Photographer of underwater viral photos is helping shelter pets

Pet photographer Seth Casteel became an overnight sensation with his photos of dogs underwater. When the photos were posted on the internet by his fans, his own website went from 200 hits to 30,000, causing his site to crash.

His underwater dogs, ranging from playful to goofy, gave us a new look at dogs in their real world.

Casteel quickly went from not having enough business to having too much.

He has signed a book deal featuring his underwater dogs which will be out in late October and has been featured on network TV and print publications across the world.

But in spite of his commercial success, his priority is for the nonprofit he founded, Second Chance Photos, which professionally photographs shelter pets to increase adoptions and save their lives. Second Chance Photos grew out of his volunteer work at a shelter in Los Angeles.

Sad little faces looking out of a cage do not help the dogs’ chances of winning hearts. Casteel’s mission is to save the animals though quality photographs and marketing. He travels across the country training shelter volunteers and staff to take professional photographs.

“My whole thing is that I do what the pets like to do. I don’t put them in the studio. I do it on their terms and embrace what they like to do,” Casteel says.

Casteel took his first underwater photo of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel by diving into the pool with the dog to get a better vantage point. Pleased with the results he made an investment to buy an underwater housing for his camera. And a brilliant career was launched.

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Dramatis Personae

Misty the alpha Poodle
In her spare time
she studies quantum theory and
reads Proust
Timmy the stud muffin
aka
“The Jaws of Death”
“The Silver Assassin”
Chamois the generic dog
The world’s only
Miniature Albanian Wolfhound
because we were tired
of telling people she was a mutt
Tudee the Rescue
Half Chihuahua, half linebacker
Found in a busy intersection
telling the cars that
she was there first
Taki
A loving cat who came off the streets
and into our lives
and never left