Award-Winning West Hartford Photographer’s Prints To Be Exhibited

Imagine the energy of a wiggly litter of Yellow Lab puppies captured perfectly by the camera. The German Shepherd appears regal, but in the moment its gentle soul shines through in the eyes. A Rottweiler’s intensity is evident in the angle of its head and the turn of its ears.

Ira Nozik, who has a national reputation as a pet photographer, is able to capture the essence of an animal’s character through his award-winning images. He knows how to convince a pup to lick its mama on the nose for the camera (hint: involves peanut butter) and make a dog and cat both “smile” at the same time. And while he may employ “tricks” to elicit the expressions, the images are real and not the result of PhotoShop manipulation.

A selection of Nozik’s notable prints will be on display in the gallery at West Side Wines and Spirits, 10 Raymond Rd., West Hartford, beginning March 21. The wine shop exhibits the work of local artists on a regular basis throughout the year.

While a large share of Nozik’s accolades have been earned through his pet photography, he is also highly regarded throughout the region for his fine portraits of people and coverage of special events such as wedding and Bar/Bat Mitzvahs.

“I just don’t take pictures; I take images that last forever,” says Nozik. “My photographs look like paintings and I light them like paintings.” He spends time with his subjects, makes them feel comfortable, resulting in images that are printed on high quality paper and ready to be displayed – not buried in the hard drive of your computer.

Nozik holds both a Master of Photography and Craftsman Degree from the Professional Photographers of America. The coveted designations represent superior work, earned by winning awards in national print competitions as well as lecturing and writing about photography. Only a small fraction of photographers throughout the country hold both designations.

During his career Ira has had more than 60 prints exhibited at the PPA national photographers convention. He has had four of his dog prints selected for the exclusive “Loan Collection” which tours internationally and is displayed at Disney’s EPCOT Center in Orlando. His prints have also appeared in calendars with a national distribution, as well as in books.

Ira Nozik is a seasoned photographer who is easy to work with and makes his subjects relaxed and comfortable in a location of their choice. An image of you, your pet, or your family created by Ira Nozik is something to be treasured for a lifetime. Email him at nozikphoto@gmail.com or call 860-233-2800.