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For creatives looking to do a little good, a new collection of stock photos featuring rescue animals lets licensees donate to a Los Angeles-based animal shelter with each download.
The project is a collaboration between Saatchi & Saatchi LA, Getty Images, and the Amanda Foundation, a Beverly Hills animal hospital and nonprofit rescue organization that saves animals from kill shelters throughout the city and puts them up for adoption. The collection includes 60 images starring some of the foundation's neediest residents, all in search of forever homes.
According to Saatchi & Saatchi LA, every licensing dollar earned off the collection will benefit the nonprofit.
SEE ALSO:Cesar Millan explains doggy emotionsPhotographer Christopher Nelson – who has two rescue dogs of his own – shot the collection over the course of a 12-hour day with the Amanda Foundation.
"I've had nothing but rescue dogs my whole life, and I would recommend it," he told Mashable. "They're very appreciative when you save them, and it's just nice to have them around."
Capone, the chihuahua mixCredit: Getty ImagesIn a park near the rescue facility, Nelson and his assistant photographed a group of high-energy rescues thrilled by a day in the sun.
"I would just sit on the ground, and they'd just jump all over me-- it was a riot," he said. "I've shot animals before, but they're all trained, so shooting untrained animals was quite the experience."
Nelson was particularly taken with a three-legged boxer mix named Oli, who he says was just a few hours from euthanasia when the Amanda Foundation rescued him.
"If I didn't have two street dogs myself, I would have taken him home," he said.
Oli, the three-legged boxer mixCredit: Getty ImagesThough Nelson also shot Amanda Foundation rescues on a seamless background set up at the facility, casual photographers looking to shoot their own pets should stick with natural settings, he said. As for how to get a shot you'll love, Nelson says composure is key: "Get down to their level and just be patient."
But above all, Nelson's key advice is to stay calm: "Be calm – if you're calm, the dog or cat will be calm."
Willow, the Jack Russell terrierCredit: Getty Images
Yang, the kittenCredit: Getty Images
Ralphie, the beagle-chihuahua mixCredit: Getty Images
Bambi, Bette, and Bebe, the dachshund-terrier mixesCredit: Getty ImagesFeatured Video For You
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TopicsAnimals