by Alicia Santurio

A series of pieces highlighting the art of various animal activists.

My love for photography started when I was young. I have taken only a couple of photography classes; I am mostly self-taught. I’ve been told I have an eye for capturing the feelings around me. I tell an emotional story with a camera rather than with a pen and paper.

As an animal rights activist and member of Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), I get the opportunity to take photos of my fellow activists at demonstrations and “actions.” I enjoy capturing our passion and our commitment as well as revealing the power and the drama of the action itself.

My first love, however, is photographing non-human animals.  I aim to reveal the animal’s character in print. I try to merge with the camera and the subject to create a telling portrait.

I see photography as a great platform for animal activism. Through pictures, I seek to allow the animals to tell their own stories of love, joy, intelligence and yes, suffering. Some of my photographs show animals looking adorable and some show their soulful dignity and beauty. Still others tell the painful side of an animal’s life. I strive to bring a message of compassion toward all animals to the world.