The three main inspirations for my project are The Dogist, Humans of New York, and National Geographic. The Dogist is an internet personality that started with photographer Elias Friedman who is the founder and creative director of the organization it is now. Its main goal is to take portraits of dogs and give the background to who each dog is and their personalities. What is really wonderful about these portraits is how Friedman captures each dog’s personality and how intimately each dog and owner is treated in the vignettes accompanying each portrait. The Dogist mainly works on social media but also has books and stories on its own website.Blue, Siberian Husky (2 y/o), Alma Beach, Tel Aviv, Israel • “He’s like a child. He steals balls from other dogs on the beach.”

Humans of New York is very similar and also works primarily on the internet. They began as a photography project in 2010 and grew into this long term project dedicated to continuing the project and expanding it to give depth to it. Brandon Stanton started this as a portrait series and soon began to interview his subjects and include quotes and stories from their lives to paint an intimate portrait of the interesting individuals one might meet on the streets of New York City.  Described mainly as a blog, Stanton’s work has become very popular due to the intimate nature he deals with his subjects and how that draws others into the story of New York.
“When I first started working as a photographer, I was doing so many jobs for free. Nobody would pay me, but they’d offer dinner. Or drinks. Or publicity. Or experience. Or connections. Or insight. Even though I felt like my work was worth more, I never thought I was in a position to negotiate. I’d become so small when discussing compensation. I’d shrink. I needed everyone to like me. I assumed that if people liked me, they’d respect me. They’d treat me with dignity. They’d value my work. And they’d eventually pay me for it. But instead—they kept asking me back without pay. I think it’s so hard for creators to get out of that cycle, but my mom gave me the best line to use: ‘I’m sorry, but I can’t afford to do that for free.’ I still do free gigs, but only on my terms. Only if they provide value beyond a person’s gratitude. I’m never aggressive or mean. But I’m clear. I’m not sure what I’m worth to them. But I know what I’m worth to myself. And I want it put in writing. I’m still nice about it. I’m still polite. But I’m more dominant. Well, maybe not dominant. Actually I will say dominant. You can still be dominant and nice.” (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

National Geographic is famous for posting worldwide photos of intrigue and shining lights on different cultures and scientific works from anywhere and everywhere. National Geographic is a large organization that is not just invested in photography but is well-known for having amazing photographers go around the world and collect photos and experiences from people and environments and animals. The breadth of their work is stunning to see and the insight they give to all their subjects, whether it’s something familiar or something entirely foreign, is something that I greatly admire from them and it is the inspiration for the adventurous aspect of my project, giving me the idea to try and make this about more than just one thing, but to envelop all the connected aspects of the theme of my project. My project is about passion and conservation, and capturing the passions of all of the people around me as we all are involved in one of the most present issues in today’s world as we try to protect the rapidly depleting ecosystems everywhere around the world. I want to find out what kind of people came to Madagascar (or are from there) to study this unique corner of the world in hopes of protecting what’s left of the natural world and in hopes of learning about themselves.Photo by Ed Kashi @edkashi | A fish runner stops for his portrait near St. Lucia, Madagascar, in 2010. This image was part of the work I produced from my Prix Pictet award; the focus of the work was sustainability, Madagascar,  Africa