Pictures of dogs in shelters don't always show off their best features. One photographer is trying to change that by showing the world that shelter dogs aren't depressing. In fact, they can be a force of positivity.

Photographer Shannon Johnstone takes beautifully-composed photos of shelter dogs looking proud, happy, and playful. She specifically chooses dogs that have been in the shelter the longest, such as pit bulls and dogs with black fur, because their time is running out.

Every week, Johnstone and her husband take the dogs from the shelter over to a landfill across town. For some of the pups, this jaunt may be the first time they've been outside their small pens in months. Their enthusiasm and energy is evident in the Johnstone's pictures, featuring the dogs running, jumping and playing catch.

The Wake County Animal Shelter outside Raleigh, NC has found home for 67 of its dogs, thanks to her joyful photographs.

"If we had just gone to the shelter, I would never have looked at him because he's big," said Sherri Lynch, who adopted Carlos, a black pit mix, to ABC News. "Who would have known he's such a sweetheart. Thanks to Shannon, she helped us pick him out, which was so nice."

To learn more about the dogs, and to look into adopting one into your family, head here.

