Surrender

Brooklyn. ID#88723.

Tucker. ID#88031.

Jerry Lewis. ID#88848.

The images above show three dogs who have been surrendered by their owners. Coincidentally, these three dogs were surrendered by their owners because they could not care for them any longer. It seems that this is the reason for most owner surrenders at the WCAS. There is no further explanation of why they were surrendered. However, their previous owners did list positive characteristics of these former pets, such as "very obedient", "loves walks", and "loves car rides". After spending some time with each dog, it is apparent that their previous owners were good to them. Brooklyn, Tucker, and Jerry Lewis are extremely friendly and know how to sit on command. Each one would make great cuddle buddies! They would make great additions to loving families.

Overpopulation

The amount of animal turn-over is at the Wake County Animal Shelter is overwhelming. I see new dogs every time I volunteer on a weekly basis. The Wake County Animal Shelter receives an average of 40 animals per day. That is approximately 270 new animals per week. During my last visit, I did not recognize a single dog from the week before in one of the dog rooms. All of the kennels in that particular room were occupied by new dogs, many of them who just arrived a day or two before my visit. I could tell because of the flea medecine that was still wet on their shoulders and the fearfulness of the dogs in the new environment. Although I was aware of the animal turn-over rate at Wake County, seeing so many new faces was a bit of a shock to me, realizing how many new animals the shelter takes in and wondering what became of the other dogs that I was expecting to see again. The animals are there one week and gone the next. It's almost like their just filtered through, in and out, in and out. Unfortunately, some aren't as lucky and have been at the animal shelter for quite some time. 

In the American Humane Association's article about pet overpopulation (http://www.americanhumane.org/animals/adoption-pet-care/issues-information/pet-overpopulation.html)  goes in depth about what is causing the overpopulation of dogs and cats. This article provides substantial information and various reasons, but one point that I want to point out from this reading is the topic of people choosing not to adopt. According to this article, there is more than enough homes to house the animal population. The real problem is that people are choosing not to adopt and are instead choosing to buy a purebred from a breeder or a pet store. Only 20% of pet buyers adopt from an animal shelter. Out of the 17 million shelter animals, only 3.5 million of them are adopted each year. 

"By choosing to adopt, you will not only save a life, but you will also ensure that your adoption fee is going to help the next unwanted pet that comes in the door of that shelter." -American Humane Association. 

Helga Higgins. ID#86330.
Helga is one of the sweetest and gentlest dogs that I have had the privilege to meet. She is always calm and trusting. I saw Helga in one of the kennels last week as I was taking pictures of other dogs and she was still at the shelter today. She has been in the shelter for 55 days, which makes absolutely NO SENSE to me. She is a sweet and kindred spirit- wouldn't hurt a fly. Maybe she hasn't been adopted yet because she is a Pitbull and she's skinnier than the other dogs in the center. Her homelessness could very well be manipulated by the fact that not many people are adopting these days, as discussed earlier. I am 100% honest when I say that I have no idea why she has not found a home yet. There is not a hint of bad in this dog. I miss her already and hopes someone as kind as her realizes that they need her in their lives. 

Helga Higgins. ID#86330.

Helga and I.
Photo taken by Shannon Johnstone on 5/29/13.

Bell. ID#87520.

This is my least favorite picture out of all the photos that I've taken during my first week as a volunteer. 

Strengths of this image:

1. Bell's eyes are lively and bright, adding on to her adorable quality.
2. The majority of the composition is taken up by the cat, allowing the viewers to focus on her, instead of the environment she's in.
3. Because she is so close to the camera, this image of Bell suggests her playfulness, friendliness, and curiosity, which can help her appear more adoptable.

Weaknesses of this image:

1. Although it is the largest and closest point in this image, Bell's face is not in focus. Instead, her legs are in focus, drawing the viewer's attention away from what I want them to be observing to something that does not serve the purpose of why I am taking a photo of her. A photo dedicated to her feet (although they are adorable) will not increase the likelihood of finding her a home.
2. Because Bell's face is so close to the camera, her head seems to be bloated in comparison to her tiny legs. Although this may be cute to some people, it does not give Bell justice for how cute she really is. Her large head distorts the representation of what she actually looks like in real life. 
3. The exposure of this image seems a bit too high and sensitive. As we can see, her white paws disappear into the white of the shelf that she is standing on. It makes the lighting seem unnaturally bright. I want the viewers to be able to distinguish her paws from the shelf. 

