I was watching an interview this morning of an elderly artist in NYC. She had a major life change at 35 and shared the wise wisdom that water is the most powerful element, and you need to let it carry you on your life’s journey. Well, today we are interviewing animal photographer and MDRN’s founder Michelle Russ and learning about her journey of transitioning from a fashion photographer to an animal photographer. Be sure to read through to the end to see which item she would take to live on an island with her.
Website: michelleruss.com
Instagram: @michelle_russ_photo
You started your photography career in fashion, but now you’re working with animals. Can you share a bit about that transition?
Yes, post-college I moved to NYC to pursue my passion to be a fashion photographer. I was young and not ready to have a dog of my own yet, so I started volunteering at Animal Haven, NYC’s best animal shelter. And it didn’t take long before I found myself taking photos of the adoptable dogs at the shelter. At the time, it was just a hobby. It wasn’t until about a year later that I made the official transition from shooting fashion to animals.
Working with animals is not easy, do you have any previous training in working with them?
This is a great question. I grew up with dogs in our home and had a basic understanding of what it was like to train a dog. But I quickly learned there is so much more to animal behavior and training than I initially thought.
My interest in dog training started while I was volunteering at AH when I sought out the challenge of learning how to walk and handle the ‘yellow labeled’ dogs, these dogs required additional training from the staff for they often had a behavior quirk like leash reactivity. But once I made the mental shift from photographing humans to dogs, I knew I needed to learn more.
I read book after book and apprenticed under animal trainers for a hands-on experience. I was captivated, I absolutely loved it. And I took the knowledge I learned and applied it when working with my canine talent.
I make sure to share my experience and education with my clients, for I have seen too many dogs and animals in (commercial) photography who don’t look comfortable, and I think working with a photographer who is able to see and understand that can make or break the campaign.
Oh goodness yes, I am always working on something! Currently, I am working on a personal project that is inspired but a popular trend in food photography, where you have the object in a repeating pattern that is also full of poppy colors. Except this is about animals that look like food. I am also doing a lot of exploring on bringing fashion back into my animal work. Be sure to follow me on IG for updates on this – @michelle_russ_photo.
What is the one piece of equipment that you can’t go on set without?
I actually have two pieces of equipment that I can’t live without. The first is my lanyard full of different animal and bird whistles. I use these whistles to grab my subject’s attention. Sometimes a quick high-pitched sound can get a panting dog to close their mouth for that brief second to capture a frame. And sometimes they work wonders in getting that perfect head tilt.
My second item is my 90-degree viewfinder! I love this bad boy. I was trained on film cameras where we didn’t have fancy digital screens that could swivel around, so this viewfinder allows me to get my camera lower to the ground without winding up in a difficult yoga pose.
My interest in photography started in high school, in the darkroom actually. I am a hands-on learner so naturally I picked it up quickly and I was hooked. It wasn’t until my Jr. year in college when I started to really grasp the concept of commercial photography and shooting for brands. Commercial photography allows me to execute conceptual pieces that headshots or wedding work doesn’t.
If money wasn’t required, what would your dream job be?
If I weren’t a photographer, I would be a positive training advocate and educate people on prong collar use. We have all seen them and you may even use one yourself. But the reality is that the majority of dog handlers are misusing the prong collar. So, my vision is to have a traveling pop-up tent that we set up at popular dog areas and educate dog handlers on prong collars and offer a trade-in, where they can trade in the prong collar for a harness, martingales or gentle leader that is better suited for their dog.
Oh, this is fun…my true passion is when I can create an entire scene or world if you will, that pushes the bounds of what is reality vs. imagination. This shoot would also tie together a combination of fashion and animals. And of course everything in the production would go smoothly and according to plan…one can dream right! ; )
If you had to live on an island, and could only take one thing, what would it be?
Oh my gosh, for sure it would be my pillow! I will even take mine with me when I travel when I can. It can make or break the trip for me.
Here at MDRN Creative, we believe in creating a community over competition so, if you enjoyed this interview, please leave a comment below or share this post. Thank you!
Interested in being featured on our blog? Hop on over to this form. If we feel you are a good fit, we’ll be in touch.