Pet portraits absolutely exploded in popularity in 2019. What was once a novelty photography niche seemingly became a worldwide sensation, with royal pet portraits and more personified “dress up your dog” photographers springing up virtually overnight. But despite the pet portrait industry becoming a much more crowded and competitive space, it’s safe to say that 2019 was a break out year for the Puptrait Studio.
With that in mind, we thought it might be fun to look back over 2019 and take a moment to revisit some of our favorite dog photos, studio milestones and tail wagging memories from the last year.
The Press is Starting to Take Notice
I’m not going to lie, when I first announced that I was moving to photographing pets full time in 2015, many of my friends and family told me I was crazy — and they weren’t alone. While our clients loved us and saw the value in what we were doing, at times it was a real struggle to be taken seriously in those early days.
Thankfully that perception has changed a great deal for the better in recent years and 2019 marked a notable shift in our brand presence. Much of which we have our friends at USA Today, iHeartDogs, the Pet Photographers Club and ArtFido to thank, with our interviews from earlier in the year picked up and covered by TV news stations as far off as Jakarta, Seoul, and São Paulo.
But if I had to pick one interview that had me the most excited, it was having the opportunity to sit down and chat with Rhea Feikin at the Maryland Public Television studios. For those unfamiliar with Rhea Feikin, she has been a mainstay of Maryland broadcasting for over 40 years, she has served on the board of the Baltimore School for the Arts, and was one of the founders of Baltimore’s Center Stage. Needless to say, having grown up watching Rhea it was truly a memorable experience to have a chance to join her on TV.
Paper Hats Evolves
Our signature fine art pet portrait series Paper Hats has come a long way since its humble beginnings as a small 12 image set. Over the last 3 years, the costume designs seen in Paper Hats have grown far more colorful and feature increasingly more sophisticated patterning. Yet have remained true to the spirit of our initial concept and continue to be constructed only from found materials and post consumer paper products.
All Dogs Deserve to Be Loved
We have also expanded the series to include all dogs, regardless of how they came to meet their caretakers. While we remain committed to helping foster and rescue animals, we realized that Paper Hats underlying message of “all anyone needs to shine is a second chance” spoke to the relationships that we should share with all dogs.
We realized last year that while adoption is undoubtedly a huge piece of the puzzle, in reality it does not address all facets of the homeless dog epidemic facing our nation. And, if we truly seek to empty all the shelters, we must also fight the social mechanisms that land dogs in shelters in the first place.
In other words, we must commit to those animals in our care and resolve to work towards fostering better relationships with our pets — regardless of their temperament, training level or lingering health issues.
Hampden’s Dog Avenue Comes to Fruition
2019 marked the completion of Hampden’s LPBA project. The installation affectionately dubbed “Dog Avenue” is essentially a walking art gallery. It features portraits of 18 dogs displayed on banners affixed to light pole banners running along West 36th Street (the Avenue) and Chestnut Avenue in Hampden. Each of the dogs featured in the pet portrait series are the personal pets of local business owners and members of the Hampden Village Merchants Association (HVMA).
When we started work on this neighborhood beautification with Dan Harvey from Cotton Duck Title Co. back at the start of 2018, we thought it would take maybe a couple of months to complete. And, wow were we wrong. After countless zoning, fundraiser and production meetings we were finally able to bring this neighborhood beautification project to life nearly a year and a half later.
That said, the results of the project were well worth the effort and we were happy to donate the pet portrait sessions needed to bring Dan Harvey and HVMA’s vision to light.
Move to a New & Improved Studio Space
We couldn’t recap 2019 without discussing our move. While we created a lot of fond memories and interesting images at our Falls Road location. In reality, we out grew that space years ago and it was holding us back. It was simply too cramped, damp and inaccessible.
Our new pet photography space at the Mill Centre Artist Studios in Hampden is a much better fit for the Puptrait Studio. While it did require us to hold out for a few months without a physical location, we think the new and improved space was well worth the wait and we are absolutely delighted to be there.
2019 Dog Photo of the Year
Our selection for this year’s selection for Dog Photo of the Year was weighed equally by 4 criteria: Composition, Technical Prowess, Creativity, and Wow Factor. While we produced a lot of great work in 2019, one photo in particular stood out among the rest…
As seen above, this custom made composite pet portrait required a lot of moving pieces to come together flawlessly to execute. Composed of a collection of over a dozen photo assets, including a portrait photographed at the Puptrait Studio, this image required nearly two dozen hours of shooting and editing to complete.
2020: Year of the Pet Portrait
We hope you enjoyed our pet photography highlights from 2019. With a new space and plenty of momentum going into 2020, we are growing increasingly excited for the up coming year. We hope that you join us in our journey to explore just how far we can push the pet portrait niche.
Maryland & Washington D.C. Pet Portrait Photography
The Puptrait Studio is currently accepting private pet portrait commissions. Pet photography shoots are available by appointment only and on a first-come-first-served basis. To view session availability or schedule a photoshoot for your favorite dog, please use the online booking calendar located below. Questions? Call the studio from Noon – 10PM 7 days a week at 443.604.0711.
