Kris Phillips

Coeur d'Alene, ID, USA

Not long after my 20th birthday I thought I had life all figured out. I was on track to graduate college, working part-time & engaged to my high school sweetheart. But as is often the case, fate took an unexpected turn. I lost him to a car accident on a flooded highway. And everything changed. I dropped out of college, lost my job, and in a desperate need to escape, I moved halfway across the country. For almost a year I was simply lost and alone. My family tried to be there for me but after a while I felt like I was having the same conversations over and over, and they never really helped. But then there were Shadow & Taima. The two little fur-balls who never seemed to tire while I worked through my pain. Taima was a year old barn cat I'd found as a tiny flee-ridden kitten. And Shadow, a 6 month old, red & white, runt of the litter, Siberian Husky. They were by my side through every move, every tear, every setback. And they were there as I started to put my life back together. One of the first steps to moving on was to re-enroll in college.At the time digital photography was just starting to hit the mainstream and the local community college offered intro classes. It was the perfect place to start, and Shadow was the not-so-perfect subject. I spent the entire semester learning how to photograph every aspect of dog life- from majestic mountain scenes to play-dates in the park. With her generally being as uncooperative as a husky pup can be. And by the time I turned in my final project dog photography was in my soul.
A lot of life has happened in the 15 years since- Shadow & Taima have also crossed the Rainbow Bridge and I now share my life in beautiful Colorado with my amazing husband, Robbie, and our two crazy huskies- Swota & Floki. But I still look back at those old photos and remember the fur-babies who carried me through the hardest parts of my life.
Dogs are so much a part of life that I've made it my mission to capture the unique spirit and personality of every dog I work with.