The Power of an Image to Help Homeless Dogs: Photographer Sophie Gamand & Her Fashionable Photos
Celebrated photographer, Sophie Gamand, launched a very fashionable series to change our perceptions of Pitbulls, and its working! Meet her and learn about what she’s doing.
BIO:
Sophie Gamand is a French award-winning photographer living and working in New York City. Since 2010, she has been focusing on dogs and our relationship with them.
Her most known series are Wet Dog and Flower Power, Pit Bulls of the Revolution. She has won several prestigious photo awards and has been consulted as a dog photography expert for eminent publications and institutions such as Christie's or Vogue. Her work has been published in the press worldwide, online and in print (Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, Oprah Magazine, ....). Her first book, Wet Dog, is scheduled for October 2015.
An award-winning animal advocate, Sophie Gamand donates photography time and expertise to numerous animal shelters and rescue groups and has developed awareness campaigns. Check her charitable work here: www.StrikingPaws.com.
Why is my work focused on dogs?
I photograph dogs to better understand humans. Dogs are the first - and most striking - example of artificial selection. Acting like gods, Men created dogs, manipulated their genetics to fulfill their own needs and desires. They subdued an entire specie. I believe this should give us tremendous responsibility towards dogs, and it also speaks volume about our own human society.
The word “pet” has been referred to as “the indulged child”, as early as the 15th Century. A big city like New York, a place not primarily designed for animals, seems to emphasize the idea that the nature of our favorite companions has been engineered to fit the human lifestyle. Are dogs still animals? Or are they the new children of a human community that grows increasingly disconnected?
In 2014, American animal lovers spent $58 billion on food, veterinary care, kennels and other pet services. Each year, 2.7 million animals are adopted from animal shelters. The boom of the Pet industry raises questions about us humans and our social interactions. In big cities, dogs are social anchors and sometimes replace spouses, children, friends. They have become the center of the home, around which everything – and sometimes everyone – revolves. Has this special treatment influenced the way dogs behave and interact with humans? In other parts of the world, dogs are still considered wild animals. But can they still survive on their own? Has our codependent relationship to dogs changed their true nature? Moreover, what does this bond reveal about our own social challenges and solitude?