Pet portraits by The Dogist
New York-based Photographer Elias Weiss Friedman runs a blog called The Dogist, in which he captures the beauty of his four-legged subjects with intensity and humor.
"I try and post four or five times a day," he told CBS News. "In the morning, around lunch, in the evening, and at nighttime, because I feel like people enjoy it throughout the day.
"I now have more than a million followers on social media, and that's a crazy, crazy amount of people to be following my work."
Pictured: Andiamo, a Poodle-Schnauzer mix.
Milly
Milly, a four-year-old Dachshund, in New York City's Central Park.
"When I talk to a dog, I try and speak their language. If they want to play with me, then I play with them. If they're scared, then I'll back off a little bit. You always try to match their energy."
The Dogist at work
Elias Weiss Friedman in New York's Washington Square Park. "When I'm on the ground, dogs think that I'm some strange, one-eyed animal, so if I start making a noise, they'll look right into the lens, thinking it's my eye."
Tools of the trade include a squeaky toy, tennis ball, beef jerky, business cards, and (most important) kneepads, which he wears under his pants to look less goofy.
"Kneepads are crucial to being a dog photographer because of being down here all day. And if you don't, then your knees start feeling it. And knees on asphalt is not a fun thing."
Pearl
Pearl, a nine-year-old French Bulldog, in Washington Square Park in New York City.
Pearl's owner, Amanda Dolan, told CBS News she's a big fan of The Dogist. "I follow him on Instagram. I love how he can capture the dog's spirit in just one photo. It's quick and it's fun and it brightens your day!"
Photographer at Work
"When I look into the face of a dog, I see a personality -- a desire, either for the tennis ball, or a treat. But they wanna be good. They want to please people."
Zoey
Zoey, a two-year-old Labrador Retriever mix, in Washington Square Park in New York City.
"I tend to choose the formal images, the one that flatters the dog. But people also love the funny outtakes."
Radley
Radley, a four-month-old Goldendoodle, in Washington Square Park in New York City.
"Dogs have always been a part of my life. I was sort of a shy kid growing up, so having a dog -- a dog who loves you unconditionally and someone to talk to and be part of your life -- was an important part of my childhood."
Jack
Jack, a four-year-old Miniature Australian Shepherd, in Washington Square Park in New York City.
Friedman uses a Nikon full-frame D-750 with a 35 millimeter lens. "I only shoot with prime lenses because the aesthetic is nicer. It's lighter. And you can shoot six frames per second, so if you're shooting a dog that's moving around, it's important to be able to snap, snap, snap, snap, so that you get the eyes right where you want them.
"The auto focusing is an important part of a camera, too, because if the dog's bouncing around, you don't want the camera seeking back and forth trying to find focus. You need the quick focus."
Momo
Momo, a two-year-old Pomeranian, in New York City's Central Park.
"When a dog smiles at me, it makes me smile, too, because I know I've made that dog's day a little bit better."
Lucy
Lucy, a two-year-old Beagle/Jack Russell Terrier mix, in New York City's Central Park.
Doolin
Doolin, a five-year-old Shih Tzu, in New York City's Central Park.
"People can be sort of skittish around cameras, but dogs always wear their story on their face."
Pepito
Pepito, a three-year-old Border Collie, photographed in the 5th Arrondissement in Paris.
"I focus on the eyes because that's the way that we engage with people, that's the way we engage with animals. And dogs are very good at using their eyes to get what they want -- their classic puppy dog look."
Cashew & Teddi
Labradoodles Cashew & Teddi (ages 7 and 10), photographed at Park Avenue and 81st Street in New York City.
Abigail
Abigail, a 12-week-old Miniature Labradoodle, photographed at 8th Street and 5th Ave., New York City.
"I can photograph 20 or 30 dogs a day. And sometimes I'll get five shots [that work], sometimes I'll get 20 shots. But it's fun just going out there and getting them, [interacting] with dogs all day, bring that back and share that with a large audience and make other people happy."
Maple
Maple, a seven-month-old English Bulldog, photographed at Washington Street and Front Street in Brooklyn.
Sudan
Sudan, a one-year-old Afghan Hound, photographed at Watts Street and Sullivan Street in New York City.
"Everyone asks me, 'How do you get the dogs to look so posed? And that's the challenge. If we're shooting people, it's hard to get them to look normal. If you're shooting a dog, it's hard to get them to look posed, 'cause they're always looking normal, you know? They're goofin' around. So how do you make 'em look posed?"
Snookie
The Dogist's Give a Dog a Bone program works with rescued or abandoned pets, such as at the Animal Care Centers of New York, where he photographed Snookie, a three-year-old Pit Bull mix.
"Usually when I visit shelters, they're mostly pit bulls that are there because they're a challenging breed to have," said Friedman. "They're big dogs and they're strong, so it takes the right owner to be able to adopt one of these guys.
"When I see these dogs, I wanna take each of them home but, you know, I can't exactly fit 100 dogs in my apartment," he said.
Dream
Dream, a four-month-old Shih Tzu that was adopted from the ASPCA.
Gail Buchwald, senior vice president at the ASPCA's adoption center, told CBS News, "When the Dogist comes here, it's an opportunity for us to showcase our wonderful dogs in the best way possible, and that's because he's able to bring out their inner beauty. We know that every one of these dogs has a story to tell. And often, it's just the lens that can capture it just right so that these dogs have their personality in their photos.
"When I see his photographs, I don't just see a picture of a dog; I see a story and I see, most importantly, a connection."
Carmelo
Carmelo, a nine-month-old Havanese, photographed at 10th Street and West 4th Street in Manhattan.
Khrouton
Khrouton, a three-month-old Maltipoo, photographed at Bridge Street and Plymouth Street in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Tally
Tally, a four-year-old Labrador Retriever mix, in New York City's Central Park.
"People are always surprised when they hear I don't have a dog of my own," said Friedman. "If I had a dog of my own, I'd fall in love with it and I wouldn't travel anymore."
Ready For My Closeup
"There's the old Bill Cunningham quote: 'He who seeks beauty will find it,'" said Friedman. "That helps me do my thing."
Watch Friedman's "Short Take" video
For more info:
Follow The Dogist on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr
"The Dogist: Photographic Encounters With 1,000 Dogs" by Elias Weiss Friedman (Artisan Books)
By CBSNews.com senior producer David Morgan