About me

I am drawn to natural scenes and wildlife. I’m especially happy if capturing the image involves hiking and mountaineering, though I also enjoy studying the landscapes and animals of the rural area in which I live.

I'm a professor of developmental psychobiology at Cornell University. My lab studies the evolution and development of social learning and communication in songbirds and human infants.

Animal adoption photography

I use my photography skills to help shelter animals get adopted.  A powerful image can be incredibly motivating for potential adopters.

My background in animal behavior helps me understand the meanings behind an ear movement or a tail twitch, as well as predict what an animal is going to do next.  Those insights allow me to create more dynamic, interesting images.

I photograph animals in shelters, at the homes of foster families, and in my home studio.  Depending on the needs of the shelter and the animals, I use several different lighting arrangements, ranging from a 4-light strobe system and small portable studio, to a simple single speedlight and shoot-through umbrella or softbox, to natural light captured with fast lenses.

In addition to photographing shelter animals, I participate in fundraisers for shelters.  I set up my portable studio at the event, and pet owners receive high-quality portraits of their animals in exchange for donating to the shelter.  I always photograph shelter animals and at fundraisers for free.  Several of the images in the “pet portraits” section of this website were taken at Cornell University’s Feline Follies fundraiser for SPCA shelters.

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