Who's Who: Cyndi Kuiper, Pet Photographer

Name: Cyndi Kuiper

Age: 37

Occupation: Owner of Chickpea Photography Studio in El Cerrito and "corporate slave" by day

How did you get started with photography? I got interested in photography when I was in high school. I considered being a photojournalist. I was trying to figure out what to do with my life. All of the adults in my life tried to tell me I couldn’t make any money in photography, so unfortunately I got a real job.

About seven years ago, I started with a digital camera taking pictures when I went out on walks. I got a lot of positive feedback, so I started to take classes and do it more and more often in my spare time. I participated in auctions and that was the turning point. I donated eight pieces to an AIDS benefit called Girlstock—benefitting female musicians and artists—in 2005. I was terribly nervous, no confidence. I was one of two artists in the show; there was actually a bidding war over a couple of the pieces. At that point I thought I actually can do this. I decided to do this. I have a good (nine to five) career (but) it’s not my passion. I decided I’m going to stop listening to people who say you can’t do this.

How did the pet photography become the focus? About six years ago, I met my partner who had this incredible dog Harry. He’s on my website. He is a therapy pet and goes to school and is an amazing dog. He would catch Frisbees and do flips. I started photographing him and was having a lot of fun catching him doing his athletic activities. I entered a photo in a pet photo contest. I realized animals are a lot of fun to take pictures of. They’re present in the moment. I started doing it for myself and friend’s animals.

Everyone has a ton of pictures of their pets, and for the most part they’re terrible. I don't say that to be arrogant: I have my own bad pictures. (Pet photography) is a huge industry in general.

I had a dog die recently and I was putting together her life span. In the last few years, I had really good pictures of her, and I was glad to have that. Just in general, pets are fun. They smile and laugh and play with you, and they don’t care if you’re taking their picture for the most part.

Are there any challenges working with pets and their owners? A well-trained animal can be posed, but I try not to put my emphasis on that type of photography because that’s not natural. The hardest thing is to blend into the animal’s environment and get them to do what they do without impacting it directly. I do have pictures where I use a toy or a treat, but the hardest thing to do is follow them around and get them to keep doing what they’re doing. Most of the pet owners I’ve worked with have been really cool people. They come to me because they like what they see. I haven’t had too many experiences with people who want a completely different vision from what I do. If they want a Sears portrait, I do tell them to go somewhere else.

What do you do for fun, or is this your fun? I do find it incredibly fulfilling. I enjoy photography in general. I do urban art. For fun I will just take my camera out and photograph whatever takes my fancy, like the Mountain View cemetery in Oakland. I take my dogs to the beach and play golf. I like to explore.