We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Liz Dranow. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Liz below.
Liz, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I found my purpose in somewhat circuitous way. When my husband and I got Fiona, the first puppy I had had as an adult, I re-discovered photography. My father had taught me the basics of photography on a Minolta (film) camera when I was a child, but with college and life in general I had drifted away from photography. My husband and I had had other dogs before Fiona, and I knew with her that I wanted to have photographs of her throughout her life. So, I got a digital camera, found some people locally to help me learn the basics of how to use a digital camera (some things are the same from the film days, and some things are quite different).
As Fiona grew, and we got her a sister, I realized that I wanted to take better photographs of the two of them. This was in the late 2000s and blogs were very much a ‘thing’ and I found a lot of other people with ‘dog blogs’, and some of them were incredible photographers, posting amazing photographs of their dogs and their adventures. I messaged some of them (some of whom are still very good friends of mine!) and they pointed me towards resources where I could learn more about photography skills (composition, lighting, etc.), dog behavior and dog-human interactions. I began to practice more ‘advanced’ techniques with my dogs, and began to practice with studio lighting, and action photography, as well as documentary photography, photographing my dogs in a meaningful way.
Along this photography journey, I came across an online class for pet photography (there weren’t a lot of online resources for pet photography at the time), and signed up. It was a fantastic experience, and I learned quite a bit. In the last lesson of the course, the instructor suggested that if we wanted to get more experience photographing animals, we should consider volunteering at a local animal shelter. I thought this sounded like a great idea, and reached out to a friend of mine, who volunteered at Salt Lake County Animal Services, and she said they were definitely looking for a photographer. I filled out an application, did my training as a volunteer, and began photographing adoptable dogs, and cats (and rabbits, and chickens, a goat, and a few other things) for Salt Lake County.
I have been volunteering there for almost 10 years, and while I love the other things I do in my life (in addition to my photography business, I am full-time employee at the University of Utah), the animal shelter work really gives me a sense of purpose. When I hear that a dog at the shelter has been adopted because someone saw the photographs I took online, and they wanted to meet the dog because of the photos, it is an incredible feeling! To know that I am able to take something that started off as a hobby, and a way to document Fiona’s life (and the lives of her sisters) and have it transform into something that changes the lives of other animals (and the lives the people who adopt those animals) is an amazing, powerful feeling. I can’t change the entire world, but with my camera, and a lot of help from other volunteers and staff, I can help change my small part of the world. Photographing adoptable pets gives me a sense of purpose and fulfillment in a way I had never imagined, and I am profoundly grateful for all the opportunities I have had because of the work I do with animal rescues and shelters.
I would also be interested in collaborating with news/media outlets to promote this project.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My photography business, TimePunk Pet Photography, will be celebrating our first anniversary under our new name (I was Liz Dranow Photography for a long time, but when I needed a change, I went with a brand that really embraces my nerdy, history-loving, photography-as-time travel self!) in May 2024. There will be some celebratory sales that will be announced to my newsletter subscribers, so if you are interested in hearing about the best sales of the year, please subscribe via the blog (https://timepunkpetphotography.com/blog/) My photography business creates memorable photographs for pets and their people while helping to support the work I do with animal rescues and shelters. Clients who hire me help support my work with adoptable animals, and it is very much appreciated!
My current passion project is a project called Shelter Dogs + Street Art which is designed to show off the amazing murals and street art in the Salt Lake City area while highlighting the huge variety of adoptable dogs available in shelters and rescues. My youngest dog, Bellatrix, is a Goldendoodle we adopted from Salt Lake County Animal Services almost 2 years ago. While I have seen a lot of purebred and highly desirable mixed-breed dogs come through the animal shelter, I still meet a lot of people who think they can only find a ‘good’ dog from a breeder.
My goal with the Shelter Dogs + Street Art project is to help people understand that there are lot of truly amazing dogs available for adoption who have ended up at shelters and rescues through no fault of their own. The Governor of Utah has declared 2024 to be the year of the No Kill Shelter in Utah, and our shelters are filled with adoptable dogs. I truly believe that with a little time and effort it is possible to find almost any dog you are looking for a shelter or rescue.
