To Help Shelter Cats Find Their Forever Homes, This Photographer Volunteers To Take Glamour Shots Of Them
Some shelter cats need more than a cage card to stand out, and Jen Parjol has made that her mission. With a camera, a patient eye, and a soft spot for felines, she helps adoptable cats at the Arizona Animal Welfare League & SPCA look like the stars they already are.
Through her work with Howl PHX and HeARTs Speak, Jen turns quick shelter snapshots into portraits that show each cat’s personality, from playful to sleepy to downright regal. The goal is simple, give people a better reason to stop scrolling and start adopting.
Her photos have already helped thousands of animals, and the story behind them is just as charming as the cats themselves. Read on.
The most efficient method for capturing the ideal feline photograph
Basically, Jen sees the feline energy and showcases it to the world through her eyes, and she's sharing her best secret to getting the perfect cat shot.
HeARTs Speak’s objective is to assist animals in finding their forever homes
She says shelter cats are often photographed in ways that miss their personality entirely.
Such a cutie!
“The best way is to be a cat person, more than to be a photographer. That skill set is more useful.”
What's more, she's right because if you've spent time with felines, you know what they like and what stands out. Just that ability will have a cat gazing squarely into your camera. It's simply an act of tolerance and patience, and continuously recalling this ought to be fun for yourself as well as your cat subjects.
Jen has recreated shelter photographs to catch what makes each cat the individual they are
Jen additionally enjoys composing multi-layered profiles for the adoptable felines she photographs. This allows her an opportunity to create an entire story about each feline, providing possible adopters with a genuine look into the feline's character.
This is the same kind of perspective shift as the Lithuanian photographer shooting animals from below.
The best way is to be a cat person, more than to be a photographer
Jen has taken more than 5,000 photographs of adoptable animals, and she has connected countless furry ones with their permanent families. As a HeARTS Speak member, she isn’t the only one spreading the good message.
“It’s an opportunity to share the joy I feel volunteering with folks who don’t spend time with shelter cats.”
The world of pet photography
HeARTs Speak’s founder and executive director, Lisa Prince Fishler, started the nonprofit organization when she met her BFF, a shelter dog named Ignatius Bodhi Sattva, otherwise known as Iggy. The shelter photograph she saw of Iggy did not, in the slightest bit, capture his true appeal, and this motivated Lisa to venture into the world of pet photography, which helped her change the perception of shelter pictures.
Jen has taken more than 5,000 photographs of adoptable animals
"They have blossomed into a love army"
However, Iggy died in 2018, and Lisa has continued with the work she began thanks to him. She shared that their endeavors have "blossomed into a love army, now over 600 strong, spanning almost every state in the nation, over 20 countries, and literally transforming the image of shelter pets across the globe."
The Facebook page
Through all modes of art, active preparation, and educational endeavors, the objective of helping animals find their forever homes through creative means is echoed by experts. You can explore more insights on happiness and well-being at various websites. Additionally, for tips on how to photograph animals effectively, consider following advice that emphasizes the importance of creativity in learning, and adoptable cats posed in their ideal abodes.
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