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INTRODUCTION
When I first got involved in photography, I saw it as a hobby — a way for me to record those magical moments that happen in an animal's everyday life. At the time I was living with Rocco, my bullmastiff, and my sister's dachshund, Ralph. Their relationship was my inspiration and what I managed to capture drove me to take my photography seriously. I've always been an animal lover, but I never knew that passion would lead to my life's purpose — photography. This creative outlet allows me to capture the joy dogs bring to my life and then share that with the world. I believe every animal has a secret life — a unique personality that few people get to witness. That's why I get so much satisfaction from capturing each individual animal's expression. I love working with animals because they have no hang-ups — they don't put on an act, they don't complain about an unflattering photo and most of all, they make me happy. My aim is to capture the unique personality and humor that animals can bring into our lives. I believe a home isn't complete without a companion animal.
This book began with a simple idea — to capture the delight and joy of dogs in an upside down pose. Their facial expressions offer an antidote to human stress that should be bottled and sold as medication. My two bulldogs, Simon and Garfunkel, make me laugh every day — they keep me grounded through stressful times and always improve my mood with their antics and attitudes to life. We live complicated lives and we often dwell on the downside of situations — that's why we need dogs. Simon and Garfunkel are my best friends because they bring an optimistic and fun-loving perspective to every day. A ride in the car is like a roller-coaster ride, a bowl of kibble is a delicious five-star meal, and rolling around on their backs is heaven on earth for them. This is where I saw my first glimpse of Upside-Down Dogs captured in that unique moment of on-bed-upside-down-bliss. Through my dogs' eyes I can see life's silver linings and find an upside to getting out of bed every day, no matter what, and I thought this inspiration needed to be shared. This project goes to the heart of why humans and dogs have such a wonderful, symbiotic relationship. We need dogs to help us find joy in everyday pleasures, and our dogs need us to make the bed so they can jump up and roll around.
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Excerpted from "Upside-Down Dogs"
by .
Copyright © 2017 Serena Hodson.
Excerpted by permission of St. Martin's Press.
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