete without a hefty shooting portion. Included in this course are actionable steps to use the framework in almost all situations. To demonstrate, I’ll go to brand new locations each time and try to pull a sh!t hot shot out of the bag!
The Locations
We headed up to the Highlands of Scotland, the Isle of Skye, North & East Yorkshire + some major UK Cities to ensure that we left no stone unturned in our mission to make this the most widely applicable online course we’ve ever done.
Field (moorland & meadow), Forest, Fall (waterfalls), Beach and Urban areas, this has it all.
The Editing [or lack there-of]
Not everyone loves the 2020 awards style of work (OAOCPC) but not everyone loves the European style either. Similarly, some people like to very, very lightly edit, yet others will be most comfortable running out complex composites.
This course doesn’t have a whisper of an editing workflow because it doesn’t need one.
Regardless of your style, this shooting technique will slot nicely into it.
And if you want workflows, there are oodles of Full Edits in different styles inside the Premium Membership, and of course, there’s the 2020 Awards Style in the OAOCPC.
The Result
I’m confident that this course will change photographers’ lives, either through business success or personal development. It’s a game-changer.
Worried you aren’t ready?
For editing workflows, consider looking at full edits inside the Membership, the OAOCPC course [super specific style], or simply learning the basics of Photoshop or Lightroom Classic.
For the required photography standard, you’d need to be working confidently in a variety of locations, without needing to think of the settings to change when you need to change them. If you’re not using your camera confidently, consider looking at Photography for Beginners before starting this course.
If you don’t meet the above standards, or you are unsure, consider booking a Portfolio Review One to One with Jess. We won’t be discussing settings or shooting basics at all.
Ready for this Bootcamp? Click to skip to Pre-Register:
About the Tutor
If we’ve never met, I’m Jess.
Trusting a stranger with your photographic future is terrifying, so it is probably worth me saying something to help you here. I’ve never been great at selling myself but when it comes to photography, I’m pretty damn solid.
I’m a multi-award-winning international portrait photographer with cross-niche and genre success from commercial studio to fine art outdoor. Urban, rural, artificial and natural light, I’ve managed to garner great success in all of the above.
I teach the photography things I know to others online and in-person including via YouTube and this website, and call a wonderful corner of the internet my home, along with our epic private membership community.
This course is taught by International Multi-Award Winning Photographer, Jessica McGovern who has the following credentials:
- 240+ Recognitions for photographic work
- 14 Photographer of the Year titles (and counting)
- Speaker at major Photographic events
- Photographic & Print Competition Judge
- YouTuber & Educational Content Creator
- Featured in international publications
Regardless of location, means, background or gender, Jess believes that Photography is a skill where every individual can feel safe in their personal expression. She loves nature, landscapes, moving pieces of portraiture and high impact imagery.
What is Bootcamp?
If you’ve already got Sh!t Hot Shots access, or have had it in the past, or even if you’re brand new, this is your introduction to Bootcamp:
About Bootcamp:
Aside from Sh!t Hot Shots, the Bootcamp itself is an incredibly valuable opportunity to be part of something that will make you grow. We can’t share all the intricate details, but we can show you how the months will shape up. Take a journey with us:
May
Month 1 kicks off with deep study of the course theory: the shooting framework. Whether you’ve already taken the course lessons before or not, this exclusive Bootcamp includes additional sessions on location scouting and selection, as well as a live support session to run through any theory questions or problems you may have.
June
From Month 1, you should have a map (literally) of the next 5 months to use for your shooting sessions. June is Beach/Lake/Rocks month (it’s ok to do them out of order if you’d like to), and Working Students can submit images for feedback, location pull-backs and video clips for review, as well as another live support session for all.
July
It’s field focus (everyone says this one is the hardest!), and together we’ll tackle everything this location type throws at us. Alongside the pre-existing recorded course session, there’ll be another round of image critiques, location feedback and another live support session too!
