Alex Cearns, the talented photographer from Perth, Australia that brought us the Zen Dog series has just released her new works and they are pawsome! Cearns is one of Australia’s leading professional pet and wildlife photographers and the Creative Director of Houndstooth Studio. With more than 50 awards and accolades to her name since 2008, she specializes in crafting exquisite animal portraits that intrinsically capture the joy people find in animals. Each year, she photographs over 800 beloved pet dogs in her studio and on her global travels.
In addition, she works tirelessly to make a difference to the lives of animals and provides pro bono photographic services, conducts fundraising projects and donates sponsorship to around 40 global animal charities, shelters and sanctuaries.
Cearns lives with two rescue dogs, Pip and Pixel, and one rescue cat, Macy, and claims that animals are her “favorite kind of people.” (Pixel and Cearns pictures below)
This time, Cearns decided to capture the adorableness of a dog’s “smile.” When asked why she chose this as her theme, she told iHeartDogs.com:
“Nothing makes me smile more than spending time with my two rescue dogs Pip and Pixel, and laughing at their zany, adorable antics. They are the inspiration behind ‘Happy Pooch Face’. To me, dogs are love and light. They are always joyous and give so much back to us. They are our best friends and our loyal companions, are always pleased to see us and happy for each day they get to spend with us. They are pure of heart and just want to please. Nothing expresses pure joy to me more than a big, wide smile on a happy canine. Every day in the studio I see all kinds of doggy smiles. Everyone who loves their pooch can find solace their dog’s smile. Some people say we teach our dogs to smile in response to our own facial expressions, but I’m sure it’s the other way around – being with them makes us feel happy, so we smile back. If you’ve never lived with a dog, there is a big part of life you are missing out on. The company of a dog can turn a bad day into good, a sad mood into a happy one, and will make you laugh endlessly. Plus give you a reason to go on walks, to play and to love.”
Getting the dogs to smile was no trick she says, most dogs are naturally “happy” and smile frequently.
“Dogs are generally very happy beings and are always up for a good time,” she explained. “When they visit my studio the first thing I aim to do is to make friends with them, and this helps them settle and relax. Once they are used to the studio (and to me) their personalities shine through and most give me big happy smiles. Then it’s just a matter of timing my shot to catch their grins. Even dogs who are serious in nature usually show me a smile at some stage.”
Cearn will be in New York City on November 1, 2016 to launch her new book Zen Dogs. Follow her on her website and Facebook for more details. The following images are from Cearns’ series and are reprinted with her express permission.
