For The Past 40 Years, This Street Photographer Has Been Capturing Perfectly Timed Photos Of Dogs (30 Pics)
For the past 40 years, street photographer Chris Porsz traveled all around the world capturing adorable and quirky candid photos of canines.
Chris Porsz is a 66-year old British paramedic and street photographer based in Peterborough. For the past 40 years, the man traveled all around the world capturing adorable candid photos of canines and has recently published a picture book with over 200 of his greatest images titled Barking!.
In a recent interview with Bored Panda, the photographer said that to him, dogs are characters in their own right, just like humans - intensely curious, both timid and bold. Check out some of Chris' quirky photos of dogs in the gallery below!
More info: chrisporsz.com | Facebook
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Image source: Chris Porsz
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Image source: Chris Porsz
You've probably seen some of Chris' photos before - a few years back, he released a photography book titled Reunions where he found and took pictures of the same people he photographer in the 80s.
“In the early eighties, I looked for characters who stood out from the crowd, such as the teddy boys, punks and, by chance, a few dogs. Busy raising a family and my new career as a paramedic, I then packed up for 25 years, until I discovered the magic of digital photography," said the photographer. "One surreal man-dog image taken by the photographer Elliot Erwitt in New York depicting a bulldog sat on its owner’s knee, inspired me to start looking for more funny dogs.”
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Chris says that Barking! is his quirky take on our best friends and adds that the great thing about taking pictures of them is that they never complain. “Barking! depicts mutts and pedigrees in all shapes and sizes from New York to Paris to Skegness and, of course, my home town of Peterborough," says the photographer. "I frequently cut off the owners to give the dogs a center-stage. However, at times I will keep the owner in, to show the intimate relationship with their best friends.”
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Image source: Chris Porsz
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“Many pictures are candid but, just like my people images, I often find the best are when the dog sees me and spontaneously reacts. I therefore actively look for eye contact, sometimes by speaking in their language with a little bark or a woof," says Christ. "All the world’s a stage so with serendipity on my side, I just wait for the right dog to walk on and snap! My quest would involve round trips of hundreds of miles, but I often returned with not even a sausage dog. My dogged persistence would pay off when I was rewarded with the book cover images. The front cover from NY is probably the best I have ever taken so quite proud of it.”
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Image source: Chris Porsz
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Image source: Chris Porsz
“I walk and stalk for miles, get down to their level with a wide-angle lens, set to a fast shutter speed, fire away and hope," says Chris. "Sometimes I have got too close to snarling dogs, unhappy owners or to a Yorkie that cocked its leg over me and my camera.”
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Image source: Chris Porsz
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Chris revealed that sometimes capturing the perfect photo can take quite a few attempts. “I went back to Barking in London three times to try and achieve the image I wanted. There was a distinct shortage of dogs there and I waited many hours outside the Barking Dog and Spotted Dog pubs waiting for a dog to snap," said the photographer. "I waited so long next to the ‘Welcome to Barking’ sign on Barking Station that I was approached by security as I obviously looked suspicious. They were happy when I told them I was a trainspotter!”
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Image source: Chris Porsz
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Image source: Chris Porsz
“As the great man Elliot Erwitt said, ‘I don’t know of any other animals closer to us in qualities of heart, sentiment and loyalty.’ Martyn Moore, my photo editor, also sums up my book and the relationship we have with our dogs: ‘Like so many of Chris’s projects, it has turned into a huge and complex documentary, layered with his observations about the dogs and their relationships with people and places. Around the world, we see evidence that people treat their dogs at least as well, if not better, than they treat each other. And how do they repay us? They repay us with loyalty, love, eye-watering vet bills and a runny poo that even the most dedicated ‘bagger’ will struggle to clean up.’ My message is ‘just be kind to both people and dogs.’”
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Image source: Chris Porsz
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Chris has worked at the ambulance service for almost 30 years and occasionally does book signings at his local hospital in Peterborough. He donates a part of his proceeds to Breast Cancer Research UK and a local oncology department as a way of saying thank you for the amazing work they do.
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