I am writing to express my deepest gratitude and to share my extraordinary experience with Annie Ballantine, the talented photographer behind Artful Paws Photography. My journey with Annie began when I was searching for someone who could capture the unique bond between myself, my girlfriend, and our beloved service dog. From the moment I discovered Annie's website and read the glowing reviews, I knew I was on the right path. From our first phone call, Annie's warmth and understanding shone through. I had specific concerns due to my disability, my dog's age, and the intricacies of photographing us. Annie listened with patience and empathy, immediately putting my mind at ease. Her clear communication and attention to detail were evident as we planned the logistics and objectives for the photo shoot. On the day of the shoot, Annie's professionalism and adaptability were remarkable. She worked seamlessly with the three of us, managing outfit changes and capturing a variety of poses and interactions. Despite not knowing what the final results would be, we left the session feeling confident and excited. The true magic happened during our ordering session at Annie's studio. As we went through the photos, Annie's patience and guidance were invaluable. The images she captured were nothing short of breathtaking. Annie managed to encapsulate the precious moments and the deep connection between us. As a service dog handler, it's rare to find someone who can truly portray the essence of our day-to-day lives, but Annie did just that. Her skill, warmth, and wisdom were evident in every photograph. We debated various styles of frames and types of canvas, and Annie was an absolute joy throughout the process. The photos we chose are priceless, and we will cherish them forever. To anyone considering working with Annie, I cannot recommend her enough. She is not just a brilliant photographer; she is a gem of a human being who will help you create and preserve your priceless memories in the most beautiful way. Thank you, Annie, for capturing the essence of our lives and for giving us memories that we will treasure for a lifetime. read more

Ms. Annie Ballantine d/b/a Artful Paws Photography. We recently had a most pleasant experience dealing with Annie Ballantine of Artful Paws Photography. Our giant Airedale, Speaker, was in rapidly failing health and we wanted to have professional photographs before he died. Because of her compassion, Ms. Ballantine prioritized Speaker's session so that he could be photographed in our home on this short notice. This entailed quite a lot of photography equipment being transported to our residence and rearrangement of the room setting. Ms. Ballantine displayed complete command of a very chaotic situation (besides Speaker, the photo shoot included three other siblings, all Terriers, and you know how rambunctious Terriers can be)! She demonstrated a very professional approach and it was clear she knew how to interact with animals. She has animals of her own. She made them feel comfortable and calm throughout our photo session. AND Speaker, despite his poor health, was extremely exuberant - full of energy right to the very end. Ms. Ballantine successfully captured his spirit, and the spirit of our household. She was a pure pleasure to work with, showing a true skill in photography, a very pleasant style, and a deep empathy in dealing with our family. Two weeks after our photo session, our Speaker passed away. Thanks to Ms. Ballantine we now have permanent memories. The final product was truly magnificent. We highly recommend her. Susan & Fran M and the Hooligans December 15, 2018 read more

We were first introduced to Artful Paws Photography at the Pet Expo when I noticed a portrait that looked to be oil on canvas. After talking with Annie, we learned that it was not oil on canvas at all, but a digital print made to look like one. The artwork she had on display was enough for us to sign up. Fast forward a few months to Spring and the day of our studio session was upon us. Before arriving, Annie gave us some helpful hints on what to bring and what to expect. We arrived at the studio and before long Charlotte, our 18-month-old English Lab, was loving every minute of being in front of the camera! Annie's experience working with animals captured truly amazing pictures of Charlotte both inside the studio and outdoors. She was very professional and a lot of fun to work with; both my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the session. When it came time to choose our prints, the decision was decision as there were so many outstanding pictures to choose from. If you are looking for fine art pictures of your pet that will last a lifetime, she is "the real McCoy". I highly recommend Artful Paws Photography! read more

Annie was so awesome to work with! She was extremely professional and yet patient when working with our little dog Sophie. I met Annie at a Pet Expo in early 2019. She had such gorgeous photos on display and explained how she can get a pets attention and obtain such great shots. I was concerned because our Sophie was not one to sit still for very long. My husband and I always wanted to get professional photos of Sophie but just never got around to doing so. I'm so happy I waited until I found Annie! We scheduled the photo shoot near Sophie's 11th birthday in October 2019. The day was a beautiful fall day and Sophie cooperated fairly well. Annie was very calm with Sophie and let her relax at times and then stated what kind of pose would be best, but allowed my input as well. She definitely knows photography!! The results were fabulous and my husband and I were so pleased with the photographs and how Annie captured the true Sophie we knew. We lost our little Sophie this July but have these wonderful pictures of her that we will always treasure. Teresa S. read more

