A photographer’s colourful and dramatic photos of dogs have gone viral and you can see why.
Canadian photographer Jess Bell has been working in the industry for the past three years, specialising in ‘artistic animal imagery’.
Wanting to do something different and striking, Jess asked her friends to bring their dogs to a photo shoot, tossing colourful powder over them before they jumped into the air.
The results were pretty magical!
Choosing a colour which would either closely match or neatly contrast with the dog’s fur, Jess shot a range of photographs with Border Collies, Australian Shepherds, German Coolies and more.
Speaking to UNLAD, Jess, who is also a dog owner and trainer, explained how she created the photos, adding that she ensured the dogs were safe at all times.
Jess said:
The images were created by placing coloured powder on dogs owned by some very talented dog training friends (and my own dog). We then asked the dogs to move and capture the resulting explosion. Each image is unique as it reflects each animals’ individual movement and structure. Don’t worry, the powder is non-toxic (FD&C/D&C approved), we shoot with plenty of ventilation and it’s kept away from airways so nothing is inhaled.
Animals keep us humble! They’re not always predictable, nor do they have long attention spans. I think photographing any subject comes with its own unique set of challenges; I’ve grown accustomed to the challenges animals present. I have plenty of patience, and know when to scrap an idea if it’s not working.
Well as you can see from the amazing results, Jess was right not to ‘scrap’ this idea!
Jess’ photos were actually inspired by a fellow photographer, Andrea Zachrau, who specialises in equine photography.
Andrea has regularly worked with coloured powders and horses with equally impressive results.
Looking at Andrea’s photos, it is no wonder Jess felt inspired!
While taking the photographs Jess knew the results would be ‘something great’, but she admits she was surprised at how well they turned out.
She told UNILAD this made it hard for her to pick a favourite, although she has now settled on the photograph of Border Collie Rush jumping through red powder.
Jess said:
Each image has something about it that I love. I guess my favourite is the shot of Rush the Border Collie jumping through the red powder. Black, white and red is a killer colour combination, and I love how powerful his jump is.
I’m very pleased with the results and look forward to doing different sports! I wasn’t too sure if they’d be successful beforehand. I told the participating dogs’ owners that I was pretty sure we’d be making something great, but that I couldn’t guarantee the results beforehand (they were kind enough to participate anyways!).
Here is Rush in action:
To be honest, I would love to see Jess take a photo of my cat jumping through a coloured powder! Although cats aren’t as well trained as dogs, maybe that could be her next subject.
To see more of Jess Bell’s photography you can click here. You can also check out Andrea Zachrau’s photography here.
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