Landscape, Nature & Wildlife Photography, Dogs - General & Miscellaneous

Woof

Name: Woof
Author: Elliott Erwitt
ISBN: 9780811851121

by Erwitt, Elliott, Styler, Trudie

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Overview

From acclaimed photographer and famed lover of dogs Elliott Erwitt comes Woof, the most unintentionally persuasive advertisement for dog ownership there ever was. Erwitt's eye is unfailing, and his love for dogs is captured in each and every photo. Digging a hole, barking at a cat, jauntily carrying a stickErwitt takes these ordinary moments and makes them extraordinary. The humorist P. G. Wodehouse once said of Erwitt, 'Theres not a sitter in his gallery that doesn't melt the heart, and no beastly class distinctions, either. Thoroughbreds and mutts, they are all there." Add to that the level of respect Mr. Erwitt shows for his subjects: whether it be a scruffy little terrier pausing for a quick pant or a herding dog intensely focused on her flock, with one click of the shutter the individuality of each and every dog is conveyed and memorialized. Mostly new photographs, with a couple of old favorites sprinkled in for good measure, Woof is a celebration of dogs at their finest.

About the Author, Elliott Erwitt

Elliott Erwitt was born in France of Russian migr parents and lived in Italy for his formative years. He moved to New York in the 1950s, where he met Edward Steichen, Robert Capa, and Roy Stryker. He was invited to join Magnum Photos in 1953 and was a three-term president in the 1960s. His books, journalistic essays, illustrations, and advertisements have been featured in publications around the world for more than forty years. He remains a leading figure in the field of contemporary photography

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Editorials

From the Publisher

Many of these pictures will make you smile, and some will make you laugh, but this is more than just a collection of cute doggie pix. They are portraits in the full sense of the word: whether posed or impromptu, each image reveals something true about a particular dog or about dogs in general. Erwitt, a veteran photographer and member of Magnum, offers simple truths: "Living with a dog is messy"; "A dog teaches a boy fidelity." His pooches, in all shapes and sizes, are pensive and playful, reflective and active; they zestfully leap into a lake or lie belly up in a grassy field, enjoying a lovely day. Unlike William Wegman's dog photos, Erwitt's don't rely on props or costumes, though two supercool Dalmatians in goggles do make an arresting pair. Even if you're not a dedicated dog lover, this book will charm you. Woof! -Publishers Weekly, starred review

Publishers Weekly

Library Journal

Anyone who has owned a dog will rejoice in this wonderful collection of canine candids. Erwitt is a master photographer, as his years at Magnum can attest, and here captures a subject very close to his heart. The images are funny and touching, silly and moving: an elegant lady clad in modish clothes, holding the leashes of an ascending array of dogs and with a "pooper scooper" dangling from her hand like the most current trend in handbags; an Alsatian held by a man with a mask that resembles the dog's face (does one really begin to look like one's pet?); and, of course, the eternal dog vs. cat image. Some dog owners' favorite stories are included in the introduction by Trudie Styler, but it's Erwitt's photographs that tell the entire tale. With the eye of an artist and the soul of a dog lover, he provides a glimpse into the eons-long relationship between humans and their dogs. A charming book for all dog lovers and for those ready to be converted.-Paula Frosch, Metropolitan Museum of Art Lib., New York Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.