Paw prints
Pet photographers and artists create lasting reminders of your beloved family members. They open up about their process and the pets that inspire them.
photos by Megan Pozza // Fuzzy Furry Fierce Pet Photography
Mirror Image
After a full day of vaccinating dogs or caring for sick cats as a veterinarian at Tremont Animal Clinic, Megan Pozza goes to her Akron home to feed three cats, a dog and a chinchilla. She spends her weekends around even more animals — photographing them at local parks for her Fuzzy Furry Fierce Pet Photography business. All of those animals might seem like a chore, but Pozza is more than happy to care for them 24/7 and wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Animals provide an acceptance and understanding that is sometimes hard to find in people,” says Pozza. “They just see me for me.”
She does the same for them — letting dogs be their rambunctious selves in her photos rather than perfectly posing them. One of her sessions was interrupted when a young, energetic yellow lab, Chesney, she was photographing at Springfield Bog Metro Park decided to leave the path and jump into a mud bog. Afterward, she took a Christmas shot with the muddy pup wearing a Santa hat.
“Chesney wants to play in the mud bog, [so] we’re gonna play in the mud bog,” Pozza says. “It was the muddiest Christmas photo there ever was.”
Though the majority of her subjects are dogs, a co-worker had her photograph a bearded dragon. The lizard spent the session smirking at the camera. “You wouldn’t think bearded dragons would have such personality,” says Pozza.
She looks forward to returning home to her quirky pets. Her chinchilla, Millie, is a raisin fiend. There’s also Abby the sassy tuxedo cat, one-eyed kitten Jessamine, Calvin the bossy tabby and a border collie-beagle mix named Waffle. They’re always affectionate no matter what — the welcome parade greeting her with snuggles, purrs and chew toys.
“They don’t have ideas about how I should perform or live up to expectations,” she says. “Waffle doesn’t care about that. She thinks I’m the greatest thing in the world, even when I don’t see that in myself.”
collages by Tamara Jaeger
Piece by Piece
Tamara Jaeger’s family and friends ritually send her their old catalogs and magazines, knowing she has a greater purpose for something most would categorize as junk. Jaeger transforms what’s “worthless” into meaningful pet collage portraits.
“A lot of pet portraits are photorealistic paintings or drawings,” the Akron resident says, “but if someone wants something slightly different and unique, collage can give a sense of liveliness that maybe you wouldn’t see otherwise.”
She starts with a pencil drawing, using a photo for reference, then tears out clippings based on the animal’s hair color and type — varying from bird feathers to long-haired cats — and other features. When it’s time for gluing, she usually starts with the eye. The stoic glance of a shepherd or the droopy look of a hound dog is telling of the pet’s personality. She uses thousands of pieces of paper to animate the animal and bring it to life.
“With small pieces, you can get almost a sense of movement,” Jaeger says.
For example, the collage of her 5-year-old papillon, Grendel, isn’t intimidating — like his name after the monster in “Beowulf” suggests — but it shows him wide-eyed with his mouth excitedly open to portray his friendly nature. His head is tilted up as if he is lovingly greeting you.
“I was trying to capture his joy for life. He’s always happy, bouncy, smiling,” Jaeger says. “He’s like go, go, go — say hi to everybody.”
Jaeger recently surprised a friend with a collage of her English shepherd service dog, Hope, who is portrayed standing straight up, with the word “serve” visible on her vest and her eyes looking ready to assist. Her friend’s reaction was a reminder of why Jaeger pursues pet collages.
“She was like, You made me cry. You caught Hope in her happy working look,” Jaeger says. “She was thrilled.”
photos by Alliey Bender // Alliey Bender Photography
Always There
Alliey Bender was trying to get the perfect last shot. She knelt in the grass outside the Solon Animal Hospital photographing a staffer’s dog that had cancer, but he laid with his head down. By some miracle, he briefly turned and gazed into Bender’s lens. Click. He had to be put down, but the owner was grateful to have that final peaceful image. These end-of-life photo sessions are heartbreaking, yet Bender is committed to capturing that lasting love.
“I try not to focus on their ailments. I try to bring to life what the essence of the dog was and still is inside,” says Bender, who runs the Fairlawn-based Alliey Bender Photography and offers regular pet sessions, too.
Bender also volunteers to take photos of dogs in shelters to help people see beyond a cage. She was inspired by her rescue Shih Tzu, Wicket, because his photos on petfinder.com were so sad with his matted hair and despairing eyes. When she brought him home, she saw another side to him — a dog that melted into her arms. Wicket is a curious explorer, which is a contrast to her other older and more cautious Shih Tzu, Gizmo.
“They’re my everything,” Bender says. “The moment I come home is the most joyous part of my day.”
Her dogs bring out brighter, sharper sides of terminally ill residents when she takes them to Crossroads Hospice in Valley View, where she is doing an internship for her master’s degree in social work. The dogs provide companionship for isolated residents, including one woman who is blind and has dementia but is able to recall stories about her dog while she strokes Gizmo.
