Every now and then, someone asks me to make a little magic.

Not the “wave a wand and violate the laws of physics” kind of magic — although frankly, with the way technology is going, give it a year, maybe a month.  I mean the kind of magic that starts with real photographs, real animals, real personalities, and a little bit of problem-solving.

Recently, Dave Boone, the new proprietor of Pawsitive Home Stay Resort in Powell, Tennessee, reached out because he needed a new cover image for the business’ social media and website.

He sent me cellphone photos of four dogs.

Now, could I have worked from those? Absolutely. But here’s the thing: I already knew these dogs.

I had photographed them before during pop-up sessions at the kennels. Real sessions. Real lighting. Real cameras. Real expressions. The whole nine yards, minus the part where everyone sits perfectly on command because, apparently, animals are not deeply invested in our marketing calendars.

So instead of trying to wrestle a cover photo out of casual phone snapshots, I went back into my own archives and pulled the professional portraits I had created of them.

And then I had another thought.

“Let’s add a cat.”

Because yes, Pawsitive Home Stay Resort serves felines too. Cats may not always choose to participate in group activities — or democracy, or basic manners — but they deserve representation.  

So into the lineup went one very dignified former feline boarder, sitting right in the middle as if supervising the whole operation. Which, let’s be honest, is exactly what a cat would do.

The result?

A full-on rogues gallery of the best boys and girls.

Five pets. Different sessions. Different setups. Different personalities. All brought together into one clean, polished image that Dave can use across the business’ website and social media.

And that’s where the “magic” comes in.

This image is not AI-generated.

That distinction matters.

It did not come from typing “make me some cute dogs and a cat” into a machine and letting it invent animals out of the digital ether. These are real pets. Real photographs. Real clients. Real sessions. The technology helped me combine them, polish the final result, and create something useful for a business — but the foundation was still my camera.

Technology did not replace the photography.

It extended it.

And that, to me, is the sweet spot.

I love using modern tools when they help me solve a problem, create something better, or make an image that would have been wildly difficult — or mildly ridiculous — to do in real life. Getting four dogs and a cat to sit shoulder-to-shoulder on a white background, all looking pleasant at the same time?

Sure. Let’s do that right after we get Congress to agree on lunch.

Instead, I used the portraits I had already created and carefully brought them together into one cohesive image.

That is the kind of thing I love: photography, creativity, and technology working together like they all have sense.

The final image gives Pawsitive Home Stay Resort something bright, cheerful, professional, and personal. It shows the animals who have actually been part of their story. It reminds clients that the resort welcomes both dogs and cats. And it gives Dave a polished visual for introducing the business under new ownership.

Not bad for a project that began with, “Here are some cellphone pictures.”

This is also why I’m such a believer in photographing pets as they are: the goofy ones, the regal ones, the chaos gremlins, the shy sweethearts, and the ones who look like they’re running a small criminal enterprise from behind the treat jar.

You never know when those photographs will become part of something bigger.

A wall portrait.

A memory.

A marketing image.

A tribute.

Or, in this case, one fabulous lineup of dogs and a cat who look ready to drop the hottest album of the year.

So here’s to Dave and to the success of Pawsitive Home Stay Resort, and to the best boys and girls who helped make a little magic.

And yes, cats count.

They would like that noted in writing.