After photographing my fellow human beings for a long time, I felt the urge to explore the Living in a different, wilder, and above all, less civilized form. The Living, in its most instinctive, natural, unadorned, and unpretentious aspect… in all its truth.

The soul of the living.

There is a beautiful kinship between the soul and the animal. Anima signifies these two words.

With great joy, I began to photograph animals. Primarily dogs. I set up a mobile studio to be able to move easily and create portraits at home, with a studio background and lighting. This setting promotes a sense of closeness, a moment frozen in time. It is a refreshing change from the frenzy of photos taken with a mobile phone. Studio lighting and image quality enable a proximity with my photographed subject, while maintaining an appropriate distance to appreciate its gaze, attitude, state of mind, as well as the texture and reflections of its fur.

I observe. I patiently await the moment. A chance, a demeanor, an expression, a movement, a posture… The moment of grace during which a certain silent alliance forms between the animal and me. I can then capture its portrait and convey all its elegance, charm, and beauty.

Georges Khayat