Kathleen Murphy

Kathleen Murphy’s work is shaped by decades of experience, a love of storytelling, and a deep connection to animals.

Her journey began in the 1970s, learning black-and-white photography in her grandparents’ basement darkroom, and continued through years of hands-on exploration and study, including time at the Disney Institute.

Today, she blends traditional photography with digital artistry to create imaginative, story-driven work inspired by the personalities of the animals themselves — the playful, the curious, and the wonderfully unpredictable.

Each piece is carefully crafted by hand, with attention to detail, color, and composition. No shortcuts — just artistry shaped by experience and a genuine love for the subjects.

“If it makes you smile, I’ve succeeded.”

That philosophy is at the heart of every piece — where art doesn’t just capture animals, it celebrates them.

What is Composite Photography?

Composite photography is the art of combining multiple photographs into a single, seamless image.

Each piece begins with two or more photographs. Some images are used as full backgrounds, while others are carefully separated into individual subjects or elements and placed into a new scene.

Every element is then refined—adjusting color, brightness, contrast, saturation, and light—either individually or across the entire image. Additional effects such as light rays, shadows, gradients, clouds, and mist are often added to enhance depth and atmosphere.

In many cases, entire environments are built from scratch using a blend of photographs and digital effects.

The final artwork is a layered composition—often consisting of 12 to 75+ layers—and can take up to 40 hours to complete.

Each piece is designed to tell a story—often whimsical, sometimes unexpected, and always unique to Kathleen’s imagination.