Adam Goldberg had always loved animals, long before he discovered his love of photography. He’s the kind of lucky guy who gets to do what he loves, combining his two passions in a way that continues to make a difference in the lives of the dogs he meets – especially Pit Bulls!
You’d never guess by looking at his photos, but Adam is a self-taught photographer. He was hired to manage the Humane Society of Broward County’s website and social media, but once he was done, he was asked to take over the photography program.
All shelters have photographers, but Adam knew that the right photo could pull at the heartstrings and open doors for pets, so, with no knowledge of photography whatsoever, Adam spent his time watching YouTube videos and tutorials online, and has since compiled an impressive portfolio full of handsome, happy dogs!
A lot of Adam’s subjects are Pit Bulls, which are banned as an “aggressive breed” in Miami-Dade county, south of Broward County where Adam worked at the humane society. Adam explains,
“Because of the ban, our shelter always had lots of pit bulls who were available for adoption. I spent a lot of time taking their photos, marketing them online, and wished everyone who had negative feelings towards them could see what I saw. I wanted to help in a way that I knew how and that’s how the Pit Bull Picture Project was born.”
Some allow a minority to shape their views on the whole breed, but Adam has met tons of Pit Bulls, and still believes that they’re wonderful dogs. Vered, a sweet Pit Bull, was the subject of her own photoshoot, and one of Adam’s favorites!
“A friend of mine adopted a heartworm positive pit bull from Humane Society Tampa Bay and she is just the sweetest dog.”
“She would come out with us and kids would interact with her and she would give them kisses. No one was scared of her.”
She’s an excellent ambassador for her breed, and Adam was happy to showcase her and speak out about what a terrible condition heartworm is.
Adam’s work has made a huge impact, not only in the lives of the pets he’s photographed, but also through fundraising. The popularity and effect of his work has helped him draw crowds to Pet Photo Shoot Fundraisers that he hosts at craft breweries around the country, and he also splits his sitting fees for pet photos with the shelter. To date, he has raised just over $50,000 for several charities!
Adam’s incredible work has allowed him to quit his corporate job and focus on his photography and charitable work full time – which is great news for dogs!
You can follow Adam on Instagram. Check out his website or Facebook group to see where you can attend one of his upcoming fundraisers!