I've learned my lesson. I shouldn't take a photo of an animal when their face is so close the camera, distorting their appearance. I need to make sure that the animal's face is in focus and that the exposure of the image doesn't "bright out" areas of the animal's body. I will definitely work on improving these areas when taking more photos as a volunteer. 

Adoptable animals at the WCAS

Leonard. ID#88682. 

Casa Blanca. ID#86658. 

Galinda. ID#88455.

Ice. ID#88600.

Karmin. ID#88710.

Lady Chops. ID#88373.

Martin. ID#88652.

Oden. ID#87882.

Simone. ID#88289.

Alicia. ID#879857.

Heather. ID#88244.

Where do all these animals come from? After volunteering at the animal shelter for one week, I have learned that there are various reasons of why there are so many animals in the animal shelter. In most cases, the animals are surrendered by their owners and some are found on the streets. We have to confront the source of the issue: overpopulation. Owners are not getting their pets neutered or spayed, allowing there to be too many animals to care for. That is the reason why there are so many animals in the animal shelter. This is an issue that needs to be confronted. We need to raise awareness!

Lady Chops. ID#88373.

This is definitely the photo (out of  my dog photos) that I am most proud of from this week.  This  image has a shallow depth of field, blurring the environment and emphasizing Lady Chops. But best of all is the irresistibility factor of this animal! LOOK AT HER! Her eyes, perky ears, and childlike posture are irresistible. Her eyes are asking for love and affection. This is an unedited image, but after I do a little bit of editing, those eyes will be even more adorable (if that's possible).

Metadata?

Metadata helps you organize, control the uses of, and find your images on a map, generally supporting the appearance of your image. Metadata also provides information about a file. For example, metadata provides information about what shutter speed and ISO levels were used when taking a particular photo and when that photo was taken. This information that metadata provides is extremely important for any photographer, especially those who share their images on the internet. Some websites, such as facebook, will strip an image of it's information when it is uploaded onto the site, allowing many copyright violations to be committed upon the photo and photographer. Metadata shares this information, but also refers to proper citation and ownership of the image. This is the most important aspect to me as a photographer. Metadata also helps me organize my images better and allows me to see which ISO and shutter speed combinations are most successful in my images.

Pigpen. ID#85852.

When taking this photograph, I had to use a lower ISO because we were outside in the sunlight.  When taking photographs in the shelter, I consistently use an ISO of 1600, but out in the sun I had to experiment with lower ISO levels, which is something I have never tested before.

I may want to crop this image to bring more focus to Pigpen, but I did want to show an environment in which I would use a lower ISO. Nevertheless, I think this image flatters the dog because he is in the center and looking straight at the camera. Pigpen's expression is very calm, serene, and happy, making him irresistible! His ears are perky and he is engaging with the viewers. 

Intelligent and Loving

NOVA’s Dogs Decoded is a very informative and excellent documentary for anyone who is interested in, adores, or currently has an intimate relationship with a dog. The documentary provides modern day research on dogs and their interactions with human beings, supporting this idea of dogs being a man’s (OR A WOMAN’S) best friend. I learned so much from this video. It’s hard to condense all the information I gathered into this one blog post, but I’ll give it a try. I always acknowledged the intimate relationship between humans and dogs compared to that of humans and other animals. However, it really struck me when watching this documentary. It made me sit and think about it, how dogs are such a significant part in our lives. What’s interesting is that we human beings are a dog’s best friend(s) as well. As the documentary pointed out, dogs communicate with us differently than they do with other dogs. It seems that our canine friends have evolved to interpret our emotions, understand our hand gestures, and express their feelings to us in a way that can only be experienced in a human and dog relationship. I always knew that dogs are capable of doing these things, but if we really think about this canine ability to understand and communicate with a different species so successfully, it’s really an amazing thing. Recent research shows that dogs are in fact more intelligent than our “closest mammal relatives”, the chimps, because they engage with us and understand our hand gestures. I would have never expected this to be true! This documentary discusses where dogs might have come from, the nature vs. nurture aspect of a dog’s behavior, and the health benefits of owning a dog and canine research.

