How I Became a Pet Photographer
Back in 2010, after spending one too many frigid winters in Massachusetts, I decided to pack my bags and move to sunny San Diego to see what all the hype was about. Once I was settled here, I continued my work in the mental health filed and started a new chapter working alongside horses as an EAGALA Certified Therapist. EAGALA stands for Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association and is considered the global standard in equine-assisted therapy. I primarily worked with PTSD and addicted clients. This non-traditional form of therapy was a magical time for me as I saw just how powerful horses could be in the healing process.
Captivated by the beauty and vulnerability of these amazing animals, I decided to dust off my old Nikon D90 camera in order to tell their story. Before I knew it, I was bringing my camera everywhere with me. My love for photographing horses combined with the abundance of breath-taking SoCal scenery sparked something inside of me. I loved this new-found creative outlet so much that I slowly transitioned away from the mental health field and into a full-time career as a fine art photographer.
Over the years I have shot everything from underwater photography to portraits, head shots, events, weddings, and real estate (to name a few). I’ve also had the opportunity to work with teams of photographers in order to create magic on movie sets, the most recent being The Samuel Project with Hal Linden. There were storyboards, make up artists, costumes, and set design - it took a village to create the amazing art that I captured and I loved every minute of it!
After the global pandemic, everything was turned upside down. It was at this point in time that I made the leap into focusing on photographing pets and hone in on my passion for animals. Not only do animals love me but they also bring me massive amounts of joy. There is some kind of unspoken connection that makes them feel very comfortable in my presence so I knew this was the path forward. I now have a beautiful home studio in Mission Hills where I create custom sets to capture the personalities of people’s beloved pets. While a large majority of my clients are dogs and cats, I’ve shot everything in between from boa constrictors and geckos to tortoises and horses. If you’re thinking this sounds like the best job ever, it most definitely is!