Photographer helps pet parents remember the good times with end-of-life photo shoots

Pets are part of the family, but oftentimes, the only pictures of our pets are the ones we take on our phones.

Professional photographer Jessica Stumpf of BellaReese Photography specializes in pet photography and offers something special for pet owners when their pets are at the end of their lives, so owners have something to remember the relationship. 

Stumpf waives the retainer fee and prioritizes scheduling end-of-life photo sessions. She has an incredible arsenal of ways to grab an animal's attention: whistles, clicks and even a duck sound. For her, the sounds are a means to getting the perfect photo that captures the animal's essence.

"It's just about catching them as who they authentically are. So if they're more energetic, I just work with that. Usually, I'll shoot from a little far away and try to get them in the motion of playing. If they're senior dogs and they're slower, it's kind of just at their pace, following them around, letting them do their thing," she says.

Chris Fields from Big Beaver wanted to capture his basset hound, Maybelle, before it's too late. She's 12, and Fields and his wife had another dog that unexpectedly had to be put down when he was 12.

"I came home, leaving the house, thinking I'm just running up the road to go talk to the vet, and sadly I came home without the dog," Fields said. "It was very abrupt, and I didn't get to document any of that prior to. So that experience led me to wanting to do this with her."

Stumpf photographs all kinds of animals, not just dogs. She says sometimes the end-of-life photo sessions can be emotional, especially after her own dog died.

"Since losing my Bella, there have been many times where I have left the session and just cried in my car on the way home," Stumpf said. "But I try to keep composure during the session for the owner's sake too. I've cried at sessions, too, with the owners, and I think maybe it helps them a little bit with the grieving process to know that they're not crazy that they're this upset about losing their dog."

But mostly, the photo sessions are fun. Maybelle loved exploring Morrow Pontefract Park in Sewickley, her long ears swinging as she crossed bridges, walked over rocks along the stream and sniffed her way through the bushes. Stumpf also photographed Fields giving her lots of love.

"I specifically like to capture pets with their people and just the relationship between them and their dogs being authentic in them. Nothing is perfectly posed. Dogs are their own thing," she says.

Stumpf grew up around all kinds of animals in a family that all works with dogs. Her unique ability to read canine behavior helps the dogs feel comfortable, even if they're nervous or have behavior issues.

For Fields, this is a family portrait he'll always cherish.

"I've never personally had children. My dogs are pretty much our kids. Most of our non-work-related activities revolve around them," he said.