Brooklyn-born, San Francisco-seasoned, now creating artistic, minimalist portraits of dogs as a Sacramento pet photographer.

My journey to becoming a canine portrait artist began unexpectedly in the late '90s when I opened a promotional mailer featuring a photo of a pug by Amanda Jones, renowned dog photographer who would become both my inspiration and mentor. That image stayed with me through a career transition, eventually leading me to pursue photography and become Amanda's assistant, where I learned the art of studio photography.

I've been photographing dogs since 2000. Though my path also led me to become recognized as one of American Photo's Top 10 Wedding Photographers (where I balanced both passions—my logo featured a bride walking a pug, symbolizing how I married these two parts of my business), I eventually stepped back from professional work to focus on raising my two humans. Now I've come full circle, returning to my first love — dog portraiture. My minimalist style as a dog portraitist highlights what you love most about your dog—their endearing expressions, joyful demeanor, or that distinctive look that's purely them. This is truly a labor of love for me.

As a lifelong dog lover and devoted pug mom (Buddy is my fifth), I bring genuine connection to every portrait. My second pug, Bogie, was my greatest muse while learning photography. If my approach to dog portraiture resonates with you, I'd love to have your dog in front of my lens.

— Ann Burgermyer