What makes my job as a photographer so exciting and fulfilling is that I get to travel the country meeting unique people in unique places and telling their stories. Even though I’ve spent many years living and working in the Bay Area, Half Moon Bay will always be one of my favorite locations to photograph. There is a quality of light in Half Moon Bay that I have never found anywhere else in all my travels, and I fall in love with the ocean every single time I visit. I never tire of it. I think it has something to do with sunlight bouncing off the vast ocean, getting caught up in the dense succulents along the shoreline, and filtering through the magical ancient trees. Put a dog or two and a person or two who love each other in that environment and we’ve got a recipe for greatness. It’s such an exciting place to work.
Recently I met a wonderful San Francisco dog photography client at Half Moon Bay- Ben (the Great Pyrenees mix) and his human. I was invited to take a magical early morning walk among the cypress trees at Moss Beach.The light streaming through the branches and the brightness bouncing off the thin layer of marine fog gave us a few hours of soft, cool light in which to photograph. Ben was the real focus of this project, and he was overjoyed to be running around this little local forest, zigging and zagging through the trees and playing with his human. Because Ben is such a big, bright white dog and the early morning forest was so dark and dense- that soft overcast light let me play with a smooth range of contrast making Ben’s wonderful stature and shape stand out within simple, balanced, black and white portraits.
When I work with clients I always spend time getting to know them a few days before we photograph- I ask questions about their beautiful relationship with their animal companion, I dig deep into the emotional bond they share and ask about specific locations and moments that make them happiest. This is a crucial part of my process because during this first meeting I am internally building a fully formed mental image of this completely unique relationship, and transferring that into visual imagery in my head. These concepts will guide me during our dog photography session, allowing me to be free to simply create images. In our preparation session, it became clear that this beach side grove of trees high above the ocean was a special place for Ben and his person. On the day of the shoot, their relationship to this place was a beautiful thing to observe.
The process is intense from start to finish, for both my clients and for me. In the end, the result is a series of black and white dog portraits that are truly unique to their experience and intensely honest. Ben lying in the dark forest, Ben racing around in the early morning light, and Ben chasing shadows with his human- my client had told me those are the happiest moments they share during their private morning walks. Those moments were so intensely intimate that my client was a little worried that I would not be able to capture them- simply because for so long they had only existed privately.
Being able to not only witness that, but also illustrate it and turn those moments and feelings into a permanent archival photograph for clients is such a fulfilling process for me as an artist.
You can see some of our favorite images from this session on display at the Half Moon Bay Veterinary Hospital, where most days you can also see Ben hanging around the office trying to help with paper work. Or sleeping. You can read more about this session, or inquire about commissioning your own project, on my website: www.jessefreidin.com.
Jesse Freidin is an award-winning fine art dog photographer based in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. His black and white dog portraits continue a centuries-long practice of commissioned artists entrusted with articulating the incredible bond between dogs and humans. When he is not working with private dog photography clients or hiking with his Boston Terrier Pancake, Jesse dedicates a great deal of time to supporting animal welfare organizations.
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Main article photo by: Jesse Freidin
