From the strange wirehaired dog in Jan Van Eyck's Arnolfini portrait [1] (1434) to the first daguerreotypes in the 1800s, pets have long been featured in significant family portraits. But these days, pet pictures are practically de rigueur -- like school photos for the kids -- which is good news for a generation of local photographers and painters who delight in working with unpredictable, treat-eating models.
Bev Sparks [2] was early in the wave of Seattle-area dog-shooters. After more than 10 years photographing dogs practically full-time, she knows how to get her furry models to deliver. The results are mostly black-and-white, documentary-style images -- with a special emphasis on paws, schnoz and tail -- captured on the subjects' home turf or favorite romping spot. Sign a model release for Sparks, and you're likely to show up in a book. She has three to her credit so far. (Cost: $175, plus $35 per roll of film. Remember film?)
A former vet tech/vet assistant, J. Nichole Smith of Dane & Dane Photography [3] approaches her subjects with a photojournalist's eye and a fine artist's polish. She'll travel to the location of your choice, but her West Seattle studio is a pet-friendly and dry (no rain delays) alternative. Working mostly in color, Smith has snapped dogs, cats, horses, donkeys, birds, rodents and snakes. A Dane & Dane shoot ($199 and up) could land your lil' buddy in the pages of CityDog magazine [4], where Smith is a regular contributor.
Emily Rieman [5] creates formal pet portraits by bringing studio lights into your critter's den. The photographer for My Puppy's First Journal [6] (Sasquatch Books, 2007), Rieman prefers simple backdrops and lighting that accentuates an animal's sculptural grace. While she orchestrates a sitting carefully, she also embraces "spontaneous developments" that allow a pet's individuality to shine through. (Basic fee is $220, with prints purchased separately, from $20 to $40.)
Pet photographer Jaime Pflughoeft [7] of Lower Queen Anne takes a different approach to this enterprise. A former dog walker with a degree in animal behavior, Pflughoeft transforms digital photos into pixel paintings. Imagine your cat with pop highlights superimposed against a vibrant field of color surrounded by, say, butterfly silhouettes. Supply your own images or begin with a half-hour photo session by Pflughoeft ($50 in Seattle only). Giclée -- archival inkjet -- prints range from $85 to $375 on paper and $160 to $925 on canvas.
In the color-saturated, whimsical paintings of Nancy Schutt [8], dogs dance, smile and daydream of sheep and convertibles. The Madrona-based artist/animal activist begins with a home visit, interviews with key bipeds and sketches from life to uncover her subject's "essence." The painted image usually includes a few significant elements, such as the ocean, tennis balls or potted nasturtiums. Schutt's cozy backyard studio is no ivory tower -- she welcomes input from her clients as the painting evolves. (On plywood box or canvas, from $450 to $6,400.)
Susan McAliley [9], who lives with three dachshunds, paints pups in two styles. Her rich, layered "classic" portraits (like old Van Eyck) are painted on gesso board and finished with a signature varnish. They take one year to complete and can include an in-home photo session ($500 to $2,000 for one pet). Her modern-style works, painted from photographs, take only one month and feature more opaque paint, obvious brushstrokes and no varnish. (Framed on an 8-by-10 canvas, they cost $215.) Look for McAliley's booth -- and discounts -- at the Seattle Kennel Club Dog Show [10], March 8-9.
Once you've got your portrait, there are lots of opportunities beyond frames, albums and iPhones for showing off the fuzzy looker in your life. Add movement and a soundtrack to still images with the help of Terri Augustyn, owner of Kirkland-based Producing Memories [11]. Augustyn calls on 12 years in television, film and marketing to create keepsake videos that can be the rockin' backdrop for a pet party or the moving centerpiece of a memorial. (They begin at $195 for five minutes featuring 40 photos.)
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