I cannot say enough good things about my session with Annie and Artful Paws Photography. Her #1 concern is for the comfort and well-being of your pet. Before my studio session, she gave my dog Sully ample time to get acclimated to the studio and photography equipment. Sully was rewarded with treats for sitting, staying, etc. Between poses or background changes, Annie ensured he had time to rest and "be a dog". The outside shots were no different. Awesome experience! As for the quality of the images...WOW! Her use of lighting, balance and color is outstanding. Annie's equipment is top notch. And she uses it to its full potential. She captured Sully's multiple sides (playful, serious, pensive, goofy) in one session. It doesn't end there. Your order is delivered in tasteful and reusable packaging. Even my husband was impressed with the bag and folders our prints arrived in. I plan on going back to incorporate more of my family into the shots with Sully. And I'm looking forward to it! read more

Annie was incredible, and her gift as a photographer is having a clear vision of the shots she wants to get. No standing around debating ideas. She cuts through all of that and provides clear, calm, and detailed direction about the poses she thinks will work best. That's not to say that she's not open to your ideas. But the majority of the time her ideas are way better. She captured amazing action shots of our dog Kobe fetching in the water, along with the perfect picture of my husband and I with our two dogs (ages 1 and 13). I loved her work so much I hired her to do engagement photos of my son and his fiancée with their two dogs. Trust her and her talent and you'll get beautiful photographs just like we did. Lisa & John Centreville, Virginia read more

We LOVED the entire experience! This is coming from someone who hates her picture being taken. Annie was amazing with my two dogs and her antics to get the dogs to look had us all laughing. we opted for out door photos on her beautiful, wooded property. When we went back to view the photos they were in a slide presentation that had us all (even my husband) tearing up. We ordered pictures on board and the quality is outstanding. These are the first family photos I have ever liked and worth every penny. I can't say enough, except that we will be going back with the WHOLE family sooner than later. Thank you Annie!!!! read more

Annie is the most wonderful person to work with on such important photographs. I don't have the right words for the moments she captured with our pups, one of whom we lost last year. She found the right combination of humans and dogs in every photo. The family photos were so wonderful that we went back for a second sitting when we added more humans to our household. We've loved her photos so much we even went back a year later and bought additional poses from a prior sitting. She's great with animals and humans, which makes for such "artful" photos. We can't recommend her enough! read more

Annie is an absolutely wonderful photographer and the pictures she had taken of our shelties (and with me) were beautiful beyond words. You could not find a better pet photographer than Annie. (And I had the terrific opportunity to view pictures she had taken in Africa - WOW!) Anyhow, I was so impressed with her work that I got two large framed pictures, one of those acrylic pictures, and a book of just about every picture she took. I think I'll get some of her Christmas card pictures this year. Ask her for samples of those. I love your work, Annie! read more

We contracted with Annie to come to our home and take photos of our 16-1/2 year old cat - Sami Sue. Annie was wonderful to work with both for our family and for Sami too. Annie spent more than several hours taking numerous shots and was very mindful of Sami and made the experience for her a good one. We were extremely pleased with the quality of Annie's work. The photos captured the essence of Sami for sure. We would highly recommend Annie to anyone considering having photos taken of their furry family members ! Annie rocks !!!! read more

I met Annie at the animal shelter where she is a volunteer photographer. She takes such gorgeous pictures of the shelter dogs that I had to get my dog into her studio. I've always had trouble getting good pictures of my boy because he either looks too serious as soon as I pull out the camera or he's constantly moving and I can't get him to sit still. Annie was able to beautifully capture his fun, silly, smiley side, and I absolutely love the photos she took! I will cherish them for years to come! read more

Love, love, love the framed photographs of my yorkie and chihuahua that Annie created for our home. The whole process was so much fun (from the photo session, to picking out the pictures, to editing the photos) and Annie was super professional and accommodating. The framed photographs are now the main art collection in our home. I highly recommend Annie for anyone who is looking for a "master piece" for that captures the images of their pets. read more

Annie did a great job! I never thought I'd be able to have pictures of my boys like this. She was able to capture their personalities. I didn't think they would ever sit still long enough to have professional photography done but Annie knows all the tricks. She is extremely patient and professional and I highly recommend her. read more

We met Annie at Pet Expo and were impressed with her work, so we booked a session at her studio with our two pitbulls. They are young and crazy dogs, and it was almost impossible to keep them still. Annie managed to capture amazing photos of both of our dogs and us. I love them more than my wedding photos! :) read more

Although I have had other photographers take beautiful photos of my dog, Annie is the only photographer who completely captured her total personality as well as beauty in just one photograph.  Need I say more?  I can't stop looking at the beautiful and captivating portrait of "Our Bellamy". Thanks Annie! read more

We worked with Annie for our Family photos to include our dog Oliver. She was very friendly and easy to get along with and had a ton of ideas for various poses. Awesome service and quick turn around with our digital prints. Would recommend to anyone! Thank you Annie! read more

Annie does a great job educating you about the portrait process. She has a great manner with pets and it shows in her results. We had a dozen portraits made in different family combinations with our standard poodle. We couldn't have been happier. read more