Picture Perfect w/ Jesse Freidin

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Dog Photographer Jesse Freidin On Visually Capturing The Strong Bond Between Dogs And Their Humans

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About The Episode

Jesse Freidin’s journey with photography started with a little plastic camera when he was young. Later, in college, he got back into photography – a sign of what was to come.

After graduating, he went to San Francisco and started working at a dog daycare facility. Little did he know that it would soon prove meaningful in merging with his photography interest.

He applied to work at a photo studio and became an apprentice for a year. His mentor was someone who photographed families, but Jesse wasn’t interested in that for his personal work. So his mentor suggested that he take photos of dogs instead.

At first, Jesse wasn’t sure about that idea. His vision of “dog photography” was blurred by the generic and more superficial version of dog photos that are the norm. Nonetheless, he decided to give it a try. Following that first session, Jesse immediately realized that he could bring a fine art approach to the field.

That led to Jesse pursuing that path as a freelancer, being hired by different people to take photographs of their dogs – and, when requested, also photos of the dogs with their owners. He has been doing this as his own small business for over a decade now.

Jesse has also pursued several photo book projects. A few years ago he released Finding Shelter, which looked at the people who volunteer at dog rescue shelters. He also has another project releasing at the end of 2020, When Dogs Heal, which looks at people with HIV who have found solace in their dogs.

Outside of his professional work, Jesse has had his own relationships with dogs, too. While he didn’t have one growing up – he had a Boston Terrier named Pancake for 13 years, who just passed away recently, and the two were best friends. They would do everything together. And there’s no doubt that his insight into capturing the essence of the dogs he photographs, and the relationship with their owners, was impacted and enhanced by his relationship with Pancake.

About The Guest - Jesse Freidin

Jesse Freidin is a professional freelance dog photographer, who creates memorable images of dogs and their owners. Based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, he shoots primarily in black-and-white and always sets out to capture the true essence of a given dog (and, if requested, their owner). During his time in this field, for over a decade now, he has learned a lot about the dog and human relationship from his work. He has also worked on several book projects exploring that relationship as well, including topics like shelter workers and HIV-diagnosed individuals – and the relationship all of these different people have with dogs.

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