This week marks the one-year anniversary of Lee Anderson going to the dogs. Anderson worked as a professional photographer since 1980. His clients included USA Today, Christie's and AOL. Over the years, his life evolved. He married graphic designer Donna Sicklesmith and he became a dad to Audrey and Ian.
Then in 2000 he got a dog. Dakota, a brown standard poodle, joined the family and stirred something in Anderson. The truth is, as a kid, he always wanted to be a vet. Dakota reignited this latent love for animals and when a few friends raved about his framed photos of him last September, his new dog photography business was born. Now, with his wife Donna as his manager and web designer, Anderson Photography is wowing clients up and down the East Coast.
Based in Alexandria, VA, but willing to travel, the couple has exploded into the competitive dog photography world with their passion for offbeat, perfectly presented photos (Lee likes to seamlessly enhance his images with his Photoshop expertise) and their brand of black and white square images.
Inspired by the Hasselblad format and committed to seeing the photos as not merely pretty snapshots, but works of art, Lee's square dog shots are now frequently spotted as Anderson originals.
I love the gentle, yet crisp lighting and the obvious intimacy he has with the dogs, somehow capturing that awesome feeling you get when you hold your dog close and see yourself in their eyes.
I think Anderson would have made a good vet, but he seems more pleased that he's come full circle as a photographer and an animal lover. This way he gets to enjoy the happy healthy dogs at their best and give their owners artwork they will cherish forever. Perfect!
