Jesse Freidin (b. 1981) is a queer-identified photographer, author and educator. He was America's leading fine art dog photographer for the past 15 years, and now focuses his attention on elevating the experience of the trans/tgnc community through portraiture and interviews. His photography is part of over 150 private collections and has been exhibited in galleries nationally. His current series “Are You OK?” addresses the dangers of the current wave of anti-trans legislation sweeping the country in a passionate attempt to erase stigma and elevate the voices of those most affected. ‘Are You OK?’ has won multiple awards, including the 2023 Critical Mass Top 50 Winner and Colorado Photographic Arts Center Juror’s Award.

Jesse’s work has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, NPR, The Huffington Post, Insider, Them, Poz Magazine, Yahoo!, MTV, Live! with Regis and Kelly, Inside Edition, Garden and Gun Magazine, The New York Post and many more. He is the creator of the viral photography series: The Doggie Gaga Project (2010) as well as three books: When Dogs Heal: Powerful Stories of People Living with HIV and the Dogs That Saved Them (Lerner Books, 2020), Finding Shelter: Portraits of Love, Healing and Survival (Lyons Press. 2017) and ‘Are You OK?’ Portraits and Stories of Trans Youth Across America (2023).

“I’ve always been fascinated with documenting unconditional love and forms of familial acceptance, and finding that vulnerable yet powerful space within various subject matter is deeply moving to me. I aim to make a safe space where my sitter and I can feel at peace, even if that space is fictional at times, and tell a story from a place of mutual acknowledgment. I want my sitters to speak for me, and in doing so I work toward telling a collaborative and possibly honest account of my own queer life.”