Customer Reviews

Dog Run

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Dog Run is by far one of the edgiest, most innovative collections of fine art dog photography I have ever come across. These are photographs of dogs being dogs when they think no one else is watching (or don't care). The raw intensity captured on the faces of these beloved pets as they interact with other canines is exquisite. Any dog owner or voyeur at a dog park has witnessed the same fleeting excitement, fear, and playfulness that Crouser has elegantly captured in this series.

I confess to be biased about this book because my crazy border collie is the first dog pictured in the series. Even if she weren't in the book, I would still find the book interesting. What makes it unusual is that there are no photo captions. The photos speak for themselves. However, if you're looking for a "warm fuzzy" book about dogs, don't get this. These black-and-white photos show dogs in predatory/evasive mode--snarling, staring, whirling,jumping. My dog, for example, is in the famous herding crouch, obsessively fixing her "eye" on some "sheep" at the dog park, drool coming from the corner of her mouth. This book provides a sobering dose of reality for people who like to think of their dogs as children or toys. Dogs are fascinating animals, descended from packs of wild canines. Although some people obviously don't like to think of them as such, this book emphasizes this heritage.

I highly recommend Dog Run! It doesn't matter if you're a "dog person" or not--this is a great collection of strikingly detailed black-and-white photos. It has so many wonderful moments, with the subjects totally absorbed in a world that has nothing to do with humans--though many appear almost human in their postures and expressions (if one can use that word). Obviously a skilled photographer, Michael Crouser has captured dogs interacting in ways that are both child-like and warrior-like--and often comical, too. Some of the photographs are like portraits; others strike me almost as visual short stories. Some are as much about the composition as the subject matter, highlighting an interesting detail or pattern captured by the camera. All of them are extremely good, rich and absorbing. Dog Run is a great book!