Michael Kloth

I'm the author and photographer of Shelter Cats and Shelter Puppies, both published by Merrell. Shelter Cats was also released in German as Findelkatzen. The books grew out of years spent volunteering with rescue organizations and photographing animals who had landed, through no fault of their own, in places that were trying to get them out again.

I hold an MFA in Photography from the Academy of Art University and the Certified Professional Photographer designation through the Professional Photographers of America. I've run a portrait studio since 2006, and in Tucson since 2011. I work with professionals who need a headshot that looks like them on their best ordinary day, and with families who want their dogs and cats photographed the way they're actually seen at home.

The shelter work continues at Pima Animal Care Center and the Humane Society of Southern Arizona. So does the photography. The books were a way of asking readers to look at animals they might otherwise have walked past, and to consider what looking carefully is worth.