View full sizeOregon Humane Society volunteers Sandy Kraft (left) and Susan Feuerbach (right) join Alicia Dickerson (center) and Harvey, a Sharpei-German Sheperd shepherd mix, during a photo shoot for "The Lucky 7." Once every other month, Dickerson photographs animals at the humane society that have been housed there longer than any others. has loved animals since she was young, so it comes as no surprise that she would devote
to capturing dogs, cats and other pets in pictures.
But three years ago, Dickerson wanted to do something more. She wanted to use her talent behind the camera to help the
, an organization she volunteers with, get the word out about adoptable pets. Specifically, she wanted to photograph the ones that were being overlooked by humane society visitors.
"You know when you have an idea in your head and you're up for hours and hours just thinking about it? It was like that," Dickerson said recently from her
photography studio. "I just contacted (the humane society) and they were very open to volunteer ideas."
It was then that Dickerson started the
a project that publicizes in local venues the photos of seven animals that have been at the Oregon Humane Society for the longest amount of time. The photos hang in businesses across Portland, including
and
in
.
Dickerson's project is named to coincide with other humane society programs, called
and
which also publicize dogs and cats that have been long-term residents. For her project, Dickerson volunteered her photo equipment and persuaded several stores in Portland to donate frames for the photographs. At first, she only photographed dogs for the project, but later added cats and other animals, like rats and rabbits, to the showcase.
Once every other month, Dickerson hauls her equipment to the humane society and sets up a makeshift photo studio. Volunteers help corral the animals, and one friend of Dickerson's brings handmade toys and catnip to help entertain the felines.
"It's not just me. There are so many people who do a lot to help this project," Dickerson said, adding that it takes about six volunteers to complete the project every other month.
View full sizePhotographer Alicia Dickerson takes pictures of animals that have been at the Oregon Humane Society longer than any others. The project, called "The Lucky 7,"publicizes the photos and descriptions of the animals in local businesses. Dickerson has a few tricks, like using catnip or squeaky toys, to get the cats and dogs to show the personalities that are evident in her photographs. But half of that battle, she said, is knowing how to meet the animals' needs. Often the animals she's photographing come from abusive homes, and are nervous and have special needs.
"Let's say I'm photographing a hard-to-photograph dog. I know what to do to get them comfortable and make them look good, and put them at ease," she said "That really comes into play when getting good photos of animals like these guys."
Barbara Baugnon, spokeswoman for the Oregon Humane Society, said the photos hang in the building and are posted on the organization's website.
"The way she photographs, you can truly picture the animal in your home," Baugnon said of Dickerson's work.
For her other photography business,
, Dickerson's subjects are humans. And when asked what subjects she prefers to work with, she leaned toward the furry ones.
"I like both," she said. "I think I understand animals better than other photographers do."
Neither Dickerson nor the humane society keep track of how many of the animals featured in "The Lucky 7" are adopted, but Baugnon said any publicity for the animals is positive.
"I don't know if it's actually working, but getting some energy around a pet that has been here too long is always a good thing," Baugnon said.
After animals from "The Lucky 7" are adopted, the copies of their portraits that hung in Cupcake Jones are sent to the new owners as a gift. Dickerson said she doesn't always hear when one of the animals is adopted, but when she does, it gives her the drive to keep going with the project.
"The only thing I would like to know is that it makes a difference," she said, "then I'm never tired of it."
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