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April 21, 2022 by Terran Leave a Comment

Photography for a Cause

My life’s mission has been to do good and put joy back out into the world through my photography. I’ve always had this unwavering determination to do… to achieve… to make a difference… and I knew from a young age that working with and for animals was my calling.

I mean, who wouldn’t want to spend their entire career mastering the art of getting dirty just to capture a single moment of pet life? (Can’t we agree that animals just have more fun?)

As photographers, we’re in a unique position to make pets (and people, too, I suppose) happy and improve the world through our art. Today, I want to highlight a few ways Westway lives out our “photography for a cause.”


This is Why We Do What We Do:

To Make Houses Warmer…

“Every time I turn the corner and see the pictures, they make me smile!” – Tammy S.

Two words, one hashtag: #nailedit!

One of my favorite aspects of working with families is seeing beautiful artwork of their animal companions go on their walls. Take a look at this fine art family pet portraiture I had the pleasure of creating and installing!

And Memories Stronger.

“I had seen Terran’s work with my friend’s dog. The pictures were beautiful! When my vet told me to consider my awesome little buddy of 16 years as being on hospice, I knew immediately I wanted to do a legacy shoot with Terran and Westway Studio. Terran’s attention to detail, ability to work with my dog’s quirks and my very emotional state created several keepsake pieces. Terran is so compassionate and professional. It’s hard to put into words just how important the entire process has been in my ability to grieve my little Licorice. I cannot recommend working with Westway Studio enough. You will not be disappointed!” – Lisa L.

It doesn’t get any easier on the gut or heart to do legacy portrait sessions as a professional pet photographer, but it is oh-so important and worth every tear shed to capture beautiful memories like these:

This is why we do what we do: to make good moments good memories… and good memories good reminders… of the joy it is to love a pet.


Living Out “Adopt Don’t Shop”

It’s amazing what a good photo can do and even more amazing how misleading a bad photo can be. Consider, for a moment, a senior rescue dog who is scared and confused in an unfamiliar place. The setting hardly makes for a happy subject, right? Now factor in an animal-loving — but perhaps photographically-challenged — volunteer with a cellphone in dim light and you have the recipe for a not-so-great adoption picture. This is where Westway’s photography for a cause comes in!

Through our photography, we’re helping adoptable senior dogs find their forever homes. Showing them off in professional imagery and spreading the word on the benefits of adoption.

Annual calendar fundraiser for Lionel’s Legacy

We photograph the Lionel’s Legacy senior rescue dogs a few times per year, then LL sells sponsorship pages in their annual calendar that will get your name/business on listed on the page and allow you to choose which rescue pup gets to be featured that month. I volunteer my time, skills, and passion to design the calendar and use one of my trade printers to get the very best pricing for Lionel’s Legacy.

We aim to raise $10,000 annually for the senior dogs with this!

Want to help, too? Consider making a donation to Lionel’s Legacy to help care for these wonderful pups or choose a rescue close to your own heart, and community, to put a little good back into the world.


Giving Back to the Community – Teaching Style

I L-O-V-E teaching! Here’s what I love most about teaching others the joy of photography:

Helping aspiring photographers achieve a-ha moments in their photographic skills and business strategies — seriously, watching those lightbulb moments when everything just *clicks* is the most rewarding feeling!

Lending support to others who are having trouble seeing the forest through the trees. Sometimes an outside perspective is all it takes to help things come together

Sharing knowledge about best practices for running a successful business. I love helping others learn how to make a living through their own hard work and determination. Live to work, not work to live.

Helping others put their own impact on the world through the things that are important to them.

^ Terran speaking at Animal Image Makers 2022

Empowering others expands positive change.

When you hone a skill set, you ignite passion. When you ignite passion, you spread positivity. Who doesn’t want more of that?

Expansive impact on the pet industry.

Teaching means more people are now capable of reaching pet parents, shelters, rescues, and pet businesses with their work. As pets become more and more a part of our families, we are breaking down the stigma of having beautiful portraits created of your pets. We love our pets like children and they deserve to be celebrated and remembered.


Giving back comes naturally when you’re surrounded by things that inspire you & kick your passion into high gear. What is that for you?


