A note from Ron:

My love of photography started with an old Yoshika that Uncle Russ gave me for Christmas. I remember my first photo shoot at age 10 – a wildlife exploration around my suburban New Jersey neighborhood. That day, I took my first animal photos – of city squirrels and of my dog, Nicki.

Over the years, my interest in photography grew and I attended the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara where I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. After graduation, I spent a number of years in New York City assisting high profile fashion and celebrity photographers. While working with supermodels was exciting, I was drawn to more conceptual photography and branched out on my own in 1999. I found my niche creating unique images with dogs that started with a holiday image I created with my dog, Indy.

At times I am still that 10-year-old boy – peering through my lens at a dog, waiting to capture that perfect moment on film (but now, I have a way better camera).

I truly enjoy the creative process of sketching out an image and the production work involved from prop building to casting the perfect dog. The most exciting part of the work I do is the end result, seeing that sketch come to life and become a reality that I created.

All of Bradford Mercantile's Ron Schmidt framed prints are Made In America.