The Year of the Dog: 52 Weeks of Memphis by Kathryn Willis Photography

Serena Faber Nelson Founder & Pet Lifestyle Writer

Pet lifestyle expert Serena Faber-Nelson is the founder of Pretty Fluffy. A contributor to Everyday with Rachael Ray, Modern Dog Magazine, Cesars Way and more; her modern, stylized take on DIY dog treats has seen her recipes viewed millions of times over.

Serena is the author of the go-to dog mom bible, Dog Mama, and the popular dog treat recipe book, Healthy Homemade Dog Treats.

The photo series we have today is one part ‘Where’s Waldo’ and one part home town pride.

Anyone who embarks on a year long photography project has to have a lot of talent and tenacity to see it through, and this fabulous canine homage to Memphis is no exception!

Katie of Kathryn Willis Photography and her rescue pup, Loki simply shine in this virtual walk through the iconic city – I love how Loki’s poses, along with Katie’s magical framing make him part of the city – seriously in some shots you will be playing ‘Where’s Loki’!

Whether he’s ducking it up at the Peabody hotel (quack quack!), recording some tunes at Sun studio or eating fried banana + PB sandwiches at Graceland, this is one awesome photography series. Enjoy!

From Katie of Kathryn Willis Photography:

The idea for a 52 week photo project came about in 2014 as I was looking to step out of my comfort zone and get to know Memphis’ sights (famous and little-known) a little better.

By day I work in a veterinary clinic, but in my down time I am constantly taking photos of my rescue dog, Loki.

I adopted Loki in 2010 from an area rescue group who pulled him from Memphis Animal Services – a shelter with one of the highest euthanasia rates in the United States.

He came to me sick and a bit scruffy, but over time he’s blossomed into a handsome, talented, and bearded wonder dog.

Armed with a pocket of treats and eagerness from him, Loki’s learned a variety of tricks and has perfected the doggy version of “Blue Steel” for photos.

Deciding to combine my love for photography, Loki, and Memphis, I set out to challenge myself to take one photo of Loki in a different location in Memphis, once a week, for an entire year.

As an additional challenge, I stuck to only doing one photo a week and not taking multiple photos at multiple locations and spreading them out over the year.

This meant that we were dodging elements like ice, snow, and rain as well as finding the right light at the right time of day before the week’s end.

The final photo was taken on one of the coldest days of the year, but through it all Loki was a steadfast trooper.

Looking back on the project, it’s hard to pick which week’s location was my favorite!

The week leading up to a photo taken at Graceland contained a lot of laughs due to Loki practicing poses dressed up – wig, cape, and sunglasses – as Elvis Presley, so that photo was especially fun.

Loki learned how to “hold” a basketball when we got permission to take photos on center court of our NBA team, the Memphis Grizzlies.

Finally, an understated favorite is a photo we took at Martyr’s Park on my birthday (July 25th) – we got to the park just in time for a spectacular sunset over the Mississippi River!

Even though the photo taking part of the project is over, not many people know that it’s in the process of getting turned into a book!

I’m currently working with a local graphic designer who also published a book about Memphis and we’re in the beginning of the design process.

We hope to have it ready to hit the shelves this holiday season so you’ll have to stay tuned for pre-sale incentives like special “pawtographed” copies!

ABOUT KATHRYN WILLIS PHOTOGRAPHY

My name is Kathryn Willis, but you can call me Katie. I’ve been taking photographs for years, but recently discovered my passion for pet photography. Pets are with us for such a short time, but in that time they give us lessons in love that last a lifetime. I want to be able to give families photos that capture just what they love about their furry family members, to help illustrate each individual story through photographs.

Find Kathryn Willis Photography WEBSITE | THE YEAR OF THE DOG: 52 WEEKS OF MEMPHIS | FACEBOOK