Today we’d like to introduce you to Mel Villarreal.
Hi Mel, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My story with Paw Shots actually started during the pandemic.
I’ve been a photographer since 2004, and when the pandemic happened, photography suddenly became very different. We couldn’t go out, we couldn’t photograph people the way we used to, and I was looking for a way to keep creating. So I started photographing my cat, Nasa.
She became my little model, my creative outlet, and honestly, my way of continuing to keep me busy and doing photography when the world had stopped. I started experimenting with pet portraits and realizing how much personality you can capture in a pet – sometimes even more than in a human!
When I moved to Austin in 2022, something clicked. Austin is such a pet-centered city. You see dogs everywhere, people bringing their pets to restaurants, breweries, apartments, events, pets are such a big part of people’s lives here. I started thinking, why not just do photography experience specifically for them?
That idea eventually became Paw Shots ATX, which I officially started in 2024.
What started with photographing Nasa at home has grown into pet portrait sessions, apartment pop-ups, events, collaborations with local businesses, adoption and foster sessions, markets, and seasonal experiences around Austin. I love that Paw Shots ATX allows me to combine my background as a photographer with something that feels very personal to me: celebrating the relationship people have with their pets.
I’m still building the dream. Right now, Paw Shots ATX can pop up wherever the pets are, but eventually I would love to have a space designated to be only studio of our own. A place where pets can come in, have fun, be completely themselves, and leave with beautiful memories.
Looking back, it’s funny to think that what started because I had no one else to photograph during a pandemic – so I photographed my cat – turned into a business and a community I’m so excited to keep growing in Austin, Texas.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not, but I think that’s part of building something from scratch.
I’m still balancing Paw Shots with my main job, and right now I don’t even have a car, so sometimes I have to get creative with getting myself and my equipment to shoots and events. But none of that has stopped me.
Not having a permanent studio yet has also pushed me to think outside the box and bring Paw Shots to apartments, businesses, events, and different places around Austin.
There have been challenging days and moments of doubt, but I’ve learned to be resourceful, keep going, and make things work with what I have. And thankfully, I’ve also had some really good people around me along the way.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a photographer, and I’ve been working with photography since 2004. I also have a bachelor’s degree in Advertising, so creativity, visual storytelling, and communication have always been a big part of my life.
Before moving to Austin, I exhibited my photography in Monterrey, Mexico, where I’m originally from. Those experiences helped me grow not only as a photographer, but also as an artist and storyteller.
My experience in my main job has also given me skills in processes, organization, and turning ideas into something that actually works. Surprisingly, those skills have become very useful while building Paw Shots and running the business behind the photography.
With Paw Shots, I specialize in pet photography, especially capturing personality. I’m not looking for every dog or cat to have the same perfect pose. I want to capture their expressions, quirks, energy, and the little things that make them uniquely themselves.
I photograph pets through studio-style sessions, events, apartment pop-ups, local collaborations, markets, and seasonal experiences around Austin.
What sets me apart is probably the combination of my creative background and the way I approach the experience. I love the artistic side of photography, but I also love creating an environment where pets can be themselves and their humans can have fun and keep memories.
I’m most proud that something that started with me photographing my own cat, Nasa, has grown into a business that allows me to combine my experience, creativity, and love for animals while becoming part of Austin’s community.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I think pet photography is going to continue becoming less about simply having beautiful pictures of your pet and more about creating experiences around them. Pets are such a huge part of people’s lives now, and I think we’ll continue seeing more businesses, events, and communities built around that connection.
For Paw Shots, my long-term dream is much bigger than photography sessions. I’d love to eventually have a permanent studio that becomes a place for pets and their people to come together – while also continuing to take Paw Shots outside the studio and be present at pet-friendly events all over Austin.
I would love to create our own events, collaborate with other pet businesses, bring pet lovers together, and eventually build a community around Paw Shots. Photography would always be at the heart of it, but the bigger vision is creating experiences and memories for people and their pets.
So maybe it starts with pet photography, but in 5–10 years, I hope Paw Shots can be something much bigger: a place, a community, and a reason for pet lovers to get together.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pawshots_atx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pawshotsatx
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pawshots-atx
- Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/paw-shots-atx-austin
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@pawshots_atx
