Every year, a body of work takes shape quietly.
It doesn’t arrive all at once or in one place. Instead, it forms over time, across seasons and settings, through many different reasons for stepping in front of the camera. Over the course of the year, I photograph animal companions in moments that range from deeply still to full of motion, each one shaped by the relationships and circumstances that bring us together.
Last year, that work unfolded in many forms. I photographed animals tucked into flowers and moving along wooded trails in local parks. Some sessions took place in the studio, calm and steady. Others happened outdoors, with animals running through fresh snow, splashing in ponds at home, or leaning into their people for comfort and reassurance. There were also quieter moments. Animals resting at home, wrapped in blankets or pajamas, settled into spaces they know well. Each session was different. Still, each one remained honest to the moment it was made.
A Year of Sessions, Places, and Reasons
No two sessions begin for the same reason.
Some animals come to me through fundraising events created to support shelters, rescues, and welfare organizations. Others arrive through privately commissioned portrait sessions, where families want to preserve the life they share with an animal companion. At the same time, both paths are guided by the same intention: to photograph with care and to create something that lasts.
Whether a session is fundraiser-driven or privately commissioned, it becomes part of a larger body of work. In many cases, it also becomes part of something beyond the photograph itself.
Fundraising at the Heart of the Work
Giving back is not an add-on to this work. It’s built into it.
Through portrait sessions and fundraising initiatives, a portion of the work supports animal shelters and rescue organizations working every day to protect, heal, and rehome animals. Over time, photographing one animal and one relationship becomes a way to quietly support many others.
This approach applies across species and settings. While much of my work centers on animals who share our homes, the same care and attention extend naturally to animals who share our land, routines, and daily rhythms in different ways. The connection between a person and an animal doesn’t depend on species or setting. It lives in presence, trust, and time spent together.
Looking Ahead
The Pet of the Year reflects the animals who stepped in front of my lens throughout the year, across environments, seasons, and circumstances. It isn’t about performance or perfection. Instead, it marks participation. Being present. Being seen.
In this way, it serves as both a reflection and a turning point. It shows where the work has been, while also pointing gently toward where it’s going.
As my work continues to evolve, I’m creating more space for portraits that feel lived-in and relational. Images that unfold naturally. Photographs that reflect not just how an animal looks on a particular day, but how they exist within a life over time.
This year’s Pet of the Year honors every animal photographed, every person who trusted me with a moment, and every cause supported through the work itself.
Thank you for being part of it.
PET OF THE YEAR
This year’s Pet of the Year honors every animal photographed, every person who trusted me with a moment, and every cause supported through the work itself.
Thank you for being part of it.
One animal companion is quietly honored from the work created throughout the season.
Voting is now open for Pet of the Year and runs from January 23 through February 5.
You’re invited to cast one vote.
See full details and Vote:
