Lady Gaga Doggie Style

In a world going increasingly digital, photographer Jesse Freidin dares to buck the trend. A loyal fan of traditional analog photography, he found himself in a unique position—desiring to do something to celebrate the unique and disappearing art of instant photography and in possession of the two of the last packs of original Polaroid instant film in the world, thanks to The Impossible Project, a Netherlands based company dedicated to reviving instant photography and manufacturing instant film. “I focused on how I could make something as different and beautiful as possible,” he says. The result, a series of bright, offbeat, Polaroid-hazy photographs of dogs dressed in outfits made famous by Lady Gaga, became an internet phenomenon that no one, least of all Jesse, could have predicted.

Jesse, a fine art dog photographer who was voted the 2010 Best Dog Photographer in the San Francisco Bay area in the Beast of the Bay awards, has, since his Gaga-inspired dog photos became a sensation, been featured on MTV, Entertainment Weekly, Much Music, and Live! with Regis and Kelly, just to name a few. On the phone, he sounds out-of-breath, overwhelmed, and somewhere on the verge of laughter or tears, it’s hard to tell. “Though I was aware that combining cute dogs, a pop-culture icon, and instant photography was a sure recipe for success, I had no idea that The Doggie Gaga Project would go completely viral,” he says, and in his blog, he writes, “The Doggie Gaga Project is my alter-ego. It is the colourful, fantastic, playful side-kick to my more refined Fine Art dog portraiture.”

But why Gaga? “I have a great amount of respect for her as an artist that pushes the limits, and is not afraid to be unique in her creativity,” he tells us. “She recently became the creative director for Polaroid, which will hopefully help push instant photography back into the mainstream. Since I am a hugely loyal fan of instant photography, it made sense to do a fun and creative project combining all those things.”

The dogs featured in the famous photos aren’t letting fame go to their heads. After all, they’re pretty used to attention and affection. The photographs feature Pitbulls Gunther and Booker, Shiba Inu Kiku, Xochitl the Mexican Hairless, and Pancake, Jesse’s own Boston Terrier.

As for what’s next, Jesse’s sudden fame has brought a lot of attention to his more traditional dog photography, and he’s booked up months in advance. The second Lady Gaga Project session is underway, and apparently, there is no slowing of public interest nor dwindling of items on his “To Do” list. “It’s a very exciting time for me. And Pancake. Pancake is used to getting smothered in attention and love at all times, but is particularly happy that the Doggie Gaga Project is drawing attention to Boston Terriers as the most superior breed of dog in the universe, as opposed to the most flatulent.”

To check out more on the Lady Gaga Project, as well as Jesse’s other work, check out his site at jessefreidin.com.