August
Forest time! [Again, you can do these out of order, or miss some completely if you’d like to!] We roll with the same format as July so everyone should be in the routine by now!
September
Waterfall month. Falls are only going to be available in specific locations, so you can switch this out for any moving water (fountain, river, ocean etc)! Same routine, and by now, Working Students will have 4 or 5 image critiques and location support too.
October
Into the towns and cities we go to tackle urban environments (or village, if that’s all you’ve got!). By this month, the final month of Bootcamp, Auditors will have accessed over 24 hours of additional Sh!t Hot Shots resources, with working students having direct feedback and direction.
"I only want to focus on one area though!"
You absolutely can. We’ve created an all-encompassing Bootcamp schedule, but that doesn’t mean you have to tackle a different location type each month. If you’re absolutely focussed on improving just your urban spaces portraiture, or your beach images, or your forest work, then you can use the entire time to focus on that, or you can swap and change – it’s totally your choice!
2 Access Types:
You’ve heard us mention Working Students and Auditors a couple of times now, but what does that actually mean?
To give a quick overview for the two types of access, essentially everyone will be in the community space together, but Working Students get one-on-one support and feedback directly from Jess every month for 6 months, whereas Auditors are able to watch it all happening in real-time, and take learnings from others progress too!
We’ve run this system before in Studio Bootcamp, and it tends to suit lots of different types of students well. Sometimes Working places don’t fit a students timeline, so shooting monthly perhaps isn’t an option. In this case, an Auditor space would likely be more suitable.
A Working space would be perfect for those who want to throw themselves in head first, and are willing to commit to dedicate time to their learning. For an itemised list of what is and isn’t included in each space type, check out the handy table in this section.
Please note that Working Spaces are strictly limited in number and will be first-come, first-served on enrolment opening, April 1st 2025.
Working Students
As a Working Student, you will get:
Access the Sh!t Hot Shots course
Access all Bootcamp areas
Join all calls live
Join in with community spaces
View critiques
Ask questions in Q&A sessions
Submit images for critique
Submit locations for feedback
Spaces available = 50
Auditors
As an Auditor, you will get:
Access the Sh!t Hot Shots course
Access all Bootcamp areas
Join all calls live
Join in with community spaces
View critiques
Ask questions in Q&A sessions
Submit images for critique
Submit locations for feedback
Spaces available = ∞
Where do we meet?
In the Vault of course! We run our Bootcamps through secret, split-off sections of our MTog Vault. Because our membership Vault has all of the functionality and tools to allow us to hit every single goal we have with this course too, we felt it was the right place to put the learning materials, community hub, live events and more.
If you are not an existing MTog, you might find it a little bit confusing to be inside this special website (there’s a mobile app too if you want it!), but don’t worry, we’ll have you navigating this space in no time.
Members who haven’t enrolled on Sh!t Hot Shots Bootcamp won’t be able to access this space, and the same in reverse. This means that if you’re not an MTog, you won’t have access to the rest of the Vault either. It’s kinda like a fortress, you only see what you’re supposed to see!
Start today:
To recap, the Bootcamp add-on gives you the following, on top of the framework teachings of Sh!t Hot Shots as a standalone course:
- 6 months of community-based course support
- Monthly Image Critiques¹ straight from Jess
- Location Critiques & Scene Selection support¹ from Jess
- Monthly Live Support Sessions with Jess
- A private membership community
- Positive pressure & drive to improve quickly in your outdoor portrait photography.
¹ These elements are for participation by Working Students only, Auditors have access to the sessions and recordings, but cannot participate directly.
Here are some important dates for your diary:
- Enrolment for Bootcamp opens on 1st April 2025
- Bootcamp starts on the 1st May 2025
- Bootcamp ends on 31st October 2025
If you want first access to the enrolment links, Working Spaces and insider info, pop your details into the Early Bird form and we’ll go from there:
Time to Enrollment Opening:
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Be an Early Bird!
