CATHERINE LEDNER GREW UP IN AN "ANIMAL HOUSE"
I have always been a fan of Catherine Ledner's work, particularly her book ANIMAL HOUSE. Here are some questions I posed to the photographer:
Did you have animals growing up?
Yes! As a family we had many pets. When I was very young, we had a Springer Spaniel named Light bulb, because of the light bulb shaped marking on one of her eyes. We then had a Cocker Spaniel named Snoopy, named after my favorite cartoon character at the time. Later we had a chocolate Labrador named Tasha, not sure how she got that name. For smaller critters, we had a bevy: rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, hamsters, fish and turtles. My mom and dad are definitely animal people. Thank goodness they indulged my two brothers and I in our love of animals.
TIMOTHY GREENFIELD-SANDERS LOVES DOGS
I have always been a fan of Timothy's work and his portraits. How delighted was I when I learned that he had shot portraits of artists' dogs? It was all too good to be true.
CIG HARVEY AND ALL THINGS GOOD IN LIFE
"I grew up on the moors in Devon, England. An extreme landscape with wild ponies, ancient forests, and windswept grasses. It was a landscape that inspired my imagination. I would spend my days damming rivers, getting my boots stuck in mud, and making dens. I oriented myself by the particular curve of a tree or a clutter of bluebells. I now live with my family in rural Maine, a place that often reminds me of my childhood. The sound of certain birds in summer, finding frogs in streams, and walking my dog at dusk: I use animals as metaphors for all things that are good in life." - Cig Harvey
LARS WAHL HAS AN AMAZING EYE FOR DOGS ON THE STREET
Lars Wahl says, "I began photographing dogs on the streets about 3 years ago. Now, it has gradually become an established ritual; I stake out the local supermarkets for "parked dogs" to add to my collection. My girlfriend thinks I’m embarrassing when I stop on our walks, to shoot a stranger's dog but that doesn’t stop me!
SPAIN IS SIZZLING WITH DOGS! CHECK OUT SRPERRO.COM FOR THE BEST DOG FRIENDLY SPOTS!
SrPerro.com is Spain's dog friendly website: I travel around with Colega, my patient mutt, and sniff out the best cafes, shops, art galleries and even hair salons where dogs are welcome. Our aim is to make life with a dog in the city much more fun and varied. We also promote a culture where educated dogs can access many more public areas than now: I’m certain that, in some strange way, dogs make a city much more human. They make us better people.
A CHIC NATIONAL DOG DAY CELEBRATION IN NYC TO BENEFIT FRIENDS OF FINN
It was the most gorgeous celebration for National Puppy at the Highline Hotel yesterday! Tuna Melts My Heart, Toast Meets World and Friends of Finn sat on propped personalized pillows from WAGGO to greet the crowds! Photos were had, rescue dogs looked for new owners, and people shopped, all in honor of Amanda Hearst's Friends of Finn organization which helps the Humane Society and raises awareness about puppy mills.
MICHAEL SANDERS SNEAKS A DOG PHOTO HERE AND THERE
As Michael puts it, "The old showbiz adage: "Never work with Children and Animals" has to do with the unpredictability and difficulty in controlling such energetic and wondrous beings...but the trick is to appreciate and accept their wildness and beauty and capture it as it unfolds, to allow for the spontaneity of lie and then it's a breeze!
GREG DELVES WAKES UP AT 4AM SOMETIMES. WHO IS KEEPING HIM COMPANY? LADY VIOLET!
"Violet Delves has changed my life. She is the most loyal and beautiful companion who has a lovely calm demeanor and thinks nothing of going to the studio at all hours.
MARA BOVSUN EDUCATES US ABOUT THE CANINE GOOD CITIZEN TEST AND SOPHIE GAMAND LENDS HER LENSE
Architect Christine MacNeill started the Doberman Gang of NYC in 2013 in part to find playmates for her high-enegy puppy, Lucy, and to find like-minded people who love the breed. Today, the group, which has 60 members on its Meetup page and has all kinds of dogs, from show dogs to shelter rescues, gathers regularly to burn off the abundant energy--both physical and mental--for which the Doberman Pinscher is famous.
I FIGURED OUT WHAT SERGE NORMANT LOVES MORE THAN HAIR! FRANCES TULK-HART CAME WITH ME TO FIND OUT.
