Shaina Fishman: Animal Care Centers of New York

BY Molly Glynn 22 January 2018

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.

Tear sheet photo of Times Square in New York shot by photographer Shaina Fishman.

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.

Tear sheet photo of two cats shot by photographer Shaina Fishman.

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.

Tear sheet photo of ta white dog shot by photographer Shaina Fishman.

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!