As an Early Bird, you will get the news on this FIRST before everyone else.
By opting in, you’re just asking for info, you are not committing to buying anything. Promise.
What they say:
These reviews are for Sh!t Hot Shots without the addition of Bootcamp, check them out!
P.S, you can scroll these, so scroll away!
Olivia Verplanke (verified owner) – March 11, 2025
Oh my goodness this might just be my favourite course (so far)! It’s an absolute game changer and has really changed how I view the somewhat mundane landscapes around me, who knew that you could create beautiful and impactful images without travelling to exotic mountain locations… It’s a course that took me a long time to work through, there is a lot to process here and it takes a long time to fully grasp the framework Jess presents, despite Jess’ consistently clear and easy to understand style of communication! It was definitely a watch bits of the course, go out and try it, evaluate why I didn’t hit the mark and rewatch the videos kind of thing until that ‘aha’ moment finally arrived… I’d definitely recommend this course to anyone that’s wanting to up their game, or maybe has reached a slight stagnation in their work, my personal before and after for this course is insane and I’m really excited to keep utilising everything I’ve learned to grow more and more ❤️
Kalysa Wroblewski (verified owner) – February 4, 2024
Sh!t Hot Shots is a course I didn’t know that I needed! It truly helped me get in tuned with the more creative part of photographer. Jess beautifully and skillfully explains how to find the shots, and moving can truly change the entirety of the photo. It has been, and will be a game change for my future sessions for sure!
Shirley Cove (verified owner) – February 14, 2024
Sh!t Hot Shots is next level! Thank you so much for the resource Jessica McGovern. After the Outdoor Advanced Canine Portrait Course I thought this might be redundant as OACPC was so in-depth and a true game changer. I couldn’t have been more wrong! SHS is an absolute must for anyone wanting to up their game. I see lines and frames now that I would have totally passed by before this course. SHS has trained me to subconsciously look for outstanding locations…..I dont even realize I’m doing it until I say to someone I’m with “ooooh I have to come back here with a dog” . Definitely a great investment.
Liz Schmuck (verified owner) – February 15, 2024
After taking the OAOCPC I was a little skeptical about whether I would need to take Sh!t Hot Shots. I couldn’t have been more wrong! Both courses stand alone and are filled with invaluable information! SHS has taught me so much about taking in whatever environment I am in and being able to see the shot. I will say the number one necessity for this course is practice, practice, practice. Knowing what you are looking for and being able to execute it perfectly are two very different things! This course has given me so much more confidence when I am out on location with a client because even if it is an area I am unfamiliar with I have the knowledge and strategy to at least be able to complete high standard client work. I am still personally working on the epic images but I can see myself improving every time I pick up my camera thanks to the groundwork of this course. If you are looking to find the WOW among the average this course will help guide you there.
Norbert Schon (verified owner) – January 30, 2025
This course gave me a new perspective on seeing and not just looking at the scene. Jess masterfully demonstrates how to pick the right spot and how small changes in positioning and posing can significantly improve the outcome, and insights into her decision-making process are invaluable. The videos don’t just provide helpful information, but they are also inspirational, making you want to pick up your camera and start practising straight away. This was my first online course, and I feel like this was a great investment in progression. I highly recommend this course for those who want to take their skills to the next level and need a little push in the right direction.
Katharina Movik (verified owner) – February 18, 2025
This course has made me level up my skills as a photographer. Jess demontrates perfectly what to look for in a location, how to pick out the best spots for the object and also the photograper. Everything is explained really well and easy to understand. Jess is really inspirational so you get really excited to go out and practise with your camera. So incredible happy that I took this course, you won’t regret it. Thanks to the team.
22 reviews for Sh!t Hot Shots: The Online Course
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
Frequently Asked Questions:
About Bootcamp:
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Can I do Bootcamp-Only and not the online course?
