For decades, I’ve told stories through a camera.
As an award-winning Chicago pet and family photographer — and a former Chicago Tribune photojournalist — my work has always centered on one thing:
Connection.
The moment between a person and their animal.
The look in a dog’s eyes when they feel safe.
The subtle shift in energy when trust is present.
Photography taught me how to see.
Animal communication taught me how to listen.
The Shift Didn’t Happen Overnight
For years, clients would say:
“You really understand animals.”
“There’s something different about how they respond to you.”
“You see things most people miss.”
What began as instinct slowly became something more intentional.
I started paying attention not just to posture and expression, but to emotion.
To energy.
To the quiet exchanges happening beneath the surface.
Over time, I began formally studying animal communication.
Not as a trend.
Not as a pivot.
But as an extension of the deep work I was already doing.
Why It Matters
Animals experience transitions just like we do.
New homes.
Loss.
Illness.
Changes in family dynamics.
Anxiety.
Aging.
But they don’t use words.
And often, what looks like behavior is really emotion.
Animal communication creates space to understand what’s underneath.
Not in a mystical performance.
But in a grounded, focused conversation about emotional truth.
This Work Is Personal
The See Hear Love Project deepened this even further.
Listening to foster animals.
Witnessing the emotional reactions of the humans who love them.
Seeing the relief that comes when an animal feels heard.
It became clear:
This wasn’t separate from my photography.
It was the next layer of it.
Where I Stand Today
I am still a photographer.
But I am also an animal communicator.
Both are rooted in the same skill:
Attunement.
Seeing.
Listening.
Translating.
Holding space.
Today, I offer private animal communication sessions in Chicago and via Zoom.
Not as a side service.
But as a continuation of the work I’ve always done —
helping animals and the people who love them feel deeply connected.
If you’re curious about what your animal may be trying to communicate, you can learn more about my Chicago animal communication sessions here.
