Barbara OBrien - DogFace

VIKING STUDIO

Published by the Penguin Group

Penguin Group (USA) LLC

375 Hudson Street

New York, New York 10014

USA | Canada | UK | Ireland | Australia | New Zealand | India | South Africa | China

penguin.com

A Penguin Random House Company

First published by Viking Studio, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, 2014

Copyright 2014 by Barbara OBrien

Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.

ISBN 978-0-698-17687-4

Version_1

For my dear one, Kevin;
my four Boyos;
all of my Girls;
and all the lovely people who let me photograph their dogs.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Big thanks to my friend Chris Mosley, who hand delivered this little book to the good people at Penguin, and to my editor, Megan Newman, and her helper, Gigi Campo.

Also a very big thank-you to the wonderful dog owners who let me photograph their beautiful dogs.

INTRODUCTION

A nother day at the studio, and its packed today with dogs and their people. Some dogs are standing, some nervously pace and pant, some of the smaller ones laze about on laps. I spy a big, mellow-looking Mastiff; a serious German Shepherd; two clownlike Corgis; an athletic Whippet; and even a trio of Pomeranians jumping up and down like popcorn as their person feeds them treats. The Jack Russell Terrier Ive just shot struts back out into the waiting area like the little king he thinks he is, tail up and eyes bright. Smiling, I call the next name. Majic!

An intelligent-looking Border Collie, Majic perks his ears up at the sound of his name. I bring Majic and his person into the studio and walk him over to a large sheet of white paper surrounded by strobe lights. He seems calm, but I give him a roast chicken treat anyway and he is immediately devoted to me.

At a word from his person, Majic sits on the center of the paper. I pick up my camera, say, Hi, pup! to get Majics attention, and begin snapping. The strobe lights flash, and Majic startles a bit, but his person gives him a bit of hot dog and ruffles the fur behind his ears, and he settles back down. On her command, he even starts to run through all his tricks: Sit! Lie down! Shake! I get a shotor sevenof each one.

Laughing, I set my camera down and scratch Majics back. What a clever boy you are! You could be a star! I thank his person for bringing him and escort them back out, Majic wagging his tail at his persons excitement.

When I look around the room and see all the dogs with their people, I see love in its purest form. Dogs love their people unconditionally, and if their person wants them to sit on a big piece of paper in a giant empty warehouse with funny flashing lights and lots of commotion, then thats just what theyll do.

I usually only want to show a dog at his best, so for a long time I disregarded images that were a bit off or where the dog had a funny expression. But the more I shot the more I realized that the best shots, the ones that really showed the dog for who he was, were taken in the unguarded moments when he was not so posed. Even now after looking at these images time and again they still make me smile.

I hope you enjoy them as well.