No, this Bootcamp uses the online course lessons as a back-bone, a structure if you will, and therefore Bootcamp can’t be completed without course access.
I already enrolled in the online course, can I join in?
Yes, absolutely! When enrollment opens, you won’t need to select the course add-on (we promise it will be obvious, honestly!).
If you’re not an MTog, and your course access has expired, after Bootcamp finishes, you’ll gain an additional 6-months access to the course lessons too!
What dates and times will the live sessions be?
That being said, if some of the live sessions do hit your time zone at a bad time, or perhaps you already had plans, or something came up, that’s ok! You can presubmit questions for live support sessions if you can’t make them, and critiques are pre-submitted too, so you won’t miss anything. Every session is recorded and released within 24 hours – we’ve got you!
If the idea of waking early to join a Zoom session fills you with dread, just know that our membership community show the true possibilities of commitment to education, because they’ll often wake to join at 4am or stay up to join at 11pm. Where there’s a will, there’s a way, right?!
What is the difference between a Working and an Auditor space?
We’ve run split-level enrollments before (in Studio Bootcamp!) and find they work really well, with fantastic feedback from both student groups. Here’s a quick explanation:
Being a Working Student is an all-access pass. These spaces are strictly limited in number, due to the one-on-one support that is offered through this learning option. A Working Student can access all the Bootcamp areas, join calls live, join in with the community spaces, view critiques and enjoy all the education elements of Sh!t Hot Shots Bootcamp, and they have free rein to ask questions in the Q&A sessions and submit their images or pullbacks from locations for critique by Jess personally.
Being an Auditor is like being a fly on the wall, but with more. As an Auditor, you can access all the Bootcamp areas, join calls live, join in with the community spaces, view critiques and enjoy all the education elements of Sh!t Hot Shots Bootcamp, including (for this Bootcamp only) the opportunity to ask questions in the Q&A sessions. However, Auditors cannot submit images or pullbacks from locations for critique in the 6 month period.
I have a busy year, what if I can’t join the sessions?
That’s ok! You can presubmit questions for live support sessions if you can’t make them, and critiques are pre-submitted too, so you won’t miss anything. Every session is recorded and released within 24 hours – we’ve got you!
I don’t have any good locations near me, can I join in?
Of course, but I feel you! Sometimes, this can be because there literally is no location near you, but often it can be a missing skill to find a shooting scene in a wider location that is typically uninspiring. If you don’t live in the Alps with mountain lakes or in a moss-filled forest wilderness, you’re in the majority, not the minority. Let me show you how to make what you have work for you, just like I had to.
I’ll also walk you through how to actually find locations before you even visit them in person, to scout without leaving the house, and to prepare in advance as much as possible before you get stuck into the Sh!t Hot Shots shooting framework on arrival.
English isn’t my first language, is that a problem?
It depends. If you are able to understand my other resources, like the resources on YouTube or similar, then you’ll be absolutely fine! If you find those difficult to follow, this may be a really difficult course to follow.
Not all of the online course lessons have subtitles, but all the recordings that we’ll share from Bootcamp sessions have automatic subtitles that you can translate.
About the online course:
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How long do I get access for and can I extend this?
Access to the lessons is set at a specific length of 6 months by default, which starts at the end of Bootcamp. We would recommend taking your time to work through the lessons and practice each topic before moving on, but schedule time into your week to complete the content.
Extensions are not permitted for this course as standard, but you can get lifetime access connected to an MTog membership if you need additional time.
How is the content delivered? Can I download the videos?
The lessons are delivered as videos that are viewable on any device. All video content is in Ultra HD 4k format, hosted securely away from this website for page speed reasons. The average file size of a lesson on this website is around 10GB and therefore downloading video content is not an option.
Some lessons have supporting downloads which are marked clearly with a large button, as well as a brief description of what you are downloading. These downloads are as small as we can possibly make them. Please be patient, they will transfer!
