Soul Touched by Dogs

Welcome to the Soul Touched by Dogs
Podcast, the show for dog lovers who

see dogs not as toys or tools, but
wise souls worth our respect and care.

I'm an Herrmann, and I'm your host.

I talk to poor some humans, people who
do great work for dogs and their people.

So come and join us for
today's conversation.

Anke: Hello and welcome, Leah.

Leah: I'm super excited to have you here.

Thank you for having me.

Anke: So before we dive into our
heartwarming topic, let's share with

people, like, where are you based?

And so what's your business with dogs?

Leah: Yeah, so I'm based in
Kansas City, Missouri, so smack

dab in the middle of America.

That's where I am based, and
what I do with dogs is I offer

something called end of life or
celebration of life photography.

So, uh, lots of senior portraits or,
um, medically, you know, they know

that the end is near, and so I give
the gift of photography to the people.

Anke: Oh, I just love that.

I mean, especially, I was just
mentioning, I've just lost one of mine

and it's like, oh, yeah, I mean, you
literally look at those photos that you

have and you treasure them in a whole
different way, you know, so how, like,

how did you get started with that?

Like, did you have like your own
or like, you know, how, what made

you actually begin Start to even,
because I think, I don't know, like

photographing animals, it's like, you
know, that's a skill in itself, you know?

So, and then on top of it, in that sort
of emotional moment, so how did you get

started doing that and what inspired
you to offer that to other people?

Leah: When I discovered photography,
I was very interested in photographing

subjects that were alive.

So I'm not really a photographer that
has ever gravitated towards like the

architectural or cars or landscapes.

Those are all amazing, but immediately
for me, photography was about connection.

And photography was about telling
the stories of living things.

And so A lot of my starting to learn
was actually photographing my own cat.

She was a subject for me a lot, whether
or not she wanted to be, because it's

just, there's that connection there, like
I said, and I just was enamored with her.

And, you know, she's, she's a cat
and just like any subject, maybe

not going to cooperate all the time.

So, uh, it was good practice for
me before I actually was able to

launch my business ten years ago.

And as I was going on this journey of
figuring out, you know, exactly what

I wanted to photograph, what niches
spoke to me and I was passionate about,

um, I very quickly realized that when
you have a bond with an animal, Be it

a dog, a cat, whatever, um, it's real.

It's, it's real and it's something
that is profound in a person's life

and we take on these relationships
knowing that they're finite, right?

We know that these relationships are
probably not going to outlast us.

our lifetime.

And so we take in and love these animals,
knowing that we are going to have to

say goodbye at some point in time.

And in the times that I have lost animals,
they've crossed over, um, I have found

that photographs helped me immensely.

It's just was so special to be
able to look back, especially

even just on cell phones now, it's
so incredible what you can do.

But I didn't really have any pictures
of me with It was like, oh, I have

pictures of the pet, but because
I was always behind the camera,

I didn't have anything with them.

And I found that that was
the case for a lot of people.

A lot of people wanted a good picture
of their pet, but they also wanted a

really good picture with their pet.

And Because of the way that end of
life can happen with dogs, like,

it can be scheduled, it can be, you
know, you kind of get a heads up.

A lot of the people that I work with have
just received some of the worst news that

they're going to receive in their lives.

That they're going to
have to say goodbye soon.

And so, when they reach out, I know that
it's like, Okay, my job now is to make

sure that even though this is going to
be an incredibly painful thing, it's And

even though this is going to be something
that hurts forever on some level, like it

never doesn't hurt, um, I can give them a,
I can give them peace in knowing that they

will always have that image, they will
always have that photograph, they will

always have that special thing where they
can go back and they can remember forever.

Like, that special bond that they had,
that relationship, that connection.

So, that's a very long winded answer,
but that's what I do, that's why I do

it, and that's kind of how I got into it.

Anke: I love that, I love that.

Do you, like,

you don't sound as if it brings you,
like, in the sense that, you know, you

have to hold a lot of emotion there.

