Page 136 - ShowSight - July 2019

Purebred Preferences: Preservation & Rescue
BY DAN SAYERS continued presents Henry with his hair variously
sheared and sculpted into a confection that his mistress has titled, “Henasuarus.” Hen- ry’s expression in this particular photo is rightly one of indignation.
The inclusion of crossbred dogs and even “Doodles” in a collection of photos featuring purebreds is notable. Unlike most 20th century dog books, 101 Salivations is a celebration of all dogs. Its inclusivity is indicative of a trend in which the designer dog has become synonymous with the pedi- greed dog. Rachael’s photographs are non- discriminatory. Each expresses the love felt for an individual dog—or group of dogs— no matter the pedigree. Whereas traditional all-breed and breed-specific books have typically equated love for dogs with dog care, most books published on the subject these days are unabashedly produced for “dog moms and dads” for whom the dog is viewed simultaneously as a (somewhat) spoiled child and an equal partner. Nowa- days, no dog photo can be too cute. They don’t even need to be gorgeously lit studio shots with carefully curated accessories. In fact, the out-of-focus, point-and-shoot pic can be just as emotive, if not more so. Just a year after Rachel’s photographs were published, another photo book came on the market that signaled a colossal shift in the role dogs would come to play in our society.
Published by Andrews McMeel Pub- lishing for fiction writer Christine Eck- lund and television director and producer Dean Minerd, Fixed Mix Seeks Same: The First Book of Dog Personal Ads is a book that describes itself as “a one-of-a-kind col- lection of hilarious canine snapshots and personal ads that will leave you howling.” The “snapshots” in this collection are as dif- ferent from Rachael Hale’s images as they could be. None have been photographed with benefit of a 35 mm lens or any regard for lighting. However, there’s no deny- ing the cuteness of the dogs represented or the cleverness of the copy that’s been writ- ten on their behalf. “I’m not as crazy as I look—I’m crazier,” reads the ad for dapple dog on a chintz-covered chair, blinded by a flash bulb and described as a “party girl.” Oh, boy! A new revolution had begun in which the disadvantaged dog would play a leading role in a growing number of Ameri- cans’ pursuit of happiness. The preserva- tion of purebred dogs has since become threatened by dog lovers less interested in saving an entire breed as they are compelled to rescue a single dog. Only time will tell if 101 Salivations’ dedication will continue to represent the purebred: “For all the dogs we have loved and lost. For the dogs we still love and for all the dogs we will love in the future.”
see the soul of our own best buddies star- ing back at us.” The stare, however, is just one of many familiar expressions worn by the dogs in 101 Salivations. Surprise, excite- ment and even contempt are captured-and- preserved on the book’s glossy pages in rich, but muted, colors and shades of gray.
The evocative imagery of Rachael’s work is the result not only of her devotion to dogs, but also her initial introduction to the camera. “My earliest memories of photogra- phy are of taking snaps of the family pets,” she writes. “Looking back, it was perhaps inevitable that I would end up in this won- derful profession. My paternal grandpar- ents were both keen amateur photographers who traveled the world shooting beautiful images.” The older couple’s eye for beauty was certainly passed down to their grand- daughter along with their vintage camera. Rachael shares, “I still have the ‘Box Brown- ies’ they owned, and even today I use my grandmother’s twin-lens reflex Rolleiflex camera, now more than 70 years old. It’s been driven over and dropped down stairs, yet it still takes exquisite shots.” Most of the portraits in 101 Salivations were captured using a 4 x 5 inch large-format camera. “I love the images it creates—you can almost reach into the picture and feel the animal’s fur,” the photographer suggests. “The shal- low depth of field is incredible; it draws you to the dog, especially the eyes.”
The eyes in Rachael’s photographs are, indeed, mesmerizing. “Take, for example, Bruno the Spinone Italiano,” she considers. “Bruno was 18 months old and everything you could ask for in a man—young, active and very intelligent.” In the photographer’s opinion, the portrait of Bruno with a cigar in his mouth is reminiscent of a “genuine
“Rachael’s secret to capturing a dog’s soul is to focus on
his or her eyes...we can see the soul of our own best buddies staring back at us.”
mafioso.” (Some viewers might mistake the disheveled pointer for a canine Winston Churchill.) Other dogs’ expressions are as equally appealing. Basset Hound Sam is positively debonair in his trilby hat à la Frank Sintra, and the keen look on the face of Akita Hiro is as alert as it is agreeable. Some breeds appear on the pages of 101 Salivations in pairs, including Irish Setters Olly & Maddy, Standard Poodles Riot & Briar, and Bullmastiffs Illsbruck & Sabrina. Brother Illsbruck appears dubious of the photographer’s lens as his sister reclines with a fashion model’s poise. Perhaps the book’s most memorable group portrait fea- tures Leonbergers Wookie, Martha, Oake, Mimi & Skye. According to Rachael, “It was a daunting prospect trying to capture five of these...dogs in the same frame. But it turned out that the tough job was keeping Skye (in the foreground) awake.”
‘MIXED’ MESSAGES
101 Salivations, it should be noted, is not strictly a purebred dog book. Among the portraits of such ancient breeds as the Saluki and Samoyed are various mixed-breed dogs, and each is afforded equal exposure. Muf- fin, a beguiling black Border Collie cross, is every bit as photogenic as her pedigreed parent. “Who would ever have thought a scruffy little dog from off the street would become famous?” her owner is quoted as saying. Likewise, Boxer cross Zenith and Basenji cross Ruby are stars of their own. As noted in the book’s appendix, “Zen is a star of the international small screen, fea- turing in commercials and the television series Hercules.” By comparison, the brindle Basenji cross is the lead in a more personal production. “Ruby is never seen out with- out her jewels—usually a diamanté collar,” the book’s notes reveal. “It’s a fashion sense she has inherited from her always-bejeweled owner.” Like certain high fashion models, Ruby was “discovered” by the photogra- pher’s ability to recognize beauty in all its forms.
Perhaps not surprisingly, quite a few of the dogs that appear in Rachael’s portraits are wearing clothing of some kind. Though they’re not exactly sporting “outfits,” these dogs nevertheless are immortalized in an assortment of hats, handkerchiefs and even a helmet. Likewise, fashion accessories are de rigeur on the pages of 101 Salivations. A French Bulldog named Mr. Hynds appears to draw on a pipe and the aforementioned Boxer cross Zeus looks positively dapper in his white top hat. Even the photographer’s own Newfoundland, Henry, appears in his own fashion spread. On one page, falling leaves enliven his solid brown coat and on another his muzzle has become a perch for a parrot named Pipi. A third photograph
130 • ShowSight Magazine, July 2019