All photos © Carol Beuchat.
Carol Beuchat started photographing dogs in 1999 while in South Africa as an Honorary Professor at the Univ. of Cape Town. Since returning to the States in 2003 Beuchat has been dedicated to dog photography full time. She explains, “Dogs are such interesting animals, perhaps more than we generally realize if we only see them as pets. At the dog park, the leash is off, the dogs are free to interact with each other (if the owners will let them), and what you can observe is real canine behavior. I started photographing at the dog park while there with my own dogs, and I was astonished at the amazing facial expressions, the athletic maneuvers, and all the teeth on display while they played each other. As fierce as the dogs might look in photos, they are very careful not to hurt one another, and they even seem to calibrate the roughness of play to the size and age of the playmate. I’ve come to really appreciate how differently dogs play with each other than they do with people, and also that providing dogs with the opportunity just to be with other dogs really enriches their lives.”
Beuchat recently self published DOGSPLAY: The Joy of Being a Dog, which is available in hardcover from Blurb or as an eBook on her website.
I have three dogs of my own, and love just about every kind of dog out there. As much as I try not to, I always seem to “humanize” them. The expressions in these photographs crack me up, and I can’t help but add my little human thoughts to these interactions… especially that first photo!
Thanks, Alice. Indeed, it was the facial expressions that I found so compelling as well!
Your photos are absolutely amazing. They perfectly reveal the facial expressions of the dogs while playing or socializing together. As you say the size is an important factor in their behavior and your photos brilliantly demonstrate this side of dogs relationships.
Yours all photo are very amazing . You perfectly express that how the dogs are living and how their communication to each other.Also yours dog are very beautiful and i think that u look it very carefully.i love yours photography.please give me information that what types of camera you use for photography.
Great pics Carol. Dogs being dogs. Love it!
Thank you everyone for your kind words about my photos. They are as fun to shoot as they are to look at! I shoot with Canon gear – most of these were shot with a 1D III and 100-400mm zoom; I also use a 5D II but not usually for action.
You are absolutely correct in saying that dogs seem to know and moderate their interaction depending on the age, size and disposition of the other dogs. My five-month-old Plott Hound frequently played with much larger dogs at the dog park and they always modified their play to not injure her, while kicking the play up a bit when interacting with dogs their own size. She learned from them and was much more gentle with smaller dogs.
These are amazing photo’s you have really caught the tension and aggression in your shots
Photography: Focus Objects, sharpness of the image, right time
Spirit: Harmony and friend
4 thumbs up to you Carol
extraordinary
That first photo cracked me up. So much expression. I’m going to have to take my camera to the dog park too….. Awesome