“They get depressed in there. Having cute faces love on them — it makes them feel special,” Bender says. They inspired her to concentrate her thesis on the therapeutic value of pets in end-of-life care.
With Gizmo having trouble walking as he gets older, Bender will have to eventually take that last shot of him and Wicket too — and their love will be frozen in time.
“Dogs are the world; these little positive balls of fluff,” she says. “I want everyone to experience a good photo of their dog so they can cherish it forever.”
photos by Tiffany Kelly // Noble Soul Pet Photography
Soul Hound
When Tiffany Kelly began photography, her Yorkie, Watson, was always by her side as she spent hours editing. It was really difficult when he died seven years ago. “I realized that the biggest thing helping me were the pictures I had of Watson and those memories of him happy and healthy,” says the Massillon resident. She was particularly comforted by a photo of him panting jovially in the sun at his favorite dog park. She wanted others to have that reminder, so she started Noble Soul Pet Photography in 2018.
The following year, Kelly embarked on an empowering photo series she calls “Barking Beautiful,” which captures inspiring women alongside their dogs and helps women see themselves the way their dogs do. “Our dogs think we are the most beautiful creatures,” Kelly says. “They don’t care if we’re wearing makeup or if we’re having a bad hair day. They love us no matter what we look like.” The images capture the steadfast love pets have for the 17 incredible women Kelly photographed, ranging from cancer survivors to those with service dogs.
Kelly gets that tenderhearted support from her bichon frise, Marley — named after Bob Marley, whose “Everything’s Gonna be Alright” sentiment reminds Kelly of the delight the pup brings her. She works at a veterinary clinic as an administrator and enjoys bringing Marley, her “little clown” along. Her dog fits into cubbies on a bookshelf near her desk. “She took it upon herself to claim one of the cubbies,” Kelly says. “She goes into the bookshelf and falls asleep.”
Not everyone can bring their pet to work, but she is happy to create meaningful pet images people can glance at on their desks when they need a pick-me-up. “There’s no way to look at a big grinning, goofy dog face and not crack a smile,” says Kelly.
Freeze Frame
We’ve all seen blurry photos of spirited pets who won’t sit still. Tiffany Kelly offers a few tips on snapping better photos of your furry friend.
- Get on their level. We’re often looking down at our pets because we’re taller than them, but crouching down better captures your pet in all its glory. “Lay or sit on the ground and take a picture at eye level, it immediately becomes more intimate,” Kelly advises.
- seek better light. Even if you don’t have a professional camera, cellphones can capture excellent photos with the right lighting. “Go outside where it’s well-lit or put your dog facing a window,” recommends Kelly. “A window or an open doorway will get lots of light on them. That’ll go a long way toward improving the quality of a cellphone picture.”
- Make some noise. Sometimes pets aren’t in the mood for a close-up but making noise will help them look your way. Yip, meow, squeak or whistle — whatever works to get your pet’s attention. “You have to be ready to take the picture when you make the noise,” Kelly says, “because they don’t always look for long.”
portraits by Marcella Chapman
Rescue Squad
When Marcella Chapman and her kids fled domestic violence, they looked to their rescue dog, Snickers, to heal. The family was traumatized, but Snickers bounced back and curled up on their laps when they were sad.
“You see her get more relaxed. It was helpful to watch,” Chapman says. “There was a lot of hope that healing could happen.”
Now living in Cuyahoga Falls, she creates art with a focus on paying tribute to pets. Her painting of Snickers’ pensive, ladylike demeanor prompts Chapman to reflect.
“It brings back many memories,” she says. “The unconditional love that she provides in her quiet dignified way. You see that in her portrait — she’s staring out the window deep in thought.”
Chapman mimics luminous window light by using alcohol ink to add layered color that is transparent and vivid. “It gives a sense of light on her fur,” she says. To depict her other rescue dog, Nadine, who likes to roll on the floor and get back scratches, Chapman used colored pencils for a precise focus on her adoring eyes and tongue that’s out playfully.
Portraits allow Chapman to take artistic liberties to hone in on a characteristic of a pet. For example, when a mother commissioned an intimate picture of her daughter cuddling their cat, Chapman replaced the cluttered background with gray to emphasize their powerful bond. The image is made with alcohol ink and India ink — that doesn’t bleed and adds contrast.
“I want you to experience that intimate snuggle. I really want to emotionally engage the viewer,” Chapman says, “to step outside of themselves even if it’s just looking at something ordinary like a cat.”
Her business, Art to the Rescue, is named after how her dogs and art aided in her healing journey. She understands how impactful a pet can be, so she does free portraits of animals in shelters to help them get adopted.
“I’m not sure it’s more important for people or animals,” Chapman says. “The relationship is mutual. We provide a safe and loving home, and they reciprocate — it’s wonderful.”