Page 43 - Australian Photography - September 2017

PROF I L E: GL E N N A DDISO N & H E L E N T R E N N E RY

ALL CREATURES
GREAT

& SMALL

BY R O B D I T E S S A
There’s more to photographing
our furry friends than pet food and
patience. Here’s how two passionate
photographers have channelled their
love for pets into successful careers.

f you have ever wondered just how much we love pets
here in Australia, you just need to look at the stats –
in 2016 it was estimated we had more than 24 million
I cats, dogs and just about everything in between under
our care. With a pet ownership rate of over three out of five,
we also have one of the highest household rates of pet own-
ership in the world, with around 5.7 million of Australia’s
9.2 million households home to a four legged friend.
So it should come as no surprise that the pet photog-
raphy industry is not only growing in leaps and bounds,
it’s booming. The demands for well-taken images of our
furry (and not so furry) friends looking picture perfect has
attracted a new generation of empathetic pet photogra-
phers who love what they do. But how do you get started?
The secret it seems, starts with the pets themselves.
“There is something so grounding about being with
animals, seeing their personalities appear and witnessing
the connection that owners have with their pets. It’s an
absolute joy,” explains pet photographer Helen Trennery.
As a child, Trennery says she was always the one who
had stray animals following her home, and although her
family were ardent photographers, she did not take up a
camera or even think about photographing animals un-
til when in her thirties, she adopted a rescue dog, Bella.
After promptly researching cameras, and purchasing a
Canon EOS 7D with a kit lens, Trenerry began a program

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