About

I'm a photographer specializing in animal portraits, and I'm pretty sure I have the best job in the world. Most of the dogs you see on this website are or have been up for adoption through Summit Dog Rescue, Farfel’s Farm Rescue and others here in the Boulder, Colorado area.

I love doing animal photography and can't get enough of it; and it's especially rewarding to work with rescue animals. Much of the time they arrive here fresh off days of crowded van transport or they've just landed by private plane into the arms of loving strangers (and another round of transport), and you can tell they're pretty much wondering what planet they're on. Even the dogs who've settled into long-term loving foster care can have that Please Don't Abandon Me look in their eyes. This is where treats, calm attention and gentleness come in. Even though every photo shoot ends up with essence of doggie on everyone’s clothes and dog slurp on the camera, there's nothing I'd rather do.

The nickname Chaya was given to me in 1976 before I ever got into photography, and it means "reflection" or "mirror."

AWARDS:

7TH JULIA M. CAMERON AWARDS (Worldwide Photography Gala Awards, Berlin 2016):

Runner Up: "The Introduction"
Finalist: "Family - Boulder, CO 2014"
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POPULAR PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE

Finalist, "Your Best Shot," March 2015: "Happy Dog" - Image 27

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DOGSTER MAGAZINE

Photo of Honey, a Summit Dog Rescue dog, in an article about HeArtsSpeak.org

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GROUP SHOW: "Raining Cats and Dogs," July 2016. Dairy Center for the Arts, Boulder, CO.

Honorable Mention: "A Dog's Mind"

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Winner, “Show Off Your Dog’s Smile” contest, 2017, for PetzLife - “Ben”

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MEMBER, HeArtsSpeak.org: Professional and aspiring pet photographers, artists and graphic designers who donate their services to rescue organizations.

VOLUNTEER PHOTOGRAPHER:

Summit Dog Rescue, Boulder, CO: A network of dedicated fosters, volunteers, van drivers, pilots and adopters in the Boulder/Denver area, saving the lives of dogs and cats needing good homes.

Farfels’ Farm Rescue, Boulder, CO: Farfel’s was founded on the idea that each dog deserves a loving home and the chance for a happy life.

(Past): International Hearing Dog, Henderson, CO: Turning shelter dogs into hearing dogs.

(Past): Mountain Pet Rescue, Winter Park, CO: Finding forever homes for pets in need.