“Dogs and beaches share common purposes in our lives,” writes Lara Jo Regan in the introduction to her new book, Dogs on the Beach. “Both coax us to live in the moment, more in sync with the rhythms of nature, helping us to find happiness in life’s simple pleasures.” The latest in Regan’s series of books featuring our canine companions, Dogs on the Beach captures the unbridled, infections happiness dogs exhibit when they hit the shore. Combining two popular subjects in the same frame – dogs and beaches – Regan treats viewers to several scenic seascapes in California (also Florida and South Carolina), capturing the joy of pups as they revel in the sand, surf and sun.

Encouraged by the recent proliferation of dog beaches, Regan spent three years shooting the images in Dogs on the Beach, published by Myth and Matter Media. In her quest to document the explosion of dog beach culture, Regan’s appreciation of the beach and its eternal gifts, deepened profoundly. A long-time Californian, Regan says, “photographing the sensuous, exhilarating bliss of dogs interacting with sand, surf and the humans and friends they love, up close and personal,” it felt like the “dogs were totem spirits guiding me further home.”

Lara Jo Regan is a photographer and author whose career spans the magazine, art, and journalism realms. She contributed regularly to leading publications such as Time and Life, winning many of the field’s highest honors including the coveted World Press Photo of the Year. A respected and popular dog photographer, Regan has authored six monographs on the subject. She grew up in Detroit and Philadelphia, and is now a long-time resident of Southern California.

Dogs on the Beach
By Lara Jo Regan
Published by Myth and Matter Media (August 22, 2018)
Available for purchase on Amazon

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