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photographer | feline maven

Throughout my life of ever changing jobs and schools, two things have always remained true: I love photography and I really love animals.

My love of animals came first. As a kid, I was the weird inner-city 4-H girl who headed to the zoo every Monday after school to learn about veterinary science and to socialize goats (which is much tougher than you'd think). At home we housed a menagerie of hamsters, guinea pigs, snakes, lizards, lizards, fish, and a dog (not to mention my two imaginary shepherds, Duke and Wolf). And we were always in the constant company of cats.

I volunteered at Woodland Park Zoo for close to 15 years, doing everything from Petting Zoo to Event Staff and Zoo Ambassador. I also volunteered for PAWS animal shelter as well as for Gladys Porter Zoo and Isabel Garcia Animal Shelter in South Texas while living with my dad for a summer.

Throughout my life I have always been the one with the camera in hand- taking photos, making scrap books and photo quilts, anything to make capturing and holding onto memories fun and interesting.

My first paid photography gig was a friend's wedding in 2003 and I fell in love.

Afterwards my little hobby turned into a passion. I began shooting anything and everything, and of course those cats and dog of mine were my favorite subjects. Finally one day I said to my boyfriend, Greg, "I wish I could just shoot photos for a living" and he said, "Why don't you?"

Good point. Greg had no idea what he'd just started, but apparently the simplest of questions was all I needed. Do what you love? What a crazy idea!

So in the fall of 2005 this crazy girl quit her job, dove into the world of massive student loans, all night cram sessions, and 3 grande lattes a day, to enroll in the Art Institute of Seattle's photography program. Throughout the program I shot everything from food to fashion, but in the end I stayed true to that initial epiphany- Do what you love. I graduated in December 2007 with a degree in Commercial Photography, emphasis on editorial pet portraiture. I was the first student ever to graduate with that specialty. I still love fashion photography and love even more incorporating it into pet photography.

I joined the ranks of dane + dane in the fall of 2007 where I am currently the resident feline expert. I have absolutely loved getting involved in the pet photography industry. This is a fabulous job that helps me remember on a daily basis why I flung myself into this crazy world in the first place. On any given day you can find me shooting pet portraits, editing images, emailing and calling clients, and generally running the show at dane + dane studios.

I pride myself on being very easy-going and personable. I have a great sense of humor and don't mind being silly. I love cheetos, yerba mate lattes (thanks to Nichole!), and gummy anything. I live in Woodinville with my boyfriend, Greg, our rock star, camera-hog, Boxer/Greyhound X, Rocco and our four cats: Fergie (the diva), Clyde (the dude), Cleo (the monkey), and Aggie (the grandma).