Animal Image Photography

www.animalimage.com

Early on Mary Thurston exhibited an unusual talent for drawing and at the age of four had her first exhibit of animal art at Tulsa University. But when she borrowed her father's camera, she was immediately hooked by photography's ability to capture the spontaneity and expressiveness of animals.

Mary intended to become a museum curator after she completed graduate work at the University of Texas in 1986, but the adoption of a shelter dog named Petey made her curious about the shared heritage of pets and people. Her discoveries in animal history ultimately redirected her career and resulted in the 1996 publication of her first book, The Lost History of the Canine Race: our fifteen thousand-year love affair with dogs. It was while she wrote her book that she began collecting antique pet photographs from the flea markets of England. Eventually word of her vintage portrait inventory reached film producers and she was asked to appear in a succession of documentaries about pets for A & E, Animal Planet and the History Channel. By 2001 she was a regular features writer for magazines such as Dog World and she had contributed both essays and images to several books, including A Thousand Hounds: the history of dogs in photography, which was accompanied by traveling exhibit launched from the International Center of Photography in New York City.

Her own photographic endeavors continued during this time. As editor of The Animal Companion, a quarterly journal published by Animal Trustees of Austin, she photographed the homeless dogs and cats in their foster program. In these instances, portraits capturing the personality and charm of abandoned animals were critical to helping recruit prospective pet guardians.

Today Mary devotes herself full time to Animal Image Photography, where she specializes in photographing pets of all kinds in the natural context of their daily lives. She continues to draw inspiration from the artistry of vintage portraits, but also believes that 21st-century photo imaging presents a new opportunity for capturing the subtler, more spontaneous qualities of animals. "Pet photography isn't just about fur and whiskers anymore," she explains, "it's about what lays underneath. Their thoughts, feelings and personal histories—these are what make each animal an individual. Their portraits should say, 'this is Petey.' 'This is Riley.' 'This is Amanda.' After all, that's how we really see the animals we love."