The Animal Connection

Wednesday August 24th, 2011

Barbara O’Brien has always loved animals. Her first job was walking the neighborhood dogs and she even eloped at 19 so she could have a horse (but that’s a whole other story). Once she was out of school she knew that she had to work with animals, so at 21 she started Animal Connection, and became an animal actor trainer and agent. After learning of this through a enjoyable phone conversation with Barbara, I became interested in learning more about her and her photography business. So, I did just that and interviewed Barbara so I could share some of her story with the world (well at least our blog’s audience). Enjoy!

- Maria

How did you become an animal actor trainer?

I started the Animal Connection when I was 21 because I couldn’t hold a job. I loved animals and I knew I had to work for myself. I had been an animal artist and worked at humane societies and other animal related jobs so I had a lot of good resources already in place.There was not really any formal training available to me but luckily I was able to learn on the job as it were and was able to get advice from other excellent trainers willing to share their techniques. I had always worked with animals.

How did you become an animal photographer?

I have been an animal actor trainer for many years and in order to serve my clients better, I had been auditioning dogs myself to make sure they were as well trained as their owners said they were. This required learning studio lighting and finding best ways to show the dog’s real personality. Over time, after photographing hundreds of dogs, cats and other animals and was able to figure out the best way to work with them to get the shot I wanted.

What was your first animal shoot? How did you get the job?

My first big animal shoot was a cowboy and herd of cattle for Pfizer Animal Health. I drove to Milwaukee to visit ad agencies there and brought my book and my homemade brownies. (There are always brownies.) One of the creative directors I met with said he had never seen any photographer so happy to shoot cows. I love to shoot cows and pigs and chickens and all kinds of livestock. I am a farm girl and know that I will wash so it doesn’t bother me to get down in the dirt and manure if I have to.

You told me you live in a town of 63 people, how were clients finding you?

Crazy as it may sound but things like LinkedIn and Facebook and any number of internet creative directory sites have been helpful in getting my work out there. Of course, my many years in the business as the owner of an animal actor’s agency doesn’t hurt either.

What was the “craziest” animal shoot you’ve every worked on?

Bringing the polar bear in from New Jersey was just plain bizarre. This was years ago. Polar bears are protected but this one was captive bred by circus in and was legally licensed. It was as big as a house! I don’t source wild animals for clients any more. It just doesn’t feel right to have them behave so unnaturally.

In your opinion, what’s the hardest animal to train?

Clients! No, just kidding. I gotta tell you it is hard to motivate lizards and snakes. Aside from food and warmth they are not motivated by much.

What’s your favorite animal to work with?

Hard to say, dogs are incredibly smart and cats too but cows and chickens and goats are so much fun. They are much more trainable than you think, too. Pigs are especially clever they just don’t care about modeling.

What is a typical shoot like as an animal trainer? As an animal photographer?

As a trainer, I am hired to provide the animal so I bring it to the set make sure it’s comfortable and coax the best performance possible out it for the photographer. As a shooter I do the same exact thing except that I have the help of excellent trainers who work the animals, so I can concentrate on getting the best possible shot.

How would you describe your relationship with animals?

I love them. I love them all. I can’t help it. And they know I love them and that creates trust and I am able to get in closer and get a more relaxed more natural shot because of it.

What are some challenges you face in either training or photographing animals?

The animals have all been wonderful. I am lucky because having been an animal trainer for so long I know where the good ones are and I know what they are going to do before they do it. What I find frustrating sometimes is I haven’t had the budgets for my own projects to get into the kinds of sets I want to shoot in. For example, I would love to test shoot some more lifestyle images with pets in beautiful houses. Luckily, I have access to any breed or type of dog I want, and the owners are happy to let me test with their dogs. But being animal people like myself their houses are generally not showplaces. They have animals for Pete’s Sake! They are not going to have homes that look like they are out of a magazine. If I see one more leather coach from Sam’s Club I am going to scream. Great for dog hair not so great for the light airy feeling I am trying to capture.

Do you shoot a lot on your farm?

Yes, I do my own work here (lot’s of stock) and many of my clients have used this as a location also. It’s easier to bring a 1500 lb cow into my studio/barn than it is to haul her 70 miles into downtown Minneapolis. I am happy, the client is happy, and I know the cow is happy.

Can you describe some of your favorite animal shoots?

Gosh, every shoot I work on is my favorite while I am on it. But two of my most memorable shoots as a photographer was an incredibly beautiful swan that we shot for the Hotel Bel Air – Los Angeles. They, (the client not the swan) flew in from London and the swan was amazing. She let us hold her wings where we wanted and posed like a pro for us.

Another one as the shooter that I really liked was a 35 dog, cat and puppy shoot we did this summer for a major pet products company’s new product line. It was raining cats and dogs for three days straight, I can’t believe how many doggie kisses I got! So much fun playing with puppies. Days like that remind me that I have the best job ever.

You can view more of Barbara’s animal photos on her site.