Though Photographer Henry Horenstein loved the idea of photographing animals, he didn’t savor the idea of braving the wilderness to do it. So, he found a loophole.

Witty and unpretentious, Horenstein charmed attendees who packed into the UMass University Art Gallery in New Bedford to see his work. Select pieces from his series, “Animalia,” were featured. Creating the entire series spanned from 1995 to 2001.

The New Bedford native didn’t immediately find his calling as a photographer. At the time, photography entailed press and advertisement work rather than a career as an artist.

“It was a career, it wasn’t an art,” Horenstein said.

However, while studying Russian history at the University of Chicago, his interest in photography was kindled. He went on to earn his BFA and MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. It wasn’t until 1995 that “Animalia” found its beginnings when Horenstein found himself experiencing a “midlife crisis.”

“I couldn’t afford a sports car and I wasn’t married so I couldn’t have an affair,” Horenstein said, laughing.

And so, he went on to become a unique kind of wildlife photographer. “I do not go in the wild.” Instead, he preferred to take the “context” away and let the animals exist on their own.

Instead, Horenstein preferred to photograph animals in captivity which better enabled him to capture the essence of the animals without the distraction of outside elements. The result was high contrast images of animals that were completely independent of their surroundings. Many of the displayed photos heavily featured fragmented shots of animals that, rather than capturing the entire animal, hinged on segmented portions that helped accentuate the character of the respective animals.

Featured animals ranged from domestic animals like dogs and piglets to creatures like jellyfish, dogs, giraffes, bats, hippos and even a black widow spider.

Dogs were a special source of inspiration after Horenstein experienced a rough break up. “I wanted to be somewhere that I was wanted  - that would be dogs.”

The project was very “calming” and “peaceful” for Horenstein. However, the project stretched over five years and spanned an estimated 1,000 rolls of film and 36,000 shots for the 60 images that made the final cut. Selecting the best of the best was a difficult task, Horenstein said.

Along the way, he learned the best ways to avoid red tape at aquariums, that “the better the aquarium, the harder it is to shoot” and factoids about the animals he spent hours observing.

“Who knew elephants had hair coming out of their toenails?” Horenstein said.

“Animalia” will be on display at the University Art Gallery on 715 Purchase Street, New Bedford until March 20. The gallery is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.