Inspawration

Orange, black and white--the color scheme of Paws to Reflect Photography pays homage

to my muse, Jackie, and her shelter buddy, Prodigy. Jackie was a 3x death-row survivor and the longest resident at a local NJ shelter. A photo of her was shared with me in late 2012 and the moment I saw her eyes, I knew I needed to adopt her because I saw her soul in those beautiful brown eyes. That photo saved her life and changed mine in the very best way.

I found my heart-dog, my soul-pup.



My girl was originally reactive toward other dogs, but that's where Prodigy came in and changed everything. Thanks to this special boy's calm and gentle energy, Jackie learned to trust and play with other dogs again. She was no longer deemed reactive, which saved her life. Tragically, Prodigy was euthanized in the summer of 2012 due to lack of space for incoming dogs at barely 2 years old. Ever since I adopted Jackie and learned about her bond with Prodigy, I have thought of him daily. Every single life matters and I often wonder what his life would have been like, who his family would have been and why he wasn't given the same chance at happily every after.

Jackie nurtured my love for photography by always hamming it up for my camera and inspiring me to delve into the graphic arts. I am fortunate to not only have taken thousands of photos of her myself, but to also have had several professional sessions with her capturing the essence of our bond. I've found myself going back to our photos daily ever since she gained her wings in July 2022 after a 2.5 year long battle with cancer.

This is precisely why Paws to Reflect Photography was born, so I can provide families photos of today to last all of your tomorrows. If it wasn't for Prodigy, Jackie would not have survived, and if it wasn't for Jackie, I wouldn't have found my passion in life.

This is for both of you<3

**Disclaimer--I do not own the rights to the portrait of Prodigy or the image of him playing with Jackie. They were taken by shelter volunteers.