Doghouse Portraits/Nataworry Photography

This July we partnered up with Seattle portrait, event and animal photographer Renata Steiner although she often introduces herself as Nata. As a photographer she has the experience of taking incredible photos for private and commercial clients. Her private clients do include the beautiful relationships between human and pet. She captures the often loving and slobbery interaction between their furry babies and humans so creatively it will bring a smile to your face. We thought her incredible wit and talent would be an awesome match for the variety of furry babies at the Seattle Animal Shelter.

Nata has her own style of shooting which will include lying on the floor introducing herself to your furry companion, getting to know them in their environment. She creates a natural environment of relaxation with both her human clients and her animal clients. Creating a space where the best version of yourself will come through the camera. Having that calming energy behind the lens shows through the photographs in such a beautiful and inspiring way.

We at Lens and Leash appreciate and want to thank Renata Steiner for donating her time and talent to helping these furry characters find their forever homes. If each of us gave one moment of our lives to help better an animals life we would have a brighter, more loving world to share.

Lens And Leash: When did you first start taking up photography and why?

Renata Steiner: Friends/family encouraged me to do so as an adult after noticing I’ve been creating photos since I was a kid and am rarely without a camera.

Lens And Leash: When did you start your photography business and what was your goal when you started the company?

Renata Steiner: 2006 I formed an LLC to do photography part time and when corporate America laid me off in 2009 I took it full time and haven’t looked back. My goal was to finally do something I loved vs. just working for a paycheck.

Lens And Leash: What services do you provide?

Renata Steiner: Full service (photography and printed products) portrait and event photography. Doghouseportraits.com is a division of my people-only portrait business, Nataworry Photography.

Lens And Leash: What makes you stand out compared to other photographers?

Renata Steiner: I have a knack for making both people and dogs comfortable in front of the camera. Probably 95% of the time my clients tell me how much fun they had during our session.

Lens And Leash: What is your style and what do you like to photograph most?

Renata Steiner: My style is clean imagery that shows peoples’ true personalities. As far as people-only photography I love creating headshots. Most people I meet for a headshot session tell me how much they hate being photographed and typically by the time we’re done they’re tickled by the experience in front of my lens. That is super gratifying. In terms of dog photography, while I love dogs (possibly even more than people), I especially love capturing scruffy, longer haired pups at home with their human family.

Lens And Leash: Do you have a favorite project you have shot and why?

Renata Steiner: I’m not really a project photographer. What comes to mind is how much I love doing street photography with a little point and shoot when I travel. Capturing people as they are, without knowing they’re being photographed, excites me.

Lens And Leash: What has been your favorite location to work at so far?

Renata Steiner: Any place that has clean, flattering, natural light will always be a favorite.

Lens And Leash: What changes have you seen in the industry since you started?

Renata Steiner: Now that smartphones are the norm, everyone is a photographer. Granted, not everyone is a professional photographer, but enough people are photography enthusiasts who have taken to creating their own memories vs. seeking out a pro. And the professional photographer population in Seattle (where I live) has grown significantly over the past 10+ years.

Lens And Leash: What gets you most excited about your business and the future?

Renata Steiner: It would make me very happy to continue creating portraits for people and having them tell me that my images of them are the best photos of themselves that they’ve ever seen.

Lens And Leash: What inspires you?

Renata Steiner: People who adopt shelter dogs. My dog is a rescue pup and I cannot bear to think of him having been euthanized simply because he didn’t end up lucky enough to be adopted. Next to my husband, he is my everything.

Lens And Leash: What is your favorite camera?

Renata Steiner: Whatever one I have with me at any given time, but if I had to choose, I’d opt for my Sony RX100III because of how compact it is and how great the image quality is.

Lens And Leash: What is the one thing you have to have on all of your shoots?

Renata Steiner: Multiple cameras and lenses in case of equipment failure.

Lens And Leash: Do you have any tips for aspiring photographers?

Renata Steiner: If you’re seeking to be a professional photographer, because you love photography and you plan for that work to be your sole source of income, it’s critical to understand that about 20% of your job is creating photos and the rest is a host of other business related activities.

Lens And Leash: Do you have any pets? Have you ever adopted?

Renata Steiner: My boy Griffin who was rescued from a Pacific Northwest shelter. We discovered him on Petfinder. We adopted him with no knowledge about his age or personality because he was picked up as a street dog. You can see his black/gray wiry beautiful face all over my personal Instagram feed @nataworry.

Lens And Leash: If you could choose one song to play every time you walked into a room for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Renata Steiner: That’s a tough one. Maybe Sara Smile by Daryl Hall and John Oates. It was the first dance at my wedding.

Lens And Leash: If you were a dog or cat, what type of dog/cat would you be and why?

Renata Steiner: Dog, 65 pounds, dark in color, tall, long haired and a bit wiry. Basically, the dog I have now because he’s perfect in every way. You’d agree if you met him. Go Griffin!