FOUND: Pets and their owners legs elayne massaini - You Need To See This

As a photographer who loves animals, I specialize in pet photography. I take photos of dogs the most, but also cats and horses. I find great inspiration in animals, and I love them all.

Being able to take portraits of pets with their humans gives me great joy because it is a love beyond explanation, and the unique connection they have is a beautiful thing to witness. Maybe that is where my inspiration to photograph pets by their owners' feet came from, as it shows their unique personalities, and we can see how much they are alike.

The first photo I took like this was of my daughter with her first dog, who has already passed away. I liked the composition, so later on, during a photoshoot, I thought of doing the same. After a few photos of pets by their humans' feet, I started to notice when the human's shoe matched the dog's tie or if they had a tattoo of the pet or something worth catching on the camera. It is funny because some people think it is strange when I ask them if I can take this photo, but when I show the result, the reaction is always the same: surprise and love!

Nowadays, some of my clients already come to the photo shoot with a special pair of shoes to take this photo. I love it when they do that.

Some of the photoshoots take place in my studio and some outdoors. Usually, the client chooses what they like better, but generally speaking, bigger and more hyperactive dogs do better outdoors because they can run, and play, and I can capture their true personality.

In my shoots, I tend to take a few photos of the pet alone and a few with the family together. Some photos of them looking at the camera, but I also photograph moments of interaction and affection. Every session changes according to the family, the place, and the personality.

One of my favorite parts is hearing the story and the meaning the pet has to its family. The stories are each as unique as the pets are, and I think that is the main reason I love working with them. Sadly, we all know they don't live as long as we do, so I think it is very important to have these memories so we never forget how big this love is.

As I always tell the clients that come to my studio, my main concern is always with the pet. If the dog gets scared or annoyed, we stop and play with him until he feels safe and happy to continue. It has to be a fun moment for all, and I think they like it because they always come back to the studio wagging their tails.