If you're an animal lover then there is a good chance that Isa Leshko's 'Elderly Animals' will either warm or break your heart. Leshko is an American photographer who has turned her lens on the elderly animals of the world as a way to cope with her own grief.
Leshko was inspired to photograph elderly animals after she spent a year caring for her elderly mother who is suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. She decided not to photograph her mother during this time, instead choosing to photograph elderly animals in animal sanctuaries around the United States.
The main reason why Elderly Animals is so powerful is because nothing like this has been done before. Most photographers choose to photograph young and vibrant animals as opposed to old and graying ones. Elderly Animals focuses primarily on farm animals, but there are plenty of dog pictures which I found to be the most moving. If you want to see animal photography like you've never seen it before then be sure to check out Isa Leshko's Elderly Animals. Be sure to have a hanky handy.
Aged Animal Photography
'Elderly Animals' Captures Animals in the Twilight of Their Lives
Trend Themes
1. Animal Wellness - The trend of focusing on elderly animals opens up new opportunities in the pet and animal wellness industry especially for geriatric pet care, supplements and alternative therapies.
2. Aging Population - The trend of elderly animal photography can also be used to propel disruptive innovation in the aging population sector — such as senior care, technology and geriatric-specific products and services.
3. Emotional Impact - Elderly animal photography demonstrates a trend for emotional impact and how it can be used in storytelling, advertising and branding particularly for cause-related marketing campaigns.
Industry Implications
1. Pet Care - This trend provides a unique opportunity for the geriatric pet care industry to analyze and develop products specific to aging pets and to market them towards concerned pet owners who want to optimize their pet’s health as they age.
2. Social Enterprise and Aging - Non-profit organizations focused on elderly and/or animal wellness can consider partnering with animal sanctuaries and shelters or other similar groups to promote their missions and their impact while tapping into the emerging trend of elderly animal photography.
3. Publishing and Advertising - With the emotional power of images, publishers and advertisers can tap into this trend and may leverage it for their brand messaging, advertising and promotional efforts.