Office Dogs Personal Photography Project
Jamie’s ongoing personal project that she began in 2017 is a deep-dive into the world of ‘pet-friendly workplaces’.
A peek behind the curtain to see what really goes on when you have canines circling the water coolers, felines ruling the break rooms, and dog BFFs playing ‘bitey-face’ during conference calls.
WHO:
Jamie Piper, and a commercial photographer based in San Diego California. Jamie owns Cowbelly, a creative and design agency she launched in Seattle in 2003.
WHAT:
A personal photography project that captures ‘dog employees’ at work in offices and other workplaces.
WHEN:
The project commenced in October 2016, and publishing began in February 2017. The project is ongoing.
WHERE:
A variety of different companies/businesses, from pet-centric service and/or product companies to tech companies and everything in between.
Starting in Seattle, then San Diego, then Los Angeles and San Francisco, time and shooting schedule permitting.
HOW:
Just Jamie, one camera body, and one fixed lens. No assistants, lights, treats, toys or anything else.
The project is entirely self-directed and self-funded.
WHY:
Internal reasons:
To stretch Jamie’s creative muscles, and create more photojournalism-style work than her commissioned projects allow.
External reasons:
To inspire companies who are interested in becoming pet-friendly how rewarding, fulfilling, and even life-changing this perk can be for their employees.
Collective research from multiple sources has shown that employee retention rates are higher, employees work longer hours, and are more focused when they have their dog at work with them.
And people are healthier and happier in general with a pet in their midst. Teams also work better together, and communication is improved when there is a dog around.
Having ‘dog-friendly’ as a perk is also a great way to attract top talent when hiring. All pretty significant benefits to a company’s bottom line, and all compelling reasons to bite the dog-friendly bullet and go for it.
If you are interested in licensing any of these images for editorial use please contact Jamie directly at jamie [ at ] jamiepiper dot com. All rights reserved by Jamie Piper.