You know, well, people come there
and they're kind of tender, right?

Leah: Uh, I do a lot of work around
protecting my energy with that.

I don't take on very
many of these a month.

I have a set limit of, like,
I can do four to six a month.

And, because I do it, um, this is a part
of my business that I just do on donation.

Oh, okay.

Yeah, so I just require that the
people that, um, I take on, that they

donate to a pet charity of choice,
and then I gift them these photos.

This is just like a
goodwill service for me.

Um, because I don't ever want
someone to not have these photos

because of a financial whatever.

Um, so I gift them these photos and, Yeah,
there's practices that I have in place

that help keep me afloat, because it is.

A lot of times I'm walking into their
home, because a lot of times at the

point that the dog needs the photography,
it's very difficult for them to move

the animal, and oftentimes they're
uncomfortable, the dog is uncomfortable,

so being able to be in their own space
with their own people is a better way for

me to get more meaningful and connected
photos, because the dog isn't as stressed.

So yeah, I'm walking into, like
I said, potentially one of the

worst days of these people's lives.

That's what I mean, that's

Anke: like, Jesus, like that's
quite, that's quite the job, right?

So because, because, you know, on one
hand, if the dog's more sort of chilled

and not as like, you know, I don't know,
I would imagine, because I don't know, I

always find like the puppy is the hardest
one to catch, like, you know, because

just like, you know, so to get, a photo
and I totally get this like, yeah, I

have lots of photos of my dogs, you know,
other than the selfie where I'm like,

somehow we just both have a goofy face
because, you know, just to get us both

in there as long as my arms can reach.

So it isn't ideal.

So I totally get it.

And, and so you have a calmer
dog, but then you also have a

much more emotional person, right?

Because it's especially when you
sort of know that the end's coming,

it's that anticipatory grief.

It's almost like you're already a mess
when the animals actually still there.

Yeah.

So, yeah.

Leah: Yeah.

And one thing that I find, though,
is in my work, and I'm sure in your

work as well, it's not my grief.

And so, all my job is, is
to just hold witness to it.

I don't have to carry it, but
I can honor that it's there.

And I can ask the good questions, I
can ask, like, tell me, Tell me things

that you love about this animal.

Tell me a funny story.

Tell me, like, the
first time you met them.

Like, let me hear about this life.

Let me give you a space to share
whatever you're comfortable with sharing

while I photograph you and your pet.

Um, and just, like I said, hold witness.

And honor the fact that
this is a beautiful thing.

This is a beautiful relationship.

This is a wonderful blessing
that these people have had.

And I just want to get a sense, and
that helps me get a sense too, of

like, oh, this is who this person is.

And that helps inform my photography too.

I'm like, okay, I know
better how to pose you.

I know better what to ask of you
based on how you're sharing with

me and where you are emotionally.

Like, do I need to take
a little bit more time?

Is this something that's like, oh,
I need to do this really quickly

because this is falling apart right
before my very eyes, you know?

Um, so I think that is a good
way to put it, just with the

emotional part of it, you know?

Anke: Yeah, it reminds me a little
bit of my mom's a nurse, right?

And so there's that sense of
like, Yes, you're there, but you

don't have to carry it all, right?

So, so yeah, that makes sense.

So do you have people who kind of
keep coming back, you know, when

people have more than one animal?

Like, have you ever, have you had clients
who've been back several times for this?

Leah: Thankfully, no.

Thankfully, not everybody's having all
of their, uh, pets pass away so quickly.

One thing, too, that happens often
Is where I'll come into the home.

And the other animals, if there are
other animals, will also be present.

And a lot of times they're
in the shoot as well.

That's nice.

I think there's like a, yeah, so I think
perhaps there has been less immediacy

for it because they have had photographs
with the animal and oftentimes when

I come into a home that has an older
pet, they've already brought in a

younger pet or there's a staggered age.

So it's um.

It's not something that I will write off.