Additionally, I will be working on a photography project this year that will help me expand my creative ‘vision’ and will be looking for dog (and cat) models for this project over the next 6 months. If you are interested in participating in these projects (there are a variety of ‘assignments’ with different specifications, so I am looking for all breeds/mixes, ages and sizes!), please reach out (https://timepunkpetphotography.com/contact/).
Finally, I after several months of study and rigorous technical photography work, I have become a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP), through Professional Photographers of America (PPA), the leading body for certifying photography professionals. PPA recognizes fewer than 2,500 CPPs worldwide, and I am proud to have achieved this distinction!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Three of the most important qualities I have that have brought me to where I am now are all very much due to my parents: perseverance, a love of learning, and keeping an open mind.
My parents taught me perseverance was one of the most critical qualities a person could have. You didn’t have to be the smartest, or the best, or the fastest, or anything like that, but you did have to stick with something. There is a lot to be learned when faced with challenges and setbacks, but those learning opportunities aren’t there if you give up on something. Through perseverance I have obtain my Ph.D., became a Certified Professional Photographer, and continue to work to develop my skills as a photographer, a statistician (my day job), and as a person. If you aren’t willing to work through things when things get challenging, the rewards when you are successful either don’t come, or aren’t as meaningful.
My parents also ingrained a love of learning in me and my two brothers. As I frequently tell people, if I am not learning something new, I get bored. One the things I love about photography is that there is always something new to learn. And continued education works very well with perseverance – if you are curious and want to learn something, if the first few attempts don’t work our quite as planned, but you stick with it, you will continue to learn and find joy in the things you do. I love learning new things, and experimenting until I figure something out. As Isacc Asimov is credited with saying, “The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not, ‘Eureka! I’ve found it,’ but, ‘That’s funny!’”. That is, seeing something for the first time (even if it is something commonplace, but seeing it from a new perspective) is exciting. And fun!
My parents also taught me to keep an open mind, and try to understand things rather than just assumptions. I spent my childhood in Saudi Arabia, and rather than complaining about the restrictions placed on Westerners like many Americans there did, my parents had the mindset that this was an opportunity to learn about a different culture. My father learned Arabic, and through his friendships with Saudis, we were able to visit parts of the Kingdom that few Westerners (not even many Saudis) had seen, and we got to experience things many Westerners never did. By staying open-minded, I’m able to get out of comfort-zone and explore without judgement.
These three things have really helped fuel my Shelter Dogs + Street Art project because I am exploring parts of Salt Lake City that I haven’t visited before, and I’m able to learn about the history of the area, the motivations of the artists, and interests of the local communities. While the project hasn’t quite ‘caught on’ yet (I’d really like to publish this as a book, or in some format that will help raise awareness about the amazing dog available for adopt), I persevere because I love the project; it inspires me and keeps me curious.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
My Shelter Dogs + Street Art project is, by its very nature a collaborative project, and I am very much looking for collaborators. I am looking for local artists who create street art (murals, graffiti art, etc.) and would be willing to tell me their stories (how they got started, what their art means to them), and hopefully give me permission to showcase their work (with full credit and any information the artists would like to include) in the context of also showing off adoptable dogs. With regard to adoptable dogs, I would like to collaborate with shelters and rescues who have dogs available for adoption, and specifically with animal fosters who help relieve the burden of the crowding of animal shelters. I would like to highlight the invaluable contributions that fosters, rescues and animal shelters play in the ultimate goal of making Utah a No-Kill state.
If you are interested in helping out in any way (I could even use some help with a photography assistant/dog “wrangler”), please contact me through my website: https://timepunkpetphotography.com/contact/ or by email or text. Thank you in advance – this project is all about working with others, and I appreciate all of the help, from everyone!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://timepunkpetphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timepunkpetphotography/
https://www.instagram.com/shelterdogsandstreetart/ - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimePunkPetPhotography
Image Credits
TimePunk Pet Photography
