20/10/2026
A tiny bit about me for those that are new :
Animals have been an influential part of my life for as long as I can remember. They have been a constant in my life from childhood forward and have influenced the way I interpret photography. For me, pet photography has never been simply about taking a picture. It is about capturing an animal's spirit, preserving their memory, and telling their individual, often remarkable, stories.
My involvement with dog rescue began when I was only 13 years old. I got my first foster puppy from the Memphis Humane Society and became smitten with the idea of caring for an animal and helping shape their path for the better. That experience forever altered how I relate to animals. Now, more than twenty years later, rescue remains an essential part of my life and who I am.
Animals were also a major part of my own family growing up. My mom's dog, Montana, is part of that story and helped me understand how deeply animals become intertwined with different chapters of our lives. After my mother's passing, Montana remained a link to the time I spent with my mother and all the memories we had made and shared.
Montana was more than a dog to me. She shaped my perception of the importance of animals in a person's life. The animals we grow up with aren't simply pets in our memories. They are often the cornerstone of those memories and remembering them can bring back an entire period of our lives that might have become foggy with the passing of time.
Service has been foundational to me as well. Growing up, I was involved in Girl Scouts and earned both my Silver Award and Gold Award. Those awards, and the experiences I gained while earning them, taught me about leadership, commitment, and community service. They also taught me how to use my personal interests to help the greater community and make an impact on the lives and well-being of those around me.
As I grew into adulthood, I found myself wanting to help those around me even more. After reflection and research, it became clear to me that I could take two of the most important parts of my life—animals and photography—and combine them through pet photography.
From Rescue Dogs to Dog Sports
I began professionally photographing pets in 2016 under the name Ariel Angel Photography. Over the last decade, I have explored so many interesting and captivating corners of the dog sport world from behind my lens.
I have photographed disc events and Frisbee dogs for Delta Disc Dogs, capturing dogs twisting their bodies through the air to grab their discs. I've witnessed the incredible world of dock diving as well. I photographed for MidSouth Dock Diving, where sometimes the best moment lasts only a fraction of a second as a dog launches itself from the dock and seems to hover briefly in midair before splashing down.
I've also photographed FastCAT—Fast Coursing Ability Tests—for the Mid South Fox Terrier Club of Memphis. FastCAT has become one of my favorite events to photograph. I am able to capture moments that happen too quickly for our eyes to fully appreciate: four paws off the ground, flying ears, determined expressions, and the occasional wonderfully ridiculous face of a dog whose unbridled excitement shines through.
Dog sports have taught me to anticipate a moment before it happens. There might only be a split second to capture the perfect photograph, and that's part of what makes it so amazing.
However, my photography has always gone far beyond the competition field. I aim to capture those standout moments that perfectly display an animal's personality and character as well.
My roots are firmly in animal rescue, so being able to use my camera to support animals and the people who help them is especially vital to my purpose as a photographer.
I am incredibly proud to serve as a photographer for Team Memphis Rescue & Support. Yet, they are just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to my goal of utilizing my camera to assist animals and rescues alike.
Throughout my photography journey, I have had the opportunity to photograph animals, events, fundraisers, and other work involving numerous rescue and animal organizations, including Alive Rescue Memphis, All 4s Rescue League, Paws and Claws in Tipton County, Spay Memphis, Live Like Roo—a group supporting families facing canine cancer—Imminent Danger German Shepherd Rescue, Real Good Dog Rescue, Guardian K9 Rescue Unit, All Heart Animal Rescue, Mid South Cocker Spaniel Rescue, SOAR Doggy Rescue, Dogs 2nd Chance and A&D Dog Treats.
I've also done private pet photography sessions for owners who want to have their pet's personality forever captured in an image so they can treasure those memories for many years to come.
Every one of those experiences has reinforced my belief that photography can do something meaningful—something beyond the press of a button and the click of a camera.
Sometimes, a photograph is a step forward and becomes part of an animal finding their next chapter in life.
For a rescue animal, a photograph can help someone pause and really take notice. It can show the amazing personality hidden just behind a kennel door. It can document how much progress an animal has made in both their health and character and offer insight into how much further they can go. It can celebrate a much-needed adoption that has changed that animal's life forever. It can help raise critical funds for an animal in need.
It can also shine a spotlight on the volunteers and organizations that put in long hours to change lives, often being overlooked despite their incredible efforts.
The Animals Behind My Photography
My own animals are a huge reason I understand just how important photographs can eventually become.
My Australian Shepherd, Sir Marlo, and my calico/tabby cat, Autumn, constantly remind me that every animal has their own personality, quirks, expressions, and ways of showing love. They remind me daily that every animal is unique, and they aren't simply pets to me.
They are there for life's ups and downs. They are present for some of the best and worst moments of a person's life. They provide companionship, routine, humor, and comfort.
They are family.
Sometimes, loss can be a teacher.
Losing Sassy, my first cat as an adult, in 2024 changed the way I looked at the photographs I had taken of her. Pictures that once seemed like ordinary snapshots suddenly became priceless. They allow me to see her face again, remember her expressions, and hold onto moments I didn't realize would someday mean so much.
Between Montana, Sassy, Marlo, Autumn, all the animals I've fostered, and the countless animals I've met through rescue and photography, I've learned that every animal leaves their own mark on our lives.
Some stay with us for many years. Others may only pass through our lives. Yet all their stories matter.
That is why one belief has become central to the way I approach pet photography:
I'm not just photographing what your pet looks like. I'm trying to capture who they are.
Capturing Who They Are
When I'm behind my camera, I'm looking for the little things that make your pet as wonderfully unique as they are.
The tilt of their head. Their goofy grin. The muddy paws. Their intense concentration. The floppy ears. The way they look at their person.
The senior dog whose face tells an entire story through gray fur and kind, gentle eyes.
The rescue dog finally learning that they're safe enough to be themselves.
The well-tuned athlete waiting for their turn to run, jump, or chase in an event they absolutely love.
And yes, sometimes those are moments of complete and total chaos. Other times, they are soulful and thought-provoking.
I don't need every photograph to be perfectly posed because our animals aren't perfect little statues. They're living, moving, opinionated individuals, and that's what I want to remember about them.
I've been involved in the animal community for most of my life, in so many ways that it's easy to lose count. I've been a professional photographer for a decade. Yet, after all those years and all those photographs, animals can still surprise me.
They still make me laugh.
They still make me stop in wonder and joy.
I still get excited when I look through my camera and realize I've captured one of those moments that fills my own heart with feeling.
Through Ariel Angel Photography, that's what I want to give other people.
Because years from now, I don't just want someone to pull out one of my photographs and think:
“That's a beautiful picture.”
I want them to look at it, immediately recognize the animal they love, smile at the expression I managed to capture, and say:
“That's my baby. That's exactly who they were.”
