She started work as a newborn baby photographer in 2012 and set up Momo Studio in 2018 specialising in pet photography.
Before long, Ms Tay Yong En, 32, had combined her expertise and given birth to a new sub-genre – newborn puppy photography.
The opportunity arose in 2020, when client Stephanie Davira's dog gave birth to two male pups. The mini dachshund siblings were 1 1/2 months old during the shoot.
Ms Tay says: "I've always been on the lookout for what's new, and newborn pet photography is something I noticed first from photos online. It is not common in Singapore and I was curious and wanted to give it a shot."
"It was a really fun idea for me to create these new images even if they are for myself as a photographer, as I can get creative and step out of my comfort zone."
She admits that she has done only a couple of shoots as the trend is still "very new". "I feel people don't know about this, so when I get inquiries for very young puppies, I would suggest including this set of photos together with the usual. They generally welcome the idea."
Pups can be photographed from as early as two weeks to two months old. Prices start at $150, but can run up to $1,500.
For Ms Tay, documenting the start-of-life milestone and welcoming a new member into the family are no different when it comes to humans and canines - especially as many pet owners treat their furkids like their flesh and blood.
The styling is also similar, as are the challenges of time management.
She says: "As much as we have to be patient with the process, we don't want to drag out the photo shoot time as it's tiring for the parents and owners too.
"For newborns, we aim for two hours and to achieve at least 50 images for clients."
She notices that puppies are more "knocked out" and sleepy during shoots than their human counterparts.
Her proudest achievement? Managing to get five out of six husky pups asleep in a crate for some shots.
Ms Davira, a 23-year-old student, previously had her three adult dachshunds photographed at Momo Studio in 2019 and realised the puppy period flies by.
"So just before the (pups) were born, I promised myself I would take as many photos of them as possible."
At the end of last year, Ms Davira did her third and final shoot at Momo Studio - featuring the grown-up pups and their parents - before they moved to Jakarta, Indonesia.
She says: "The photos we brought back with us are one of my most cherished things from our time in Singapore."