Serge Normant loves Sarah Jessica Parker, Julia Roberts, Jessica Chastian and Katie Holmes to name a few, but the woman who truly stole his heart is Emma. Emma is a short haired blonde beauty with two very long ears and who can speak three different languages. Très chic!
YSA PEREZ AND MRS. SIZZLE GO ON AN ADVENTURE TO MEET MR. BLUE, WOULDN'T YOU?
Ysa Perez and I visited the home of Tudor Cucu, a photographer, and Iulia Cirstea, an Elite model living in New York city with little Mr. Blue, an enthusiastic Yorkie that they got upstate about three years ago. In my honest opinion, I couldn't tell who was better at modeling, Iulia or that Mr. Blue who has a closet that would put any other dog to shame. Mr. Blue goes everywhere with the couple and even has his own passport to boot!
SIPKE VISSER SHARES HIS LOVE OF ANIMALS THROUGH HIS WONDERFUL PHOTOGRAPHS
Leslie Simitch told me about this fabulous book that she had seen at Colette's in Paris, "Doggies". Sipke Visser describes his relationship to dogs, "I don’t have a personal preference for dogs and I really like all animals. What makes dogs specifically interesting, perhaps, is that they can seem very human-like. In some of the pictures, it almost seems like they and myself completely understand each other. People get very interesting when they’re around dogs, probably because they feel they can sometimes communicate on the same level."
MRS. SIZZLE WAS TOLD ABOUT A COOL NEW BOOK CALLED IN DOGS WE TRUST. CHECK IT OUT.
Jess Bonham introduced me to Will Robson-Scott and Ollie Grove and their sensational new project and book entitled, IN DOGS WE TRUST. Photographers and friends from childhood, the two searched across the social spectrum to shoot intriguing characters and their beloved hounds in locations as diverse as Hackney, Hampstead, Venice Beach, Brooklyn and Queens. Published and designed by Victory Edition , NYC.
MRS. SIZZLE FOUND PHOTOGRAPHER DONNA DEMARI AND HER FABULOUS FINN
My Golden Finn as told by Donna Demari
"In 2009, I lost my two best friends. They were Labrador retrievers, brothers and their names were Luke and Forrest.
I never thought I would recover or my heart would ever heal. I wrote a book to honor their lives and I was also determined not to have another dog.
They were the loves of my life and irreplaceable.
MRS. SIZZLE SAYS ENOUGH SNOW BUT BOSCO OF WESTWIND ORCHARD DOESN'T SEEM TO MIND AT ALL
“Home, home on the range, where this English Lab named Bosco plays. Where seldom is heard a discouraging word and skies are not cloudy all day.”
Ok, it is winter so there are some clouds…but you know what I mean. In fact, winter is my favorite season at Westwind Orchard! On a typical day as Head Farm Dog, I wake up early and take care of important business, like tapping the maple trees for syrup with Pop and visiting my friends at the chicken coop and beehives. Most humans are afraid of bees, but Dad has taught me to sit very still as he tends to them. I love when they buzz around my head, tickling my nose, smelling all sweet.
MEET SASHA AND MAX, THE SWEETEST TOY POODLE EVER, PHOTOGRAPHED BY YSA PEREZ
Mrs. Sizzle met this stylish duo the other week in downtown New York. Sasha is a model with Elite and Max is her gorgeous toy poodle that she adopted when her husband's cousin was pregnant. Sasha and her husband Dimitri were talking care of Max and it organically turned into a permanent situation - a very cozy one at that!
A TRIP TO ELLIOTT ERWITT'S WAS THE MOST FUN THING EVER FOR MRS. SIZZLE
As a dog lover and a lover of photography, what more could have drawn me to Elliott Erwitt's studio? The man had been hounded by me for months since I started this blog, and we finally met up one fine day in January. The girls and I sauntered up to the Upper West Side to join Elliott walking down Central Park West. He wanted to sit a bit, get to see the dogs and let them sniff him before we went on our loop that ended up at his studio. A few stories were told and I must have passed muster, as I was invited upstairs for a delicious espresso that he made me.
REMEMBERING LARRY SULTAN ON VALENTINE'S DAY
I found this Valentine’s card in my files recently; I used to receive them every year from my old friend Larry Sultan. Larry passed away in 2009 and it rocked me. The last time I spoke to him, we shared stories of our cancers and the Indian nurse that he saw in New York. I miss that dear man, so I wanted to share this with you all - a bit belated, Valentine-wise, but close enough!