"It is a huge transformation in the life of a little animal. I thought of showing this difference, to show that love is worth it, love and affection win and that it is very worthwhile to save and help these little creatures."
Elayne shared with us that she is a 52-year-old widow, has 2 children and loooooves animals.
Elayne's long-term dream was to photograph animals around the world so she took a photography course in 1993. "It was just a hobby and I never thought that one day I would be a photographer."
The woman also has some pets of her own, 2 dogs (Maggie and Milka) and 8 cats (Simba, Cookie, Nala, Atena, Mellow, Mogli, Kiara and Abu), all adopted. Some of them she rescued from the street and some she adopted from a shelter.
"I've been a photographer since 2005 when I started photographing horses. Then I decided to photograph food, newborns, weddings, events, etc. I worked in several areas. Anyway, in 2015 I decided to focus on pet photography.
In fact, in 2007 I took the first photos of pets, but in 2015 I really left the other areas of photography to dedicate myself exclusively to animals."
The artist also shared some challenges she faces when photographing animals. "The hardest part of the creative process is that pets don't understand exactly what we want them to do. Like children, some collaborate easily and others give us a lot of work. However, the key to success is love and patience.
The best part is seeing the gratitude of pet tutors. They arrive at the studio thinking we won't get good pictures because the dogs aren't trained. And then they fall in love with the pictures. They love their dogs as if they were their children.
Photographs are a very important memory. Unfortunately, pet lives are shorter than ours. And I am very happy to be able to provide these memories."
What makes Elayne passionate about photography is the power that photography has - to freeze moments. "Through photos, we can relive important memories that never come back. Through photography, time travel is possible."
"Animals deserve all the love and respect we can give them. They are loyal, friends, companions and don't hold grudges or hurt feelings. I am very grateful that I chose to be an animal photographer."
