There’s no mistaking a Creatures & Co. portrait: the luminescent,
fantastical design; the hyper-saturated florals; the beloved cat,
dog or guinea pig looking deeply confused about what’s happening
to them. Half conceptual prom photo, half ’80s t-shirt design,
this is Anne Geddes for the four-pawed set – with a healthy
dose of magic forest psychedelia thrown in for good measure.
Creatures & Co. is the passion project of Auckland fashion stylist
and animal lover Louise Hilsz. “After working as a stylist for so
long, I realised the projects I loved the most always involved
animals,” Louise says. “I thought it would be awesome to do
something fun and creative with people’s pets.”
Drawing on her own personal aesthetic – “My style definitely
has a more-is-more approach; I’m always wearing a rainbow of
colour” – Louise builds her pet portraits from an ever-expanding
collection of faux flowers, astro-turf and kids’ bed sheets.
(“Professional drop sheets weren’t cute enough,” she explains.)
She works hand-in-hand with a photographer, shooting at friend
and collaborator Julia Ford’s studio, where the concrete floors
apparently come in handy in the case of unexpected accidents.
The project is in many ways inspired by Louise’s own beloved
dog, Pinky – a 16-year-old, clinically blind chihuahua-shih-tzu
cross. “She’s a hard subject to photograph these days,” Louise
says, “as she tends to wander around.” So far, Louise has shot
creatures great and small, from long-haired guinea pigs to fluffy
kittens, dachshunds, exotic shorthair moggies and big, goofy
labradors. “I’m looking forward to getting a rabbit booking,” she says.
Her own rabbit, Munchie, sadly passed before Creatures & Co. began,
so a shoot would pay suitable homage: “I adore rabbits, and they’d
suit our set so well!”Of course, photographing animals does come with its fair share of
idiosyncrasies. Cats, in particular, pose a challenge. “Cats really
don’t want to sit still,” Louise says. “We ended up having to fashion a
tunnel so they’re basically forced to run towards the camera. It makes
for some great action shots.” But in general, despite the timeworn
adage, she reckons animals are far better creative partners than kids.
“With children, you have such a small window before they crack it.
Animals actually warm up the longer you spend working with them.
Also, they don’t cry. Worst case is you get a few barks.”The owners themselves provide their own particular joys – “Those
‘manly men’ really get into it with their little dogs,” Louise
says – but the best part of the job is, obviously, the critters, confused
as they may be. “You get to spend quality time with a variety of
animals and have lots of furry cuddles,” she says. “And there’s
so much laughter on set. It’s so different to working on fashion
or commercial shoots. This is work filled with love.”As to why people should embrace the world of pet portraiture?
Easy. “Pets give us so much unconditional love and joy every day.
They don’t complain or fight, and all they ask for is basic care
and companionship. They definitely deserve to be honoured
with a beautiful portrait!”ceature feature
auckland-based stylist louise hilsz
swapped high fashion for furry friends.
WORDS LUKE RYANmy project