I have had one repeat, but I think
it's I think it's a goodness.

I think it's a kindness that
I haven't had to go too often.

I'm

Anke: thinking like, I lost
my first dog about coming up

to three years ago, you know?

And so if I'm just imagining like if
I live nearby you, I would go, Oh my

God, I'm like, I want a photo with Leo.

And so now two years later, the other one
went and I'm like, I'll be back for sure.

You know?

So it's almost like.

Like that, that image I have with
this one, I was like, I wouldn't want

to deprive, you know, like, I don't
know, I would definitely want to have

another one, you know, unless you're
no longer in the area or don't do

that work anymore, like, I'd be back.

Leah: Yeah, I think too, it depends on
how many animals you have as well, right?

A lot of people have just a dog,
like they just have their one dog.

And it's their whole life, or they
have the one cat, or they have, you

know, their hamster, or whatever it
is, but they don't typically have,

I grew up in a home with many, many
animals, so this is very strange to me

to be like, oh, you just have one pet.

Um, wow, how simple for you.

But also, I, I acknowledge that it's like,
that's a, that's a huge commitment, even

just one animal is a huge commitment, so,

Anke: um, yeah.

I mean, to be honest, like I find, I
find actually having, I mean, I don't

like, I've had three is the maximum
I've had at one time, you know, so I had

one and then the second one, the third
one, one went, then another one came.

So it's been between two and
three, but I've found that the two

times I've lost one, like having
the others has been such a hell.

Like, Oh, I would, I think this
would be like 10 times worse.

This had been my, my only,
my only dog, you know?

Leah: Yeah, absolutely.

They, they help.

Yeah,

Anke: and it's interesting to see
how the other two sort of adjusted

the situation now, like how one
turned into the office dog, right?

Because, yeah, and she never
used to, so it's almost like they

try and fill, fill that void.

Like it's really, yeah.

Leah: It changes the dynamic.

Anke: Yeah, no, no, totally.

It's like really kind of weird.

Yeah, it's weird.

Leah: It is weird.

But again, that kind of just goes back
to what I was saying about how unique

and special each relationship is.

Each pet, parent, The pets with
each other, like, they do have such

personalities and they're so unique.

So being able to photograph that
just always made sense to me.

It just always made sense to
be like, oh, of course you

want a picture with your dog.

Like,

Anke: so, so how does that,
like, how does that work?

Right.

So if somebody comes, so you were saying
like, just something, I'm just sort of

thinking of something you said earlier.

It's like, well, depending on the
situation, So you, it'd be like a regular

photoshoot in the sense that you kind
of give some ideas of where to put, you

know, like what I'm going to do now,
like you'd probably stand there with your

dog and so is that, is that difficult?

Or do people just catch, catch on or, or
do the dogs help or how would you decide?

on the composition that
we've gone for today.

Leah: When a pet parent reaches out
to me through, typically through

my website, I have a form on there.

I get a little bit of information
from them immediately.

And one of those things is,
how soon are we saying goodbye?

Like, what is our urgency level?

Um, and there are some people that are
like, hey, we got a cancer diagnosis and

we know that we've got maybe six months
and we want the photographs before.

They go downhill.

And then other times I'll get a
message just like, We are going to

the vet this afternoon, is there
any chance you can come before?

And sometimes I can, sometimes I can't.

Um, you know, I do what I
can, but I am one person.

Um, so that informs a lot
of the posing as well.

Um, When I'm going into the home,
which is like, typically where I do

the shoots, as I said before, I send,
if we have some time to prep, we have

a little bit of a window, I provide
resources too to help them prepare.

I'm like, hey, Have their favorite
bed available, have some of

their favorite toys, have things
that are meaningful to you.

It's better if we're by a window,
somewhere with a good light

source, if that's possible.

Make sure that like the
room is fairly tidy.

Um, we don't have to go everywhere.

If you prefer to be in your yard or on
your front step, if you don't want me

in your home, I respect that, but just
kind of the same thing, like just make

sure that The background's a little
bit cleaned up because you will like

the pictures more if it's that way.

