Jim Dratfield (Born 1960) is a photographer based in New York City. He’s the founder of Petography. Through this establishment, he produces photos of pets and their owners. This portraiture service is like a fine-art service. The business has been commissioned by political figures and celebrities and has attracted an impressive client base, including people like Elton John, Jennifer Aniston and Barbara Walters. Dratfield makes weekly appointments in Connecticut, Long Island, Westchester, and New Jersey, and also makes frequent stops in Florida, Texas and California. He travels for commissioned work throughout the country and Europe as well. At his own travel expense, Dratfield is available for work outside of the New York for those who are able to make arrangement for 6 or more sessions in their area as well as the quoted rate for a single session in any part of the United States.
He mostly works with untrained animals. So he doesn't expect them to respond or to necessarily listen to everything. The animals are very unpredictable and they don't take any direction. Dratfield has to be very patient with them because if he’s not, he may not get what he wants; but with patient the eventually gives him something. He says working with animals is a big challenge, but is quick to add that they are easier to work with than humans in some ways. Dratfield started his career as an actor, but photography was always an important part of his life. He had always played with photography and had always loved it; it was a nice outlet for him.
