Photographer Creates Wonderful Portraits Of Black Shelter Cats To Help Them Get Adopted
Casey Elise, a photographer living in Los Angeles, got a kitten in December 2014 and began helping at an animal shelter shortly after. This prompted her to combine her enthusiasm for animals with her interest in photography.
She began by taking gorgeous photos of cats at the shelter, which led to the creation of the Black Cat Project, a photography series aimed at promoting dark-colored felines. Black cats, according to Elise, have the lowest adoption rates and the highest euthanasia rates; one reason could be that beliefs propagated through movies and books have stigmatized them as "bad luck" or "wicked."
The kittens and adult cats in The Black Cat Project are shown without any special effects or costumes. Instead, Elise used a simple gray background to capture the small creatures, enabling their charming personalities to shine through.
It's difficult not to fall in love with these fluffy felines because they act like any other cat—playful, inquisitive, and occasionally amusingly eccentric. They are anything but threatening, as Elise demonstrates, and instead serve as a reminder to look past a pet's appearance: a furry friend can come from anywhere and be any color.
Let's get to know these adorable models a bit better:
Casey Elise, a Los Angeles-based photographer, takes portraits of black cats
She is doing that to help them get adopted
Casey started volunteering at the local shelter and realized that black cats get adopted less.
Unfortunately, they also get euthanized more.
On her website, Casey says:
"I am an animal advocate and pet photographer in Los Angeles who uses animal photography to help them get adopted.
I photograph black cats to emphasize their beauty and showcase their personalities.
Black cats have the lowest adoption rates and the highest euthanasia rates, in part because they typically don’t photograph well. I wanted to show that it is possible to get great pictures of these adorable cats.
I hope my photos inspire people to adopt such beautiful cats and to volunteer for their local animal shelter. The cats featured below are from West Los Angeles Animal Services and Milo’s Sanctuary."
She believes that one of the reasons black cats receive fewer adoption calls is that they are not photogenic enough
But that is a misconception. With some will and effort, they turn out great in photos.
All you need is the right lighting and angles.
Casey combines two of her greatest passions—helping animals and photography
The photo series is called The Black Cat Project
Elise photographed the tiny critters against a simple gray background, allowing their adorable personalities to be on full display
She says that "a furry friend can come from anywhere and in any color."
And she is so right
Black cats are thought to bring or portend bad luck in much of the Western world. The negative association derives from the image of the black cat as a companion to potion-brewing, spell-casting witches.
Given the lengthy and complicated cultural history of black cats, we ask if this has anything to do with the rising number of black cats being surrendered to animal shelters. The RSPCA stated that 70% of the felines it cares for are either black or black and white.
The good news is that there is a rise in these cats' adoption rates. And we hope this trend will continue.
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