OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Every morning, 3 News Now Meteorologist Mark Stitz features the photo of a dog at the Nebraska Humane Society that’s looking for a forever home.
In this week’s Courtney’s Corner, KMTV's Courtney Johns met one of the photographers who has been taking heart-melting snapshots for more than ten years.
When Kimber Butler is taking photos of pets at the Nebraska Humane Society, she’s looking for three things.
“We want eyes, ears and paws if we can help it,” she says.
These three things are what make the difference between people seeing a photo and feeling a connection.
“That’s the soul of the animal,” Butler says.
Seeing into the soul of an animal isn’t easy but Butler has a few tricks. Treats, toys and an attention-getting sound you have to hear are all part of her method.
In addition, she has a handler named Sue who helps keep the dogs calm and helps with anything else Butler might need.
“If we’re going to use a certain color on a dog, sometimes she does comes up with a better color that we are going to use,” Butler says of Sue.
In about five hours, they photograph about 30 dogs. Some take just a few seconds, others need more time. But with a little patience and a lot of love, they can capture what makes each dog special.
“Seeing them warm up... that’s the best thing,” Butler says.
