LEWIE HORNS

MEET THE ARTIST

Ron Schmidt

Ron’s love of photography started with an old camera that his Uncle Russ gave him for Christmas. His first photo shoot, at age 9, was a wildlife exploration around his suburban New Jersey neighborhood. That day, he took his first animal photos of city squirrels and of his dog, Nicki. With a growing passion for photography, Ron went on to study at Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, CA, earning a degree in Fine Art, and began his professional career as a Photo Assistant, working high-profile fashion and celebrity photographers in New York City. While working with supermodels and celebrities was exciting, Ron was drawn to more conceptual images and branched out to start his own commercial photography studio. In 2000, Ron created a holiday photo mailer for his clients featuring his yellow lab, Indy, carrying a pine tree on her back. The image was an instant hit and Ron realized he had found his niche photographing man’s best friend. With an ever-growing catalog, Ron's whimsical and unique dog imagery has captured the hearts of animal lovers worldwide. His work can be found internationally across several licensing categories that include home décor, stationary, giftware and publishing. Ron lives in Newburyport, Massachusetts with his wife (and business partner) Amy, their two children and their giant rescue dog, Moses.