The Year of the Dogs

Of the many coffee-table books featuring striking photography of dogs, this new title by noted National Geographic photographer Musi stands out as unusually beautiful. Musi, like most professional photographers, traveled extensively for his work—but when his child turned 16, he decided to stay close to home and open a local studio dedicated to photographing dogs. What emerged is this exquisite quasi-photo-biography featuring everyday dogs, set against dark backgrounds and accompanied by a few paragraphs describing the unique characteristics of each dog. “I have never water-skied, but I have been dragged in similar fashion across one hundred yards or so of concrete floor in our warehouse by a 135-pound Great Dane that resembles Benedict Cumberbatch”; “If unfurled with caution and stretched with a sense of purpose, Clyde’s tongue easily spans the length of a time zone.” The droll text captivates the essence of each dog, and adds humor or pathos.