Hound and Hoof Pet Photography Louisville Blog header
Hound and Hoof Pet Photography Louisville Blog bio picture

Hello...

My name is Beth Andrews and I am owner, photographer, and art director of Hound and Hoof Fine Photography. My passion is photographing animals- horses, dogs, cats and wildlife; and turning those photographs into fine art. Animals are beautiful, soulful, interesting, often funny, joyful and spirited. They make us smile. I think they are everything art is supposed to be.

I live in Louisville, Kentucky with my family. My husband, Bruce, once pulled the car over because a frightened squirrel had dropped his nut in the road and he wanted to make sure the little guy got it back. So...of course, I married him! My son Jake knows and loves every species of mammal, fish, reptile, bird and insect on Earth. He's going to save the planet, I think. ( I hope I am not expecting too much....) Of course, my life is completed by my crazy, wonderful dogs. Daisy "the Dingo", a big white dog with very deep thoughts and an extraordinary need to please; and Henry "McFlee", the always food and attention deprived corgi who does a belly dance after every meal. Then there are my two horses- "Mighty Max", my reining show horse who never met a lead rope he couldn't untie and "Whinny", my beautiful baby palomino who I'm hoping will be a reining rockstar someday. But if she's not, that's OK too.

I've always had a deep connection to animals. I just get them- and they get me. There is simply nothing better, for me, than to wake up every morning knowing I get to mingle with really amazing pets and the wonderful people who love them. I find it profoundly rewarding to make an animal really shine in a photograph. And if capturing the beauty, wisdom and unique character of animals helps us humans appreciate them more, then that's even better.

So, thanks so much for stopping in and checking out my blog. We'll meet some pets and people here who will make you laugh- others will touch your heart. Sometimes I might talk a little about travel or my life experiences (I actually have some of those, on occasion!) But mostly, I hope you enjoy the photography of animals in our community and beyond.

If you'd like to learn a little more about Hound and Hoof Pet Photography and see my portfolio, you can just click right here: www.houndandhoof.com.

Enjoy!

It’s May. Must. Photograph. Horses!!

May 10, 2012 – 10:07 am

My poor neglected blog. Ugh…

This is a photograph I took in the morning fog earlier this week.  I was just in the mood for photographing horses!! It must be that little thing we call Derby:)

I learned so much from a workshop I did last month in Seattle, Washington with Corinne and Stevn Alavekios.  You should really check out their work at www.photographicessays.com.  Amazing photographers and nicest people in the world. I learned a lot about homemade textures, lighting, composition.  I just learned a lot- period.

We’re finally getting into Equine photography season!!!! Horses have shed their winter hair and the weather is gorgeous.  Can’t wait!!

By Beth | Posted in Dogs {and their people} | no comments         No Comments | Add a Comment

Spring is here?

March 8, 2012 – 2:02 pm

Is spring really here? Seriously? I have all my administrative catch-up work going on over the winter and I am sure winter is not supposed to be over!!!  Not ready!!!

Oh well..  I have not posted any of my more recent shoots as I am down and dirty with designing a new website to be coming soon to a computer near you.  So here are a few highlights from some recent work!

First cat of the year- Athena.  She’s a bengal cat and I photographed her and her brother.  Is she a gorgeous cat or what?  Wow!!

How about this little cutie? This is Fiona.  She’s a sweet Bichon and we had a great shoot in the park! She was supposedly a picky treat eater but she completely LOVED the salmon jerky treats I had and would probably have preformed a back flip into the lake if I’d asked! Of course- I didn’t :)

Rudy is an Australian Shepherd.  He was the perfect model. Seriously, he was one who would sit and stay for an hour if I’d asked.  As a result, we shot some gorgeous images of him to surprise his Mom for her 30th birthday! ( It’s over now so I can post!) She was thrilled with a large, framed fine art print of this picture.  Rudy now assumes his place in the home as #1 child for another few months until she has her first baby. Then he’ll have to share the spotlight, I’m sure!

Another surprise present. This is Ginger, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.  Her Dad snuck her out of the house for our photo shoot.  All went as planned until Ginger decided to jump into the lake!  This was very out of character for her, as she normally doesn’t like to do anything adventurous. She was covered in mud and had to make a quick dash to the groomer so Mom wouldn’t be suspicious!  But it was all worth it in the end. We had some lovely images and he decided on this one- in a large, framed canvas for their bedroom!

Last but not least, the comic relief of my last month or so…   this is Bella the dachshund.  She is an old girl and couldn’t see or hear.  However, apparently her sense of smell remains quite in tact.  She was very enamored with all the treats I had and trotted around after me for the whole shoot.  The wind was blowing and we got some of the sweetest shots of that little girl! Love her so much!!

So a few highlights from the past few months as I’ve been busily getting ready for Spring. And apparently Spring is here!!!!

By Beth | Posted in Cats, Dogs {and their people} | Tagged , , , | no comments         No Comments | Add a Comment

Family time…

November 21, 2011 – 3:31 pm

People often ask me whether or not I photograph children and families.  Well the answer is yes!  But I like to have those families include someone with fur… after all.. this is pet photography:)

Here’s the perfect example.  This is Tia and Tess with their super fun parents!

Tia and Tess are adorable… seriously… the shoot was a blast and the editing was even better because their silly little faces just make me laugh out loud.

And the run like bunnies….

And they love their parents.  They will even pose on top of them - which is a definite advantage when you have five pound dogs.  My dog would probably break my ribs if she tried to pose like this.

Haha- don’t tell me this dog doesn’t make you smile:)

I’m so lucky to have my job- photographing happy little dogs and their families.

By Beth | Posted in Dogs {and their people} | Tagged , , , , , , , | no comments         No Comments | Add a Comment

Jack

November 10, 2011 – 2:59 pm

I love beagles.  They all look like big puppies- floppy ears, big eyes, goofy grins and silly shenanigans.  Jack is a much adored member of his family. And I can see why- he was a delightful dog to photograph.  He was alert and eager to try just about anything- which is always lots of fun for me as a pet photographer.  So here’s a bit of Jack’s portrait shoot on a gorgeous Kentucky fall day!

By Beth | Posted in Dogs {and their people} | Tagged , , , , , , , | no comments         No Comments | Add a Comment

Squirrel on a string….

November 2, 2011 – 1:57 pm

I love pet photography in the fall!  It’s my favorite time of year. It can be a little tough juggling things around the weather but there have been enough gorgeous says this season that it hasn’t been too much of a problem.

I photographed my first-ever Basenji the other day.  They are known for their ability to yodel. I didn’t get to hear little Annie do her thing- she was keeping quiet during the shoot.  But I did get to see her jump and twirl and run- her owner called her a “squirrel on a string” and at some points she did bear resemblance as she whirled around on her leash!

But she is a beautiful dog and photographed very well in all kinds of backdrops.  That’s the thing about autumn… the colors are so stunning and so wide in variety.  It’s a perfect time to photograph, especially with an adorable and attentive model like Annie. Enjoy!

By Beth | Posted in Dogs {and their people} | 1 comments         Hide Comments | Add a Comment
  1. Angie Wojciechowska   -  

    So beautiful! They look like paintings!