Brooklyn-based photographer Shaina Fishman is looking up lately. Looking up in Times Square, that is. She recently tackled a pro-bono project for the ACC, or Animal Care Centers of New York, produced by agency Wunderman, which featured her photos on billboards in the busiest square in New York.
Shaina received a call from art buyer Patricia Widyn at Wunderman, who explained that a colleague recommended her for the project. Word of mouth helped get her behind the camera- and in front of dozens of adorable animals on a tight schedule of only three days, including video.
The concept of the campaign is called ‘Boroughbred.’ Which features Shaina’s images of the dogs and cats alongside labels blending the dog and cat breeds with different NYC neighborhoods.
The campaign captures the artful and loyal nature of New York’s animals and elevates them to a new and distinct breed status, because every one of the ACC boroughbreds deserves a permanent loving home of their own. -Wunderman Chief Marketing Officer Colby Webb
Because the project took place in a studio, Shaina didn’t have to worry about any big surprises during pre-production. Like a true professional, Shaina was on top of the details– from working with the client on choices for background colors to giving input on the subjects.
While the planning went smoothly, on the first day of shooting Shaina hit a snag with a rather shy model.
The dog did not want to be more than 2 inches away from the owner and would not sit or stay still. He really loved his owner and was super attached.
But they powered through, taking extra time for the dog to get comfortable with Shaina and enabling her to get the shot. It may have been a rough start to the day, but the crew managed to make up the time as the rest of the dogs posed for their pictures.
Over three days of shooting, with the third day focusing on video, Shaina had the opportunity to meet with the animals and their owners and loved hearing their stories.
The entire project was done for charity, with even the prime ad space being donated. Shaina is no stranger to the pro-bono world, working regularly with shelters and helping to photograph dogs that are up for adoption. She even works on a yearly calendar for a shelter in New Jersey, giving her six years of adorable cats and dogs to post on her walls!
It was a really exciting moment when I went to Times Square with my husband and our daughter to see the billboards. But that was simply the bonus.
Not a bad consolation for work worth doing. And, Shaina notes, adoption rates at ACC have been way up. No surprise, with faces like these.
Additional Credits:
Client: Animal Care Centers of New York
Chief Creative Officer: Sami Thessman
Creative Directors: Tony Bennett, Zac Sax
Art Director/Designer: Caitlin Workman
Art Director/Web Designer: Andrew Davis
Copywriter: Bilal Sheikh
Chief Marketing Officer: Colby Webb
Project Manager: Erin Gould
Videographer: Jenko Kent
Editor/Graphics/Color Correction: Aaron Sherman
Art Buyer: Patricia Widyn
See more of Shaina at shainafishman.com!