Finally!
I’m so happy this day came. I’ve been trying to do a particular project with the Central Missouri Humane Society for months.
See, here’s the thing. The Central Missouri Humane Society is having a very hard time staying afloat. They don’t turn animals away and they don’t have the funding for the essentials of care, let alone the space they desperately need. I don’t have much to donate except for some photo skills.
I felt this needed to be done.
So that’s what happened.
It was so much fun too.
A little difficult, but a lot of fun.
Read on for more photos.
The animals were excited to have a full studio to play in, so before each one could be photographed we had to let them explore and romp for a bit.
The goal of this project was to showcase the animals in a way that showed their human characteristics. Often times people ignore animals because they are seen as just that…animals. That’s the core of the problem to me. Many people need to be able to relate to something in order to want to help.
So, if they can find a characteristic of themselves in the expression of the animal I photograph, we are one step closer.
The above shot really strikes a chord with me. To look at that dog (a stray that doesn’t have a name) you can tell that he’s had a very hard life, but somehow you feel a sense of hope and happiness to be in a place that cares for him with more than food. He looks optimistic to me.
Then we have the priss below.
It still makes me laugh though cause no matter what, when you look at these images you can’t help but see their personalities. That communication between the portrait and the audience is vital to the success of this effort.
I got into photography to affect people on a deeper level. Portraits to show people how beautiful they are, weddings to capture a memory of bliss, and commercial to get feelings like that to the masses. Maybe it’s corny, I don’t know, but I love it.
This is the first time that I’ve been able to look at a project and feel like I’m actually making a larger difference with my work.
It’s a damned good feeling.
***EDIT***
I should have done this before but it didn’t occur to me. Each of these animals is up for adoption, I dug for them on petfinder and have a link for each listed below. Also, the nameless stray whose photo really gets me, now has a name. Zimm.
Here they are, listed in the order they appear.
What a wonderful project!! It truly would have been an honor to be involved in such a cause. Well done..the portraits are wonderful, and the expressions (the CAT especially..)really made me laugh.
Kudos to you!
Amazing!
David, these are the most amazing animal pics I have ever seen.
Those are amazing pictures. I wish I didn’t have a full house – that rotty is calling to me… but I have already rescued so many.
Fabulous work and a great cause!!!
AW!
You could do family and pet animal shoots and donate some of the proceeds to the charity. I’m so inspired by you and Ms. B’s dedication to helping. It is very heart-warming. Good luck to the animals and awesome job!
I there any solid object you can’t photograph with amazing depth and emotion?
I’m so glad to see you’ve done this!! It is a hope of mine to someday (when I do photography as my only job!!) be able to do something like this for foster children and those up for adoption. Animals would be fun, too! Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂
It was awesome to watch you do this shoot. Wish I could have gotten there a little earlier, next time perhaps.
The pictures came out wonderfully, loved learning how/why you set things up the way you did.
Always here if you want an assistant or just wanna show me how it’s done.
Thanks again!
-justin
Nice work David. Well done.
I love “the priss,” so adorable.
It’s wonderful to see someone take time out of their life to devote time to such a worthy cause. Every shelter needs a pro photographer to come out and take pictures for them. Awesome, bro, awesome. Much love, Josh