Pet owners know that taking a photo of your pet is not always an easy task. Whether it’s a candid photo, action photo, or a photo that requires your pet to stay still, catching the perfect photo is mostly up to chance!
There are numerous things to consider in pet photography, such as the lighting, the location of your shots, and even the cooperation of your pet! Pet photographers are patient and in tune with their craft that they usually know the perfect moment to capture the best photo of their pet subject(s). Different pet photographers have their own unique styles and approaches—be it dog photography, cat photography, or other pets!
If you’re trying to improve your pet photography skills, here are 14 of the best pet photographers you can follow and possibly learn from!
The Top 14 Pet Photographers to Follow
1. Charlotte Reeves
Charlotte Reeves is a pet photographer from Australia and is considered one of the best pet photographers when it comes to action shots. Her approach in pet photography is simple yet lively candid shots in a low-pressure environment, which allows for a more natural shot of your pet in action. She aims to tell your dog’s story, beauty, personality, and the bond they share with you through her photography.
2. Grace Chon
Grace Chon is a famous pet photographer in the United States whose specialty is capturing professional portraits of pets and their owners. A self-taught photographer, Grace Chon is a former art director in the advertising industry, now using her background within her pet photography. Grace Chon is based in Southern California, and her various clients—including advertising agencies, TV shows, publishing companies, magazines, and even non-profit organizations—allow her to travel all around the country!
3. Josh Norem
Josh Norem’s pet photography journey started out with a simple advocacy toward rescuing animals. After adopting 2 blind cats, Josh used his pet photography to help cats and dogs find a home. He performs cat and dog photography professionally, while still doing volunteer rescue work. Josh has won many awards and recognition in San Francisco, California for his pet photography, and was even listed as the best dog photographer in 2014 and 2016 on Bay Woof magazine!
4. Claudio Piccoli
From Northern Italy, Claudio Piccoli specializes in action shots of dog photography. The Italian photographer’s dog photography journey was inspired by his passion for dogs, which he eventually decided to pursue after all his time working with dogs. Piccoli is known for his ability to take perfectly focused photos of dogs with his masterful timing, whether they’re running, playing, or doing anything else a dog would do!
Claudio’s passion for dog photography pushed him to impart his knowledge to the world, holding multiple workshops and collaborations.
5. Robyn Arouty
Robyn Arouty is an American pet photographer from Houston, Texas specializing in portrait photos. Formerly a psychiatrist with a master’s degree in psychology, her love for animals and photography eventually became a career she now loves and excels in. Through her photos, she can capture the perfect portraits that portray the personality of the pet, as well as the relationship they have with their owners.
Robyn Arouty has won numerous awards and recognitions, and was included in the Best Portrait Photographers in Houston from Exterpertise.com in 2021 as her latest feat.
6. Anne Geier
Anne Geier is a dog photographer from Austria. With a spirit of adventure, Anne Geier enjoys going on trips such as hikes with her dogs. Through her photography, she captures the adventurous side of dogs within beautiful and scenic environments in nature. An avid traveler herself, Geier’s portfolio consists of memorable moments of dogs on trips, immortalizing the beauty of the relationship between pet and owner.
7. Seth Casteel
Taking photographs of dogs on land is difficult on its own, but Seth Casteel takes it to a whole other level by taking his dog photography both on land and underwater. This American pet photography captures beautiful moments of pets (as well as babies), and is most known for his ability to take adorable underwater portraits.
Seth Casteel is one of the best pet photographers in the United States and has published work in various newspapers, galleries, calendars, and even magazines such as National Geographic and The New York Times.
8. Carli Davidson
Carli Davidson is an American pet photographer with over seven years of experience working in animal care and training at zoos and wildlife centers. Experienced in communicating with animals, she is able to take beautiful images of pets in a variety of scenarios. Her focus is capturing the personality of pets, giving many of her photos the charm and humor brought about by the animal being in their most natural and relaxed state.
9. Kaylee Greer
A creative and out-of-the-box thinker, Kaylee Greer gives her viewers a different perspective in dog photography. She is an expert in the use of wide lens and a low angle to create a deep field depth, showing interesting layers of landscape and scenery in the background! Her portraits express the whimsical spirit and personality of the dogs who have the pleasure of being in front of her camera.
With her company, Dog Breath Photography, Kaylee Greer is one of the most sought-after award-winning dog photographers in the world!
10. Alicja Zmyslowska
Alicja Zmyslowska is a professional dog photographer from Poland. With her 14 years of experience in dog photography, Alicja captures pictures with breathtaking scenery that mixes both reality and imagination. Her images contain unique and magical atmospheres in environments found in her travels to places like Norway, Iceland, and Alaska, while still keeping the dog subject as the star of the photo.
11. Audrey Bellot
Audery Bellot is a dog photographer from France. Her dog photography journey began with her love for animals at a young age, followed by her love for art and photography. She is known for her minimalistic and sophisticated approach to photography, giving a very subtle but majestic expression to the dog in the photographs, with carefully chosen colors and background environments.
12. Ken Drake
Ken Drake is considered a master in the art of pet photography. Drake has been taking dog photographs since 2006 through his company, Zoo Studio, based in Western Australia. This Australian photographer has won several awards in both the national and international level, having beautiful animal portraits published in various countries around the world.
Working in a studio environment, Ken Drake is able to capture the genuine spirit and personality of pets.
13. Illona Haus
Illona Haus is a Canadian pet photographer from Ontario, Canada. She is a multi-award-winning and internationally recognized photographer. With Scruffy Dog Photography, she is able to channel her love for animals and her experience as a horse and dog trainer into her professional pet photography career.
Illona Haus is known for capturing candid photographs of dogs in their natural environment, showcasing their true behaviors and unique character.
14. Sarah Beth
Pets are only with us for a short time, and they are immortalized through the photos we take. Sarah Beth’s approach to pet photography is to capture memorable moments and immortalize them through beautiful portraits, whether inside or outside the studio. She also takes time to specifically photograph terminally ill or elderly pets with her company, Joy Sessions, to relay the message that all pets are beautiful regardless of their age.
Sarah Beth has also been named by MN Monthly as “Best Pet Photographer” in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Conclusion
When it comes to pet photography, every photographer has their own style and approach. These 14 pet photographers each have their own unique style, all of which can help you develop your own preferences and style when taking photos of your own pets. Your pets deserve beautiful portraits to showcase their own personality and behavior, whether professional or not, and we hope our list has inspired you to get to snapping shots of your beloved fur babies too.
Featured Image Credit: Robert So, Pexels
