BEHIND THE LENS...March 2013

Lisa Scarsi Photography

This month we went behind the lens to spotlight our friend, fellow dog lover and sponsor, Lisa Scarsi, the person behind the camera at Lisa Scarsi Photography studio. It’s a studio located right here in Orange County that focuses on . . . furry clients . . . especially our favorite, dogs!!

 

Since we met Lisa, a few years ago, she has become a wonderful supporter of D.P.O.C. Dog Club and everything it does.  Her love for animals is abundant and her expression of that, through photography, is beautiful and timeless.

 

D.P.O.C. Dog Club: So how did you get to be a pet photographer?

 

Pictured above: Hercules and his girl Kylie. I met them at that
first pit bull event I shot and now I photograph them every year.

Lisa Scarsi: Photography was something I loved but I did not consider it to be a viable career option for a college kid with no financial safety net and a ton of school debt. I went to school for marketing and communications and shot when I could. When I got my bachelors degree and a “day job” in marketing, I went back to school at night to get a formal education in photography. I assisted and worked with some awesome photographers in Chicago, where I lived at the time.

In the late 90’s I started concentrating on starting my own photo studio. Initially, I did some commercial work because of my marketing and advertising background. I had a friend who was also a vet, Paula Terifaj, who asked me to shoot an event she was planning for pit bulls and their owners. There was about 200 dogs at the event and I had so much fun photographing them. I was hooked! I think my love of dogs made it so easy for me to connect with the dogs and their owners . . . we all understood each other. The images were priceless and they helped communicate the love between the owners and their dogs. Once I started photographing dogs, it was like . . . hey, this is taking everything I love and wrapping it up in a furry, slobbery, wonderful and artful package.

D.PO.C. Dog Club: Have you been recognized for your photography, received any awards or accolades?


Pictured above: The cover I did for Coast
magazine's December 2012 issue.

Lisa Scarsi: Most recently I worked on an ad to promote pet adoptions and it won the American Graphic Design Award in 2012. Several magazines ran the ad pro bono to help increase awareness of the staggering number of pets in need of homes in the USA. Also, my work has been highlighted in many magazines and the last big feature I received was the cover of Coast magazine.

However, my favorite accolades are the reviews, thank you cards, comments and notes I get from my clients and their friends (look me up on Yelp, Facebook or OC HotList). What I do is very custom and very personal. I'm capturing love and it's that kind of love you can only get from your best furry friend. When people see the images we create together with their pet they are always overjoyed. That's my favorite reward and it is better than any award I could ever get. That said, I have received the "two paws up" from more formal institutions both locally and nationwide.

 

D.P.O.C. Dog Club: Your love for animals, especially dogs, is obvious so when did you get involved with supporting rescues?



Pictured above: Four puppies I photographed for FOCHP
to help them get adopted quicker.

Lisa Scarsi: I’ve done a lot of volunteering with animal groups through most of my life, but about eight years ago I really stepped it up. We got ready to add a dog to our “pack” and while looking at petfinder.com it broke my heart to see how many totally adoptable dogs there were in need of homes. Most of the adoption photos were not doing the job showing off the pups' cuteness (in my opinion). They were shot while the pets were scared or behind cage bars. I knew I could do my part in getting more pets adopted by taking adoption photos for rescues and shelters and training others to do it, too. My photo business helps me to help so many dogs find their forever homes. Last year, I photographed over 100 rescue pets for several organizations in the OC. Here is one I did for FOCHP (Friends of Orange County’s Homeless Pets www.fochp.org) Needless to say, they all have great homes now.

Lisa Scarsi truly is an amazing person inside and out.  Her love for our "furry best friends" is captured through her lens and by her commitment to helping less fortunate animals in need.  Please take a moment to view the slide show below of some of her work.  For more information about Lisa Scarsi Photography and how she can help you capture the essence of your beloved furry best friend forever, please visit www.lisascarsi.com 

 

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