Patty Howe was born loving animals and loving to take photos. The Parker resident combined her two passions several years ago when she started Patty's Pet Photography.
Howe focuses on capturing the spirit of every pet through unforgettable portraits. "There is a special, loving bond between pets and their owners that is very different from what people provide to each other," she explains. "Pets are most comfortable in familiar surroundings so I like to take photos of them in their own natural settings-with or without their owners. This environment helps me capture the unique spirit of each animal.
"Since completing graduate school, I have always had at least one dog and sometimes a cat," Howe explains. "The longest I have been able to go without having a dog is two weeks. Right now, I have a four-year-old Golden Retriever, a six-year-old tri-color Australian Shepherd, a 14-year-old miniature poodle and one cat-most of which are 'rescued' animals. It's incredible what animals give us. Each one has its own story and message. I really enjoy being able to capture this message in portraits that provide a valuable, lasting memory for pet owners."
Howe was recently asked to take photos of a Labrador named Kiva who had been diagnosed with a deadly cancer. The portraits were taken only two days before the dog died. He rose to the occasion and didn't look like a sick dog in the photos. "Kiva had been the 'guardian angel' for her owner who had been battling a drug addiction," explains Howe. "Kiva was her motivation to quit drugs, and now the portraits are helping her through the grieving process."
Howe photographs not only dogs and cats but a wide variety of animals, including horses, rabbits and llamas. She uses a professional medium format camera that provides negatives with exceptional detail and color.
According to recent statistics from the American Pet Association, 63 percent of U.S. households own a pet and 45 percent of those households own more than one pet. Another recent study from the American Veterinary Medical Association noted that 74 percent of dog owners considered their pet as part of their family. This is especially true of empty-nester households and young married couples with no children.
"Because pets are such an important part of the family, pet portraits are becoming popular gift items," explains Howe. "Mother's Day and Father's Day are becoming busy times for me because people think of their pets as children and want a photo of their 'child' at this time."
Although Howe specializes in photographing pets in their own environment, she is offering a special package for Mother's Day and Father's Day. She has set aside times at a park in the Parker area and will take portraits of up to four subjects (animals or humans) in a picture. Special cost for the photo sitting and two 4x6 prints is only $30. Additional prints, enlargements and custom notecards can be ordered. Howe will also make a donation to an animal rescue group for each photo shoot.
In addition to pet photography, Howe, in conjunction with Alpha Dogs Training Center, Inc., presents a free seminar for service organizations titled, "There are no bad dogs, only untrained ones".
Appointments with Patty's Pet Photography can be made by calling
720-733-0275. For more information, visit
www.pattyspetphotography.com.
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