And I give them agency in that.

And then I also will send
them a questionnaire.

I send a brief questionnaire that asks,
Are you comfortable being in the photos?

Are you comfortable with any
level of emotion being shown?

Do you not want pictures
where you're emotional?

Do you just want the smiling photos?

Do you want it all?

So I communicate all of that
before I'm even in the space,

which helps me know as I'm going
in what they're comfortable with.

And I think it helps them
feel comfortable with it.

It helps them to even think

Anke: about it, you know?

I think, yeah, definitely, I like those
ones, like, oh, that, that makes so much

sense, because you normally don't run
around thinking about that, you know?

Yeah.

Leah: So I think it helps them prepare
and helps them think about it in a good

way, where they feel more calm and relaxed
when I'm in the space, because they know

that I've already heard a lot of concerns
that they may not even know that they had.

I've anticipated that for them.

Um.

And then from there, we just
kind of see how the dog's doing.

They, the, the dog, the subject,
really does control a lot of the,

um, progression of the shoot.

And We just see how they lead and
just kind of pay attention to them.

Anke: I love that.

That's just so beautiful.

Yeah.

And I think for you, for you, it's kind
of like from a photography angle, probably

more difficult than if somebody comes to
your studio, you know, like, okay, your

hair is a mess, let's put some, you know,
but it's just less, you know, and also if

you were in somebody else's environment,
you know, I did, I've done like, um, I

had a virtual photo shoot like during
the pandemic, you know, where it was

like, I was like, Jesus, that was like,
and the photographer like said like,

okay, give me a walk around your house.

Like with the camera before.

And so he, and he spotted locations that
I never thought of, you know, but it's

like, it's really hard when it's like in
somebody, like in another space that you

don't know, and the light's kind of weird.

And so I think it's like a double
whammy in terms of difficulty, right?

Yeah.

But it's, it's so rewarding.

I just love it.

Beautiful.

So where can people get in touch with you?

You know, where's that website where
you have people, when people get.

Leah: Yeah, my website is an abbreviation
of my name, so it's lgemrick.

com, and so e m e r i c k, and on
there, you'll see the different

types of photography I do.

There is a set of There is a
specific tab for the End of Life,

Celebration of Life pet sessions.

You can go there, read a little
bit more about what I do, what

I offer, and how I go about it,
and why I'm passionate about it.

See some of the photos.

Um, and then also, you can find
me, there is a network, a national

network, now that I am part of, that
is an end of life pet photography.

And it's called the Tilly Project.

T I L L Y.

The Tilly Project.

And they are a place that a lot
of people find me through as well.

Anke: Oh, that's awesome because
that will also open up for people

who were not in the area because I
guess it's like, yeah, it's local.

It's like you with your
camera, like you can't come and

photograph me in Spain, right?

Leah: Yeah, it's, it's an amazing thing
because I do get, I'll get inquiries

even from three, four hours away and
I'm like, I, I don't, I can't do it.

I'm so sorry.

Uh, but I can refer them to that
website and say, Hey, you can

search in your area on this site
and maybe there'll be something.

there.

Um, so it is, it's a very
cool, very cool thing.

Anke: Yeah, that's fantastic.

So we'll pop the links in, in the
show notes, if you're listening

and it's below the video, if you'll
be seeing it in the newsletter.

So thank you so much.

This is just delightful.

And I've, I've seen the
photos, they're just adorable.

And so thanks for coming and
sharing that passion with people.

Leah: Ah, thank you so much for having me.

It's been a great conversation.

And I hope no one ever needs my services.

Anke: That's kind of the funny thing,
like, I hope you won't need me.

Leah: Yeah, please don't reach out.

I love

Anke: that.

Leah: Yeah.

Thanks so much for listening.

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And if you know a pawsome human
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I'd love an introduction.

Email me at Anke.

That's A N k E at Soul
touched by dogs.com.