It began in Seattle in 2003 with a woman, a camera and a dream.

A passion for pooches and photos

Founder Jamie Piper fell in love with photography and dogs, and the rest is history.

Cowbelly Media began in 2003 as a humble one-person pet photography business, providing services to retail, editorial and commercial clients.

Jamie found a passion for pet photography while studying animal behavior at the University of Washington.

Over the years it grew to a small team of freelancers serving international commercial clients and advertising agencies, to where it stands now: a full-service visual and social media agency, with a network of creators and marketers helping support pet brands around the world.

The goal of Cowbelly Media is to make our clients look as great as the dogs and cats we photograph.

We want your audience, customers and followers to fall just as in love with your brand as they are with their own pets.

It’s a tall order, but one we strive to attain!

Fergie Piper. 2005-2018. Jamie Piper’s muse for 12.5 years.

Company History

We’ve come a long way baby.

Launched Cowbelly

July 1, 2003

After three years of doing pet photography as a hobby, founder Jamie Piper officially launched ‘Cowbelly Pet Photography’ in the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle Washington. One of just a few dozen professional pet photography businesses nationwide.

Commercial Photography Start

September 24, 2003

Began offering commercial and editorial pet photography, and doing graphic design for small pet-related businesses. First clients were a local dog masseuse, single-location pet store and small dog magazine in Florida.

First big commercial shoot

April 14, 2008

First major commercial photo shoot to create packaging images for an international household name pet brand. Four days, 23 dog models, four locations, and countless dog treats. The results? So good they are still used on their packaging today.

Road Trip

March 1, 2014

Left Seattle for the open road. Jamie and Fergie spent eight months traveling around the United States, doing photo shoots for clients from Charleston South Carolina to Portland Oregon.

Moved to San Francisco

December 28, 2014

Said “sayonara” to the rain and moved south to the land of tech and fog. Landed steps away from Golden Gate Park, which proved to be one of the best photo shoot locations ever.

Switched to working exclusively for commercial clients

April 1, 2015

Said farewell to retail and editorial work and made the move to work exclusively for commercial clients with a focus on advertising agencies.

Moved to San Diego

August 1, 2015

Said goodbye to the cold and fog (and cost!) of San Francisco and moved to the land of sunshine and margaritas- San Diego! Home, sweet home, and there to stay.

Expanded the business

June 1, 2019

Expanded and rebranded as Cowbelly Media, bringing talented partners on board and offering social media and marketing services, along with the longstanding visual media services.