The things that I learned from this video don’t necessarily change my views on the animals at the shelter, but rather prompts me to see them as extremely intelligent creatures with which I can communicate with. These dogs are smarter than chimps! They can examine our faces, they know what we’re feeling, and they’re engaged with our actions and behaviors. Because dogs are so sensitive to us, I need to be even more sensitive when interacting with them at the shelter. For example, if a dog is extremely shy and fearful, I will approach her with a comforting tone and give her time to examine my smiling face before taking pictures of her. I will allow my gestures to be welcoming and friendly. Because I learned from the video that dogs are so unique in their ability of understanding hand gestures, I will try to communicate more with my hands when interacting with the shelter dogs. For example, I could point to something to get the dog to look in that direction, gesture where I want him to sit for my photo, and reward him by petting him. This will force the dog to engage with me, allowing both of us to be more comfortable with each other and letting the dog know that he can communicate with me.  

Speaking of very engaged canine friends, I got to spend time with Pigpen today. He is a Labrador and Terrier mix. He's just a little over a year old and has been at the shelter for approximately 61 days. Pigpen is a playful little guy and very friendly with other dogs. He's a puppy in a dog's body. With a good owner and training, Pigpen would make an great dog! Why has he been in the shelter for so long? His profile photo on the WCAS website may contribute to this problem. 

Pigpen. ID#85852. Photograph taken by a WCAS volunteer. Date copied: 5/22/13.

This is NOT a good photograph in terms of increasing the likelihood of finding this animal a home. Is the photo advertising the human or the dog? Pigpen is not the emphasis and focus of this image. We are distracted by his environment, instead of focusing on him. The exposure/brightness of Pigpen's white face is so bright that the image loses all detail in the dog's face. We are unable to tell what Pigpen's face really looks like. 

Pigpen. ID#85852. 

This is a photograph taken by me. Pigpen is undeniably the focus of this image. The details in his face and body are legible and the environment is not as distracting. In my photograph, he is seen with a human being, but the person is not the emphasis of the photo. The presence of the human also shows his ability to interact and share a relationship with human beings, tying us back into what I was discussing about earlier in this post about the Dogs Decoded documentary. Dogs are extremely intelligent animals and are capable of loving humans. I believe showing the animals intelligence and/or capacity to love is important to portray in my photographs. The portrayal of these shelter animals in this light of the intelligent and relational creatures that they are, is a key factor in getting these animals adopted into loving homes. For example, this photograph of Pigpen shows that she can sit/walk at the heels of her owner when she is on a short leash and is comfortable in such intimate contact with human beings (intelligence and capability of love). These aspects that are shown in this photo will trigger positive thoughts in the viewers, encouraging them to adopt him. 

In conclusion, we need to see, treat, and represent our canine friends for what they really are, intelligent and loving creatures.

-P.Ro

Photographing Animals and Basic Techniques

Milk Duds. ID#85486. Photo taken by WCAS volunteer. Copied 5/21/13.

This photograph really caught my attention when I was navigating through the Wake County animal shelter's website (http://www.wakegov.com/pets/Pages/default.aspx). The high resolution and quality are not the only aspects of this photo that make it eye catching but the basic techniques used in this image as well.  

1. This image presents a shallow depth of field, meaning the dog is in focus, but his background is not. The dog is the emphasis of the image, causing the viewer's focus to be on the dog. We are not focusing on the environment the animal is in.
2. His eyes are gorgeous and irresistible! There is a simple technique in Photoshop that involves brightening the eyes with a paint brush tool, and I am assuming that technique was used in this image as well. This technique enhances the irresistibility factor of the animal, allowing them to appear more adoptable than they already are! 
3. It's hard to catch it with a glance, but there is a very slight vignette effect in this image, darkening the corners and drawing our eyes in towards the center to focus on the animal. This technique is not only visually pleasing, but it guides the viewers eyes to the animal in a similar way as the shallow depth of field. 

These three basic techniques can make a world of a difference when taking or editing photos of animals. Because this image contained these three traits, I was drawn to it immediately compared to the other photos.
 
When editing my photos in Photoshop, I also tried to incorporate some of these techniques that are seen in Milk Duds's photo in my own photos. Here's an example:

Wally. ID#88346. He has forever touched my heart. One of the most loving and happy dogs I have had the pleasure to meet. Words can't begin to explain how much I love Wally, from the 7 minutes I spent with him, and how much I wish him a good home.

