The Nature of Dogs - Hardcover

Ludington, Mary

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1416542876 ISBN 13: 9781416542872

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2007

Synopsis

In The Nature of Dogs, Mary Ludington seeks to capture the true nature of dogs -- their beauty, character, and spirit. Any dog owner will tell you that there is a profound and mysterious connection between humans and their dogs. Our regard for these creatures undeniably runs deeper than mere gratitude for companionship: we respect the unknowable aspect of their natures and understand that at least a part of their true spirit resides outside the human sphere. Though they hunger for our affection, our pets are often most themselves in their natural habitat.

Mary Ludington's spectacular and sensitive photographs reflect this understanding, capturing the particular personalities of sixty different breeds, from the handsome and feisty Irish Terrier to the exuberant and hardy Labrador Retriever; from the sleek, high-stepping Italian Greyhound to the snub-nosed, princely Pug. Ludington has her subjects roam outdoors, observing quietly and letting the dogs dictate her shots. The striking collection of more than one hundred twenty-five photographs that results from this natural approach offers us a glimpse of the dogs in their element -- whether caught midstride or in an hour of well-earned repose.

Of course, as Patricia Hampl notes in her foreword, though we may find ourselves drawn to a certain breed's characteristics, our love for dogs inevitably becomes deeply specific; a dog is an individual, not a bloodline. "There is only one dog," she writes, "mine...or of course, yours." This intense relationship between pet and owner is reflected in the set of original, personal essays that accompanies Ludington's photographs. The contributing writers include:

• JAMES HILLMAN, renowned psychologist and prolific author
• MARY GAITSKILL, National Book Award finalist
• TEMPLE GRANDIN, PhD in animal science and spokeswoman for the welfare of animals
• KEVIN KLING, playwright, humorist, and regular contributor to All Things Considered
• WINONA LADUKE, Native American environmental activist and two-time vice-presidential candidate
• PETER TRACHTENBERG, poet, essayist, and short-story writer

Their personal perspectives combine to create a narrative that addresses the nature of the species we call "man's best friend" in a volume you will treasure for years to come.

About this title

About the Author

Mary Ludington specializes in animal photography through her commissioned portraiture and personal work. She has received numerous awards for her photography and her work is frequently published in the AKC Gazette. Her photographs are exhibited nationally and collected throughout the world. Ludington participates in conformation, field trial, and earth dog sports, and devotes time to dog and horse rescue efforts. She lives in Minneapolis with her partner, Kevin Kling, and their two dachshunds, a basset hound, and a Dales pony.

Visit www.maryludington.com for more information.

From Publishers Weekly

Animal photographer Ludington's stunning collection of dog portraits, packaged in a tasteful coffee table format, is sure to win the hearts of dog lovers with its obvious yet understated reverence. Unlike other books of this type, Ludington's portraits of well-known breeds such as the French Bulldog, Rhodesian Ridgeback and Dachshund treat the animals with a high degree of respect-no funny costumes, anthropomorphic asides or cloying sweetness here. Ludington's candid shots-dogs in grass, snow, forest and river-are largely devoid of sentimentality, focusing instead on each animal's unique spirit, an effect perhaps best exemplified in her study of the ghostly Greyhound, whose coiled potential for sudden, shocking speed gives its portraits a feeling of tension and transience. Each entry is augmented with a brief history of the breed and key characteristics, but the photographs rightfully take center stage. Unfortunately, the handful of essays scattered throughout don't live up to the same high standard-Mary Gaitskill's is especially cringeworthy-with the notable exception of Kevin Kling's opening essay, a lyrical rumination on the ferocity of canines.
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About this edition

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 1416542876
• ISBN 13: 9781416542872
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 168