About Wackydog

 

Photography Style
I combine my fascination with animals, my documentary photography education, and my appreciation for natural settings to capture the personality of each pet and their relationship with their human companions.

Pets look best when they’re just being themselves, whether they’re wacky, sleepy, adventurous, slobbery, rolling in mud, or running like a banshee. Whatever it is that you absolutely adore about your pet—a certain look, a floppy tongue, a spotted belly, or the way they lay on the floor with legs splayed out—I aim to document and preserve it in the form of beautiful art. If you want photos of Fido all dressed up and sitting in a basket surrounded by daisies and a painted farm scene, then I suggest you find a different photographer. If you want photos of Fido just being the glorious dog that you love in a beautiful setting with natural light—look no further and contact me today.

Meet the Photographer
Hi there! I’m Stacey Axelrod, the artist behind Wackydog Pet Photography. 

I’m the kind of person who goes out of her way to meet a dog passing by and hopes to get many slobbery kisses from that new friend. I come from a family of people who fall asleep twisted into odd positions because kicking the dogs and cats off the bed is out of the question. When it came time to decide what I wanted to be when I graduated, Professional Pet Photographer was the natural choice.

I received my Bachelor’s degree in Photojournalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where I was the Photo Editor of the award-winning student newspaper, The Daily Tar Heel. I worked at a professional wedding photography studio following graduation, but I soon discovered that my passion and talent was for photographing our four-legged friends.

In 2010, I boomeranged back to my home state of New Jersey to start Wackydog Pet Photography. My favorite subjects to photograph had always been my own pets and the homeless dogs I helped by volunteering at animal shelters, but I never expected it to become my passion and my career. Thanks to the love and support from my family, I am now able to take the leap to follow my dreams—and to give fellow pet lovers the same joy I receive from photos of my furry family members.

 

 Stacey and Houdini

Meet the Menagerie

Lola Lola is my baby, my little bear, my love. She entered my life on Sept. 14, 2008, when I nearly ran over a tiny ball of fur in the road. The vet said she was 4 weeks old, probably abandoned because her mother’s litter was too large, severely malnourished, and suffering from an upper respiratory infection as well as other maladies. Despite her life-threatening condition, my friends and I nursed her back to health. Today Lola is a scrappy little cat who loves to watch the birds outside and chase mouse toys around the house. Over the years, Lola and I have developed a special bond that borders on crazy cat lady.
Houdini Houdini, our Rat Terrier, chose me while I was volunteering at the Orange County Animal Shelter in Chapel Hill, NC. During one of our “meet the public” adoption events, I fell for then-homeless Houdi, but knew I was not ready to adopt a dog. When he was still at the shelter a few weeks later, I contacted Ratbone Rescues and they found him a foster home in New York. I happened to be driving to New Jersey soon after, so I took Houdi with me. Well, he never made it to that foster home because my dad fell in love and adopted him. Houdini earned his name by scaling two 8-foot fences at the dog park. He is a wimp when it comes to rain and his feline siblings, loves to snuggle under the covers, and would be most happy hunting squirrels and chipmunks (or the laser pointer we bought for the cats) all day.
Loki Loki may be the oldest of the gang, but he’s really a kitten at heart. After we adopted him at 6 months of age, we learned that he deserved to be named after the Norse god of mischief. Now he spends his days snoozing around the house in the cutest curled up positions. Loki tries to be the alpha animal of the house, but the ladies know how to put him in his place. Loki loves the camera and gives me I-must-get-my-camera-now moments everyday. He has mostly grown out of his mischievous antics, but he still can’t resist the urge to push everything off the table.
Bella Bella is the princess of the house. When we adopted her years ago, she already had the name Bella. No one in the family really liked the name Bella, but she was just so soft and beautiful that we couldn’t come up with anything that fit her better. She is timid and often hides from strangers, but will roll over and let you rub her belly as soon as you pet her. Bella’s entire life consists of curling up on the kitchen chairs, nomming on treats, rolling over for belly rubs, and leaving furballs everywhere she goes.



All photos, design, and content © 2010 Wackydog Pet Photography LLC. Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited.