Judy Reinford
M. Photographer · M. Artist · Photographic Craftsman · CPP · MAI
Fine art photographer. Painter. Animal lover. The person who will not rest until your portrait is exactly right.
Based in Bath, Pennsylvania. Serving the Lehigh Valley and beyond. Memorial portraits and equine work created for clients anywhere.
WHERE IT BEGAN
My grandpa said:
"Don't turn the light on."
I was six years old the first time I stood in a darkroom. My grandpa's darkroom. Red light, the smell of developer, and the silence of waiting for something to appear. I remember the exact feeling of watching an image come to life in the tray. I've been chasing that feeling ever since.
I graduated from Kutztown University in 1989 with a BFA in Communication Design and Fine Art Photography. I began my career photographing china and jewelry and bed linens for a department store. It was precise work that taught me to see light in everything.
Animals found me through PPA print competitions. And once they did, I never looked back.
THE MOMENT THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
I almost missed the photo
I needed most.
In 2022, I watched my husband Stan, run down the beach at Martha's Vineyard with our dog Murphy, laughing like a boy, and I didn't have the correct lens for my camera to capture them so far down the beach. I regretted it every day for a year.
The following September, racing ahead of Hurricane Lee, I got the shot. I turned it into a painting. Murphy passed away four months later at 15. On the hardest days, seeing the painting brings him back.
That's why I do memorial portrait work. Not as a service. As something I believe in completely.
My studio in Bath, Pennsylvania serves the Lehigh Valley and surrounding region - Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, and beyond. Equine sessions take me to farms and stables across northeastern Pennsylvania. Memorial portrait work is created for clients anywhere, from whatever photographs they have.
Every portrait begins with a consultation. Every session is unhurried. Every finished piece is something I'm proud to put my name on.
THE WORK TODAY
Fine art portraits
for those who love their
animals as family.
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Memorial Portraits
Created from any photograph you have including cell phone images. Available for clients anywhere.
Companion Pet Photography
On location or in the studio. Fine art prints, folio boxes, framed canvases - products handcrafted in Scotland, Ireland, and Italy.
Artisan Painted Portraits
Digitally hand-painted, printed on fine canvas, finished with acrylic brushwork. One of a kind. Made to last generations.
Equine Photography
Award-winning. On location at your farm or stable. Friesians, show horses, family horses - all welcome.
TEACHING & SPEAKING
What I know,
I share freely.
My teaching seminars have drawn photographers from across the country, some flying in from out of state to attend events I'd describe as small. I've taught at PPA Community Partners, Photography Guilds, and national venues.
In 2023 I added AI to my curriculum, not because it's trendy, but because I believe in understanding every tool available to artists. I teach it the same way I teach Photoshop: with intention, with craft, and with a commitment to using technology in service of the image, never instead of it.
Fine Art Animal Painting
Photoshop-based techniques for creating painted portraits from photography. In-person and online.
Equine Photography
Working with horses as subjects: movement, patience, and finding the soul of the animal in frame.
AI for Photographers
Practical, responsible use of AI in creative and editorial workflows. Taught with a fine artist's perspective.
Photographic Compositing
Advanced digital techniques for placing subjects in designed environments.
Wildlife Excursions
Guided excursions to photograph puffins, eagles, and other wildlife in their natural habitat. Intimate group experiences led by Judy in the field.
BEYOND THE CAMERA
Seven spoiled Pomeranians.
And supporting zoos.
I own seven Pomeranians. This is relevant professional information. It means I understand exactly what it feels like to love an animal completely, to worry about them, to want to honor them, and to know that no photograph ever quite captures what they mean to you. That's what keeps me working.
I resumed horseback riding in 2020. Horses have become one of the great passions of my life: as subjects, as collaborators, and as animals that deserve to be photographed by someone who isn't afraid of them.
I have donated finished work to the Lehigh Valley Zoo and Zoo Atlanta, because the animals I photograph deserve a world that takes care of them.
WORK WITH JUDY
Every portrait begins with a conversation.
Whether you're planning a session, thinking about a painted portrait, or just wondering if your photos are enough - reach out. There's no pressure and no obligation.