Bored Panda got in touch with Danielle to learn more about the inspiration behind her unique photoshoots. The artist shared why she decided to incorporate a humorous theme, strongly influenced by retro styles, into her pet portraits: “I love to find the beauty and humor in times past, so a lot of my influences come from the ’60s, ’70s & ’80s, plus a sprinkling of a very composed Victorian era. I’m pushing the idea that life is pretty absurd, so you might as well have a laugh at it.”
Next, we were curious about how the photographer chooses the perfect backdrop and style for each pet and owner pairing. Spires told us: “I love finding out the pet or owner’s vibe and what they enjoy aesthetically or stylistically, and we build a shoot around that. I especially love when my clients tell me about specific personality traits of their pets, and we lean into it. Sometimes we just know our cat would’ve been a rootin’ tootin’ cowboy in another life.”
To better understand the process behind these perfectly hilarious shots, we asked Danielle to explain her approach to capturing the bond between pets and their owners in such a fun, stylized way. The photographer responded: “I have such an easy-going spirit that I feel like by the end of the shoot, I’m photographing my best friends. We honor our pets with patience and love and lots of treats during the shoot, and if we’re not laughing and joking by the end, I didn’t do my job well.”
Lastly, we had to ask Danielle about her personal favorite or most memorable photoshoot so far. Spires kindly shared with us: “Truthfully, outside of senior, hospice and rescue pets, my biggest high comes from my photoshoots with my rescue Siamese Francois Pockets. She’s my best friend, and I’m so chuffed with her beauty and stoicism. I spend weeks hand-making our outfits cosplaying whatever movies or things I’m inspired by, and she never disappoints! To see a rescue cat become such an integral part of my business and photography really gets me emotional. Long live Francois!”