 This image presents a shallow depth of field, as seen in the photo of Milk Duds. Wally's face is the focus and point with most clarity in this image. His environment blurs out behind him, allowing the viewers eyes to focus on his face first and foremost (look at that smile). I brightened the high lights in his eyes to stimulate the irresistibility factor of this image to the viewer (look at those puppy dog eyes). Last but not least, I added a vignette effect. I made it more apparent than the vignette seen in the previous photo because I really wanted to draw our eyes to lovable, little Wally. He deserves all the attention in the world. 

In case you haven't read the caption to my photo yet, you need to know that Wally would make an amazing addition to the family. I repeat: He has forever touched my heart and I am absolutely in love with this dog.

-P.Ro

Why the fees?

The various costs for animals at the WCAS.

As seen in this picture, it is $45 to adopt a dog, $15 to adopt a cat, and $20 to adopt a rabbit at the Wake County Animal Shelter. The animal adoption fee includes the animal's first series of shots, vaccinations, microchip (to keep track of the dog/cat if they were to get lost), and deworming medications. In other words, if someone were to adopt from this shelter, they are not only saving a life, but they are getting a great deal for a inexpensive price. What could be better?

Some may question the reasons behind these fees: Why can't they give the animals to the public for free? In order to accurately answer this question, I asked the manager of the WCAS, Ricci, to find out the real reason(s) and intent behind the adoption fees. Ricci explained the cost of vaccinations, shots, and microchips and how the adoption fees are necessary to provide these important things for the animals. To get an idea of the other perspective, I asked a visitor the same question. Why do they think the animal shelter doesn't give away the homeless animals away for free? The visitor who I spoke with, who will not be named in this post, understood that the shelter needs funds to provide food and shelter for the animals. She thought it was very necessary and understandable that the center would administer adoption fees on these homeless animals. I think this woman really understood the shelter's responsibility of taking care of the animals and steps are taken to properly do so. Before I became a volunteer and I would visit the WCAS as a visitor, I, too, understood how these adoption fees would lend to the animals well being as a whole. I can definitely relate to her thoughts and response. 

 This is Ringo. He's a lovable Pitbull who has been at the WCAS since February. He's a playful and lovable dog who loves the outdoors. Ringo will make a great addition to a family one day. Ringo is up to date on his shots, vaccines, and will be neutered when someone decides to adopt him. This is why the WCAS has adoption fees for their homeless animals, to give amazing animals like Ringo a healthier life and help find them a loving home. So why the fees? The fees are to help the animals. 

-P.Ro

I have been to the Wake County Animal Shelter a few times in the past year with some friends. Yesterday was my first time going to the animal shelter as an official volunteer. I don't know if my heart and views towards the animal shelter changed after orientation, but I feel that my experience yesterday, touring the building as a volunteer, was much more positive than when I visited as a normal visitor. Recalling my past experiences, the smell of the shelter seemed (almost) unbearable. I remember having to clog my nose to prevent a headache. Seeing the dogs behind caged doors also saddened me and hearing the dogs bark enhanced my sorry feeling in past visits. I couldn't imagine how all those animals feel locked up in a kennel day in and day out with only 15 minutes of outside time (for dogs at least). After the animal shelter closes their doors to the public, the dogs don't see any people walking down the hallways until 8 am the next day...It continues to break my heart.

I still felt extremely sorry for the animals in the large caged-in booths during my volunteer tour and it was still very noisy, but I had more of a hopeful attitude when interacting with the animals, particularly the dogs. This time, I had my camera and active participation/attempt in finding them a home with photography. I wasn't just walking around looking for a dog to adopt with a friend or just visiting for fun. I'm helping save some of their lives and that changed my whole perspective on my experience at the shelter. It didn't even smell that bad to me yesterday (probably because my attitude change)! I'm definitely looking forward to this summer project and working at the animal center on a weekly basis.

This is Dic Tracey. He's a Rottweiler mix and has been at the WCAS for about a month now. He is the sweetest dog you'll ever meet: extremely calm, friendly, and great with kids. As you can see, I still have a lot of practice to do with my photography skills. My camera was more focused on the caged door than Dic Tracey, which emphasizes the environment more than the dog to the viewers. I'LL PRACTICE!

I had the opportunity to go in his cage and interact with him. He's a gorgeous, handsome dog.  His ears are, in fact, perky, but because he was not familiar with the huge camera and the shutter sound, he got a little nervous. Such a sweetheart! I would adopt him if I could!

