Few can resist an adorable puppy, including Andy Mahr. The son of a veterinarian, Andy watched his father’s vocation grow from his first office into a 24 hour clinic, a grooming studio, and eventually six animal hospitals. From the age of seven, Andy was cleaning kennels and spending time with furry, four-legged friends entrusted in his father’s care. It instilled a strong work ethic in him, and also a love for animals.

A proud owner of two rescued labrador retriever’s of his own, Andy is familiar with and has photographed a variety of breeds for national brands. Through the process of working with animal trainers and breeders on each shoot, he has always been struck by what motivates each animal’s behavior and their individual personalities.

Those personalities come in ALL sizes, as is evident by the hilarious cows in precarious positions that he has shot for the past six years for Chik-Fil‑A. There’s a huge degree of patience when it comes to shooting animals, something Andy has mastered in his career.

Case in point: while on a safari in Africa, Andy came across a pride of lions who had recently completed ​“a big meal,” and lay fully satiated and inactive. It wasn’t the image Andy wanted to leave with, so he waited for four hours before making this beautiful image of a lioness.

In advertising photography, that luxury of time is almost non-existent, so Andy’s clients come to him for his expertise in knowing how to capture precise moments, crafted from years of experience, curiosity, patience, and a genuine love for his own vocation.