Pet Photographer's inspiring crusade

[Motownkid]

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Sharing this brilliant idea & heartening work from Dallas photographer Teresa Berg hoping it will inspire fellow photo hobbyists & enthusiasts to reach out & support our local pet adoption centers.





How to Save a Dog’s Life? Take Better Pictures


Youtube - Pet photographer's ambitious adoption photos


So many dogs are euthanized every year because they can't find a family to adopt them. It's not their fault. With some better picture taking, a few cute poses and accessories, dogs can find a new home in no time.

It's true, Dallas pet photographer Teresa Berg has taken it upon herself to "better market" homeless dogs so they can find a family to take them in. Instead of just snapping a random picture of a dog behind a chain-linked fence, in poor lighting and unflattering poses, Berg takes time with each shot, dressing them up and creating pictures of dogs you can imagine on people's mantles. Gone are red-eyed, blurry shots. In are dogs with a soul.

The results of her pictures were instant. Every dog Berg took a picture of was adopted and the entire dog shelter as a whole has seen a 100% increase in adoption rates. Berg is now starting to teach volunteers how to take better pictures of homeless dogs. It's a pretty great idea for any professional photographer who wants to give back.

Gizmodo | Photographer Teresa Berg - specializing maternity, newborn and pet portraits

[cmontoya]

I wonder whether the same would work for homeless kids.

[Motownkid]

Us Flips have these propensity to copy what is not practical maybe because of our innate colonial mentality.

Has anyone gone into our local dog pounds where all stray (homeless) dogs go? Practically, they're all "askal" breeds. No such breeds in photos. And if there are these are sold - not adopted! With our proclivity and tendency for foreign (imported) products who woul not adopt a Rottweiler, German Shepherd, Jack Russels or toy dogs if given the chance and for free. The next question is who would be willing to adopt an ordinary "askal"? And if there are takers or darers all they have to do is visit their nearest dog pound.

I totally get what you're trying to bring out. Although I'm not wholly against it, I don't really support the "pet trade" where people purchase better breed dogs/cats leaving out the homeless, inferior breeds. I'm pro-adoption.

If you find 'sparing some your time taking good photos of pets up for adoption' impractical, then it's your call. You must have other better things to do as a photographer.

Kung naay photo enthusiast/s diha who's also a pet lover, this might interest you in improving your photo taking skills. Wala man ni pinugsanay, sa mga interesado lang.

@genghis2510 :

https://www.istorya.net/forums/pet-di...anization.html

Like in that thread, don't you think mas OK if nindut/artistic ang photos sa ilang mga pet dogs/cats up for adoption? People in that organization surely would appreciate that.

[Motownkid]

I wonder whether the same would work for homeless kids.

I kinda saw this question coming but not that soon..Hehehe

My take on this is pretty much the same with what genghis2510 have posted above.

[cmontoya]

I love taking photos of dogs regardless of breed although yeah, most of the time dog events only feature those with 'breeds.'

I'm not sure whether message is the same as by the person who commented on my photo of an askal I shot during a night photowalk. He or she said, "Did you help this skin and bone dog? If not realize that a living (thing) was suffering while you with the means only saw it as an opportunity for artistic purposes not a chance to save a soul."



Wala na lang ko nitubag. He has a point but jeez, could he have been less judgmental? Does taking photo of a dog that I didn't save make me a 'bad' person?

Ref: A stray dog - sharing the same fate as the old man | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[cmontoya]

@genghis: I think photojournalism is a difficult job. I forgot who it was but one PJ was criticized for documenting the activities of terrorists, even showing the actual "killings." If that was his case, I wonder whether he is just a 'neutral' observer like us who reads about the 'bad' news in the paper. He could reason out that even without his presence, the terrorists would still have proceeded with their daily lives.

Anyway, murag OT nako kaayo, ha ha. Sorry sa TS. I guess his message was just that if we can help or willing to help as photographers, then that's ok. Wala naman pinipilit. I think there was one project before of photographers hiking out to a mountain baranggay and giving out school supplies. Lapis something, I forgot.