A few months ago, a member of our West Coast team spotted this guy waiting patiently for his pilot to return.
Shortly after, I spotted this pup hanging out in a Vermont parking lot.
Is there anything that turns a day around more than a dog taking himself so seriously? Maybe one who wiggles like a slinky. Here’s the thing about photographing people: we blink, we stress over our angles. We have moods and bad hair days. Dogs, though, radiate an enviable self-confidence and presence that can improve any photograph you take. So if you ever have one of those days where people are just too much, one of those days when what you really need is some four-legged, silent charm and you can’t get close enough to an actual dog, here are a couple of our favorite dog photographers.
Theron Humphrey and Maddie
Photographer Theron Humphrey rescued his dog, Maddie, and then took her on a series of adventures cross-country. She seemed to like it.
Maddie is seemingly comfortable anywhere, literally and figuratively. Most of Humphrey’s photos highlight her ability to balance and cram herself into anywhere a far-less inhibited being would scoff at (drawers, behind a potted plant, in a crack between the couch cushions not large enough for a dog half her size).
Theron captures their adventures by car, sidecar, and couch at http://thiswildidea.com and also has an amazing series called “Why We Rescue” that might just drive you to your local animal shelter. You’ve been warned. Follow Theron and Maddie on instagram here.
The Dogist
You can always count on The Dogist, photographer Elias Friedman’s catalog of dogs in the streets of New York City, and the world, to capture the essence of what makes dogs well, the best: their charm and wit, their beauty, and ability to smile with their eyes with more conviction than a supermodel.
Their sometimes ridiculous names. Hello, Goober. And Pippi Longstocking.
If you want to fill your feeds with doggie joy, you can follow The Dogist on Instagram, Tumblr, or Facebook. There’s a book coming out soon, too.
Literary Dogs
If reading’s your thing, Amy Hempel’s stories are always full of dogs, good and bad, breaking readers’ hearts and inviting themselves to play baseball. In partnership with Jim Shepard, Hempel edited an anthology of poetry by writer’s dogs. It’s called Unleashed, and half the proceeds go to help animal welfare agencies.
Remember, it is totally cool to take photos of dogs in cars. Or dogs on your block. Or shoved between your couch cushions.
Who among us wouldn’t be happy to find a Pixinote with a dopey dog face on it in their mailbox? By the way, my Pixiname is *Danielle if you’re so inclined.
