America's Most Experienced Pet Photographer

You’ve probably heard that famous saying from Hollywood: “Never work with children and animals…” 🙂

That might put some people off from jumping into pet photography, but not well-known pet photographer Richie Schwartz, who has managed to accomplish both of those things in his 35+ years in the professional photography business.

Pet photography is one of those mysterious genres that can draw new photographers into it with an allure of looking fun and easy, but in truth is still a lot of fun but anything but easy!

I sat down with Richie to talk about his wealth of experience in the pet photography business, to learn more about this exciting specialty and find some great tips and ideas for any photographer thinking of trying this for themselves.

About Our Guest: Richie Schwartz

Photography by pet photographer Richie Schwartz

Richie Schwartz is a former Veterinary Technician, Groomer & Trainer with 34 years experience as a full time pro photographer. Richie founded one of the largest pet photography companies in the U.S. Through associations with the world’s largest pet supply chains, It is estimated that Schwartz has photographed more pets than any other pet photographer. Having photographed over 75,000 pets across 300 cities, he is often referred to as “America’s Most Experienced Pet Photographer”

His experience as a photographer and animal expert has given him an unmatched ability to create beautiful pet portraits, regardless of a pet’s temperament. Seeing Richie in action, it’s no surprise he’s called ‘The Dog Whisperer’ of pet photographers.

Leading the pack with his distinctive style of themed, fun pet portraits, he is one of the country’s most prolific and sought after Pet Photographers and pet expert.

In 2006, Schwartz’s studio became the exclusive photographer for PETCO’s 75 Tri-State stores. As of 2010, he has taken on a similar role for Pet Supplies “Plus,” in NY and NJ.

He is a speaker & educator at photography clubs, pet expos and other events, where he offers pet photography seminars and workshops. In addition, he volunteers to raise funds and awareness for animal rescue organizations.

Richie was named to NBC Universal’s Petside.com’s list of TOP 25 PET PEOPLE OF 2010 along with Oprah Winfrey, Betty White, Elayne Boosler and Ellen Degeneres for his charity work with animals. Rankings are based on the individual’s impact on the welfare of pets, their capacity to raise the public profile of pets in need, and their ability to inspire others to action.

In January 2014, after more than 1.2 million votes were counted, Schwartz was voted Best Pet Photographer by readers of the Long Island Press for the second year in a row, having won that distinction in 2013 as well.

Episode Summary

Photography by pet photographer Richie Schwartz

Here are some of the great topics we talked about during our chat in this episode:

How Richie got started in professional pet photography…
Developing a business model for pet photography…
The essential qualities for a successful pet photographer…
The types of people who make the best “ideal clients” for pet photography…
Creating strategic partnerships with other vendors and organizations in the pet industry…
How to capture the personality of pets in a portrait…
The logistical challenges of pet photography…
How to maintain a pet-friendly studio…
Richie’s top 3 marketing channels…
The sales process for successful pet photography…
Managing the customer experience…
The top mistakes new pet photographers make…