Want to chat about an upcoming lifestyle pet photography project? Get in touch:
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Home » Photography for a Cause

Follow our wild, wild Westway adventures as we travel the U.S. in our Airstream

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Based in San Diego, CA
Traveling the U.S. in 2022
(858) 848-9378
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This is a common question we get about our travel! This is a common question we get about our travel! Yes, we are absolutely able to shower in the Airstream. We have a surprisingly large shower for a travel trailer — meaning, it's still small but it's a lot better than many we've seen.​​​​​​​​
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It's super-easy to shower if we are hooked up to water and sewer so we don't need to worry about our gray tank filling up or running out of water. ​​​​​​​​
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When we are off-grid camping or don't have a sewer hookup, we will take the fastest showers imaginable and turn off the water while it's not absolutely necessary. ​​​​​​​​
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My favorite is when we're "moochdocking," though, which is staying with friends or family on their properties. We get all the benefits of having our home but can also go inside for hot showers!
Happy boy Cooper loves adventure, going for walks Happy boy Cooper loves adventure, going for walks with his people, and exploring nature — and what better way to do all that than with a weekend trip to Vermont in the Airstream?​​​​​​​​
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Who else loves weekend adventure getaways???​​​​​​​​
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Thank you @wellnesspetfood for sponsoring our road trip journey!
Growing up, I can't remember ever seeing fields be Growing up, I can't remember ever seeing fields being irrigated in the northeast. Perhaps I was just never paying close enough attention or perhaps it's because the drought this year is seriously impacting our food supply.​​​​​​​​
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I thought this scene was so visually beautiful with the way the sun was sparkling in the sky and illuminating the water — but it's also a stark reminder of how dependent on the weather farmers are. The ability to grow crops is their livelihood and I truly feel for them during this dry, dry summer. I'm certain it's not an easy job.​​​​​​​​
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Greg and I have been enjoying visiting the small farms, businesses, and farmer's markets along our road trip route. We like supporting local families by buying directly from the people who are working hard to feed us all!
Everyone poops. Even Charlie. 😆🤷‍♀️💩 Thank goodness his mom now has a dooloop to carry it thanks to our trip sponsor, @dooloopdogs!​​​​​​​​
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These two were serious rockstars at our session together. We had a blast! (And can I just say: LOOK AT THAT SPARKLE LIGHT! 😍)
Did you know we're searching for dog + human model Did you know we're searching for dog + human models in all the different areas we are traveling? We're currently casting for next month’s shoot in Maine! Just visit westwaypets.com/model to fill out an application!
Successful commercial photo shoots don't just happ Successful commercial photo shoots don't just happen by accident. *Every* aspect is planned. I'm talking model selection, locations, time of day, clothing, hair, dog grooming, collars, and so much more... every detail needs to work in harmony to pull together the story we want to tell!
Christmas lights in the middle of the forest? No, Christmas lights in the middle of the forest? No, my friends. These are fireflies. They put on a show every night for us that is more beautiful than any holiday light display I've ever seen. Moments like this are exactly why we decided to leave life in San Diego — we wanted adventure, new experiences, and the opportunity to see more of this beautiful country than just our little corner of it.​​​​​​​​
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We are two months in to living full-time in our Airstream and we L-O-V-E it!​​​​​​​​
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Upstate New York
Max flipped for the treats at our photo shoot for Max flipped for the treats at our photo shoot for Old Mother Hubbard! This goofball absolutely loves being held like a little baby puppy... probably because he knows it gets him love and treats!
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Thank you, @wellnesspetfood for sponsoring our road trip across America!
I get lots of questions about our trip. Here's one I get lots of questions about our trip. Here's one! ​​​​​​​​
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"What has been your favorite stop of the trip so far?"​​​​​​​​
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We've had so many amazing stops! My favorite places to stay have been backed up to water or parked snuggly under the trees. There is one place that stands out, though: my aunt Joann's. Not only are we are tucked under the trees at her house in the country, but we have the most important thing of all while we're here: family! We get to spend time together every day, eat dinner together every evening, and play cards with my Nana (who lives 10 minutes down the road). An added bonus: the fireflies put on an incredible, magical show each night as they light up the forest beside us. It's quiet and peaceful here with chirping birds, gentle breezes, and the smell of fresh green growth. Roxy is so, so happy and so are we!
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