Can I access the lessons in any order?
The first time you work through the courses, you will need to follow the order provided. This is because the content was created to be delivered in that order, and future lessons will refer to things in previous lessons.
After you have completed a lesson once, you can go back to it at any time, in any order.
How is this course different to your YouTube videos?
YouTube is a platform governed by an algorithm, and as such, videos there are planned, constructed, edited and delivered in a specific way. Each video is short, fragmented and covers a teeny topic as quickly as possible with as little information as possible to get the topic explained.
Jess doesn’t cover these topics on YouTube in anywhere near the same level of detail as the lessons here.
I've done OAOCPC, how does this relate?
Think of this as a totally revised Section 1 & 2.
We won’t really be looking at settings or camera things, nor will we touch on editing at all. It’s heavily shoot focussed and builds on line-theory and layers in additional detail, whilst also being completely applicable away from a woodland. It is an entirely reimagined shooting workflow to end up with epic shots on repeat.
- OAOCPC could never be applied with any light behind the subject or any open sky. This can.
- OAOCPC is woodland/forest specific in its nature, this is not.
- OAOCPC contained a complex, focussed and particular workflow/editing style – that is not present here.
- OAOCPC focuses on emulating and reproducing a specific style of work – this definitely doesn’t focus on a single style of work.
Is OAOCPC still epic? Hell yeah! This is just a new framework for different work.
Do I have to sign up within a specific time frame?
For the online course, no. For Bootcamp, yes there is a fixed enrollment window.
For the course only, you can enrol for the course at any time, though any discount codes are likely to be time-restricted. The deadline for the code, if you have one, will be where you found the code (for example, in an email).
Sue Woodcock (verified owner) –
If you’re stuck in a rutt and need some creative inspiration this is the course for you. It will truly open your eyes to what is possible. I have found all Jess’s courses are explained in great detail. And this course was no exception you really do get more than your moneys worth and some. Jess leaves no stone unturned and ensures that you receive an in-depth learning journey. In addition, Jess is not only an amazing educator, but she is also a truly inspiring artist as well. Thank you, again!
Zoe McGrath (verified owner) –
Jess simply has a unique way in clearly explaining difficult ideas and concepts. If you’re looking to make your life easier when scouting new locations, then Sh!tHotShots is for you. This course really helped me see the world differently. I’m not just taking a bunch of photos and hoping for the best. I simply pause and look, looking for the lines, looking for interesting spots. It feels great to go out and feel confident I can capture the photos I need. I’m always learning each time I go out but now I have a solid foundation to build upon thanks to Jess and Sh!tHotShots.
Sian Jones (verified owner) –
This course has really supercharged my progression! I’ve always struggled to “see lines” and understand how to use a location in the best way. This course has provided me with the knowledge to be able to turn up to any location and look for the best composition set ups.
Jess is truly a gifted mentor and teacher, and explains rather difficult and tricky concepts in succinct and manageable ways. The ‘at location’ footage also really helps capture and describe the thought process Jess is running through at that moment in time, and provides the student with a richer learning experience.
If you’re looking to progress your pet photography then this course is well worth the investment! I’m looking forward to building on these solid foundations and getting out there to practice creating some S!t Hot Shot art!
Leticia pascual garcia (verified owner) –
This course has changed and improved the way I saw things, it is always a pleasure to watch Jess’s video tutorials, she explains everything in such detail, it has been a luxury to accompany her in the different places and be able to learn from each of them! Yes, still Are you wondering if this course is worth it…definitely YES! I am a member and it is the first online course…and it will not be the last! very very happy, thanks to the entire team.
Bruce Leiper (verified owner) –
Having just completed the SHS’s online course, I would like to thank Jess for putting it together. She has an ability to explain complicated concepts, theory and practice, in an easy to follow way. It’s like having her with you as you explore new locations, giving good guidance on how to “see” the shot that’s right in front of you.
Thanks again.