Flower crowns and pastel colors aren’t likely the first things that come to mind when you think about pit bulls.

This is what French photographer Sophie Gamand is counting on. Coming from a country where pit bulls are banned, Gamand wasn’t deterred from opening her mind (and heart) to these dogs at the center of highly contentious debate. She wanted to work on a series of pit bull portraits that would challenge her own preconceived notions. But to do so, she had to get past her own fears.

“I was apprehensive when I tied the first flower crown on a dog’s head,” she says. “The first time I did it, I thought, ‘I’m going to lose my face!’ The dog