Connie’s Book Club - Spring 2011
Show Dogs: A Photographic Breed Guide
By Kate Lacey
Dog lovers of all stripes, both show-dog aficionados and regular “dog people” alike, will love Kate Lacey’s book of colourfully elegant portraits representing over 160 breeds. Inspired by an assignment she received from Life magazine to photograph dogs at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog show, Lacey decided to publish a photographic breed guide, a project that took well over a year. She travelled to shows in numerous states to acquire photos of all the dogs necessary to accomplish her goal, and the results are striking. Rather than portray the dogs as achievers in the ring, she’s instead photographed them “off duty,” capturing each breed’s unique characteristics and quirky dog-ness. Each photo is accompanied by the dog’s nickname rather than his/her official championship name, further contributing to the sense of candidness. You can also check out the iPad edition of the book for a behind-the-scenes peek at the book’s creation and to hear Lacey’s own account of her project.
Dog lovers of all stripes, both show-dog aficionados and regular “dog people” alike, will love Kate Lacey’s book of colourfully elegant portraits representing over 160 breeds. Inspired by an assignment she received from Life magazine to photograph dogs at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog show, Lacey decided to publish a photographic breed guide, a project that took well over a year. She travelled to shows in numerous states to acquire photos of all the dogs necessary to accomplish her goal, and the results are striking. Rather than portray the dogs as achievers in the ring, she’s instead photographed them “off duty,” capturing each breed’s unique characteristics and quirky dog-ness. Each photo is accompanied by the dog’s nickname rather than his/her official championship name, further contributing to the sense of candidness. You can also check out the iPad edition of the book for a behind-the-scenes peek at the book’s creation and to hear Lacey’s own account of her project.