From her own rescued companions to the pets she photographs, Lisa Jewell has spent a lifetime celebrating the animals she loves
For award-winning photographer Lisa Jewell, a camera has never been just a tool for work. It’s been a way to celebrate the animals she has loved for most of her life.
Long before launching Pup Photo Waggin’ Mobile Pet Photography Studio, Jewell was photographing her own horses and dogs simply for the love of animals and photography.
“I’ve had a camera ever since I was 17 or 18 years old when I got my first 35-millimeter camera,” she says.
Growing up in Iowa, Jewell spent summers on her grandparents’ farm, surrounded by cattle and horses. At one point, she considered becoming a veterinarian, but the lengthy path to a DVM degree wasn’t the right fit for her. Instead, she followed in her father’s footsteps into the automotive industry. Her career eventually brought her to Oklahoma in 1989, followed by a decade in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, before she returned to Oklahoma in 2003.
Photography remained a constant through every move. She photographed dressage competitions and Morgan horse shows, capturing the animals that had always been part of her life. Then, in 2009, she saw the difference professional photography was making for adoptable shelter pets in Tulsa.
She realized the same approach could make a difference for dogs in more rural communities. She reached out to Chouteau Pound Pals and volunteered to photograph dogs waiting for homes. What began as a trip every few weeks to take adoption photos evolved into years of volunteer work with local animal rescue and transport organizations, including serving on the organizations’ boards of directors.
With pet photography becoming an increasingly important part of her life, Jewell found inspiration in an unexpected place. In the spring of 2024, while listening to a podcast, she heard a photographer in Denver describe his mobile studio inside a custom trailer.
“I thought that’s a cool idea. I did some digging, and nobody around here was doing it,” she says.
She ordered an insulated, climate-controlled 18-foot trailer and created Pup Photo Waggin’ Mobile Pet Photography Studio, allowing pets to step into a comfortable studio no matter where they’re located around the Tulsa area. After retiring this spring from her job as inventory photographer for Chris Nikel auto dealership, she’s looking forward to devoting even more time to photographing pets.
Of course, Jewell’s biggest fans, and occasional models, are always waiting for her at home. While foster animals are always coming and going, she has two horses and five dogs of her own. Each of her dogs has its own rescue story.
Among her canine crew is Gunner, a 7½-year-old Shepherd mix, rescued as a puppy from the Broken Arrow animal shelter. He struggles with severe hip problems, but that hasn’t dampened his love of swimming. Jewell and her husband installed an aboveground pool so Gunner could safely enjoy his favorite game of fetch without putting extra strain on his joints.
“I could throw a ball for him all day, but I can tell when he gets tired, and it’s time to stop,” she says.
Then there’s Enzo, a Chihuahua-Pit Bull mix who serves as the household comedian. Jewell says he seems to have finally outgrown his habit of squeezing under the fence to visit the neighbors. While he loves running through the pastures, he’s happiest with a yard full of puppies to chase him.
“He gets along with every dog we bring in, every puppy. He lives for being chased by puppies, but he doesn’t put up with any crap from the big dogs either. He’s a funny dog,” Jewell says.
Next is Maci, a brindle mixed-breed dog who was a stray wandering around the lake community north of Wagoner during the COVID-19 pandemic. Maci was caught and set to be euthanized when Jewell rescued her. Maci turned out to be a fantastic playmate and is now the unofficial welcoming committee for foster dogs at the Jewell home, helping newcomers learn to relax.
“She’s excellent with play style,” Jewell says. “She matches whatever dog she’s playing with. If there’s a dog that plays softer, she plays softer. If the dog wants to roughhouse, she’s in for roughhousing.”
Rousey, a Lab mix, has one of the most fitting names in the family. Like her namesake, she proved to be a fighter. One of a litter of foster puppies born on Christmas Day in 2020, Rousey and her littermates battled parvo. Jewell nursed them back to health, turning her dining room into a triage unit. As the rest of the litter recovered and found homes, Rousey’s odds were not good.
“I told my husband, ‘If she lives, we’re keeping her, and we’re naming her Ronda Rousey,’” Jewell recalls. Rousey did survive, earning her forever home. Now she raids the garden, helping herself to cucumbers, green tomatoes and only the ripest blackberries.
“I’ve got all these blackberry bushes, and she will put a whole group of berries in her mouth, and you can watch her work them with her tongue. When she lets go, all the red ones are still there, and the ripe ones are gone.”
Mia, a possible Lab mix, is the youngest of the group at 4½ years old. She arrived as a frightened rescue puppy after spending months confined to a crate. Today, she is the family’s dedicated bird watcher, convinced every bird that flies overhead deserves to be chased.
Listening to Jewell describe her dogs, it’s easy to see that each one has a distinct personality. It’s an understanding she brings to every pet she photographs.
Through Pup Photo Waggin’ Mobile Pet Photography Studio, she now takes her studio directly to pets and their families, capturing the unique personalities that make each one special. Whether they are beloved companions or pets waiting for homes, Jewell continues using her camera to give every pet a chance to be seen and loved.