Until next time,

P.Ro

The camera that I will be using as a volunteer animal photographer is a Nikon D70s. It's not the latest version of a Nikon DSLR, but it's still decent and includes all the necessary functions. Compared to a point-and-shoot camera, this Nikon D70s is higher in ISO quality (sensitivity to light) and photo quality. This camera will also allow me to control the depth of field which is a key factor when photographing the animals. Using a shallow depth of field (when one point of the photo is in focus and the rest has a slight blur, emphasizing the area that is in focus) will allow me to draw the viewers' attention to the animal rather than the environment that they are in, such as cages, kennels, etc. Here's a visual example of a shallow depth of field:

Aleida Avendano. Aleida Photography: http://aleidaavendano.blogspot.com/2013/01/depth-of-field.html. May 14, 2013.

However, nothing is perfect and there are some cons to using this camera when photographing animals at the shelter. First of all, there are so many controls and buttons that it's a bit overwhelming. I tried playing around with the ISO and aperture, but I just got really confused. My lack of knowledge in working this camera and its many buttons shows in the pictures that I experimentally took with it. Hopefully, I'll get a hang of it before having to photograph the animals. 

Another con to using this camera is the bulky size of it. It's going to be challenging walking in and out of kennels with a camera this size. I'm worried it will get in the way of what I have to do more than being beneficial to my volunteer work. However, I'm sure I'll get used to handling this bulky camera.

Coco and camera. This photo shows a visual of how big the camera really is. Also, I know Coco's nails are long. She has an appointment at Pet's Mart tomorrow. Don't judge me.

The other cons of using this camera include: the expensive price, larger file sizes of the photos (that are really not necessary for the animal shelter photos that I will be taking), and the fragility of it. It has a higher risk of damage in comparison to a point-and-shoot camera.

There are these pros and cons, but I'm still certain that I will eventually learn to take good photographs with this camera. It will take some time though. We'll see and you can be the judge of that.

-P.Ro

Hi. My name is Pauline Ro. I am a rising senior and currently a Studio Art major with an Art History minor at Meredith College in Raleigh, NC. 

I've never taken a online course during my first 3 years here at Meredith, but I am finally taking my first one ever, Photographing for the Web. This course involves volunteering as an animal photographer at the Wake County Animal Shelter in hopes of finding these animals a loving home. As I take this online course and learn how to be a volunteer photographer, I will be posting my photographs on this blog to shine light on the various animals that are at the center. I don't know what to expect for an online class...I'm kind of nervous because I ask A LOT of questions. However, I am looking forward to a more flexible schedule than that of a regular class, or at least that's what I'm expecting, but looking at the syllabus for this class I know that I will have enough work to keep me fairly busy. 

I signed up for this course soon after I heard about it. Photographing animals and getting school credit for it?! Who wouldn't take up an offer like this? Not me. However, raising awareness and being a part of a role that finds these animals a home is the real reason why I signed up for this class. I still have a lot to learn about county animals shelters, their systems, the workers/volunteers, and the animals themselves. I only really started "learning" about animal shelters a little over a year ago (I know...it sounds terrible), but I'm hoping this course will educate me of those things. I think, actually I know, a lot of people have many misunderstandings of county animal shelters. I was one of them (still am...a tad bit). Long story short, I'm expecting this class to enable me to raise awareness of the county animal shelters in a positive light, get the animals adopted, and learn what goes on behind the scenes to see for myself what's really going on.

I am a bit nervous, however, about what I will see or learn as a volunteer, as a person who has to discuss and hear about the things that goes on behind closed doors. I don't know if I can emotionally handle it. Also, handling aggressive animals is something I'm nervous about (not too nervous though). ALSO...I'm the worst when it comes to holding a cat. I like cats, but I've always been a dog person. The idea that they might feel uncomfortable and can turn around and scratch my face off freaks me out a little, so I've always just liked petting cats. Hopefully, I'll overcome that fear. 

Overall, I can't wait to be a part of something like this. Sure I'm just going to be a volunteer photographer, but knowing that I contributed to saving an animal's life will be a reward in itself. That's what I'm excited about.

ps. Random, I know, but I love showing her off. This is my miniature dachshund Coco. I love taking pictures of her when she's calm because she's actually a ball of jumping energy/chaos in real life. I've always loved animals, ESPECIALLY DOGS, and that's probably another reason why I was interested in this course.

Until next time,
P.Ro