Portrait nominee

Upward of 1,000,000 pit bulls are euthanized in America every year. They have become the disposable dogs of a nation that struggles to solve this major crisis. Often used for dog fighting, portrayed like vicious animals by the media, pit bulls suffer from their very bad reputation. The fact is, despite some isolated accidents, most pit bulls are suitable pets. The great majority of pit bulls who die in American shelters would have make great family companions. /// The Flower Power series aims at shifting the way we look at pit bulls, in order to renew the debate around these dogs. Using a softer, more feminine imagery, I invite the viewer to look at pit bulls with an open mind. I am also interested in exploring the power of imagery. If these dogs were only portrayed with flowers and soft images, would we still be afraid of them? And if we stopped being afraid of them, would we be more willing to find a solution to this crisis? /// All the dogs from the series were photographed at shelters where they awaited adoption.

Sophie Gamand is a French award-winning fine-art photographer living and working in New York City. Since 2010, her work focuses on dogs and our relationship with them.