This series of black and white portraits shot by photographer Jesse Freidin highlights the close relationship that forms between animals and shelter volunteers.
Taken over the past year, Freidin sought to highlight the hard work and the motivation behind shelter volunteers who dedicate their spare time towards animals in need. The artist has also recently launched a Kickstarter campaign for a book project called 'Finding Shelter' that will not only document each shelter volunteer he encounters, but also hopefully help more animals become adopted as well.
On his Kickstarter page Friedin says, "I want to tell the stories that are not being heard which is why Finding Shelter began–to give voice to a small community that is directly responsible for keeping millions of abandoned animals alive every day."
What's Driving This Trend
- Animal Welfare Awareness
- The increasing awareness around animal welfare is creating opportunities for disruptive innovations in pet care, pet food products, and consumer activism.
- Volunteerism
- The growing trend of volunteerism in animal shelters is leading to new opportunities in corporate social responsibility initiatives, experiential marketing, and community building.
- Visual Storytelling
- Visual storytelling that captures the intimate relationships between humans and animals presents opportunities for brand storytelling, social campaigns, and content marketing.
Who This Affects Most
- Pet Care Industry
- The pet care industry has the potential to tap into nuanced consumer segments focused on animal welfare and adoption, creating new product lines and marketing campaigns.
- Nonprofit Sector
- Nonprofit organizations focused on animal rescue and adoption can utilize visual storytelling to increase awareness and donations, while also creating experiential events and corporate partnerships.
- Photography Industry
- The photography industry can leverage the trend of intimate animal portraits to develop new markets in animal photography, create unique product offerings and compelling marketing campaigns.
