KIWI DOGS & THEIR PEOPLE

KIWI DOGS & THEIR PEOPLE David Darcy Hardbacxk -Murdoch Books - $32.99 (a bargain !) A truly gorgeous photographic collection of portraits capturing the bond between New Zealanders and their dogs. In his quest to capture the bond that exists between Kiwi dogs and their owners, and distil it into the perfect shot, bestselling author-photographer David Darcy traversed New Zealand,  from Northland to Southland, from the West Coast to the Bay of Plenty. Initially shocked by the devastation of the earthquake after landing in Christchurch, David soon meets Rod and his gorgeous Alaskan Malamute ‘Buck’ (named after Buck Shelford) at the container mall. His spirits lifted, he travelled to central Otago to meet high country farmers and their trusted four-legged companions. He made his way to Bluff, Gore and Dunedin. He travelled to Haast and Greymouth, and through Arthur’s Pass. He visited Wellington’s Cuba  Street. He went to Hastings, Gisborne, and wound his way around the East Cape,. He travelled north from Auckland to Dargaville and Kaikohe, Mangonui and Whangarei. He went to Waitomo and Turangi, capturing portraits along the way, including Tame Iti (and his ball of fluff). He meets hunting dogs, herding dogs, search-and-rescue dogs, rescued dogs, dog trial champions, companion dogs, city slicker dogs and sled dogs. After travelling all over the country, David declared Kiwi Dogs & Their People “one of the most enjoyable projects I have ever worked on.” Set against the stunning backdrop of New Zealand’s snow-capped mountains, stunning lakes, isolated coastlines and cities and towns, David Darcy’s beautiful images show just how passionately Kiwis feel about their dogs.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR David Darcy has been capturing unique portraits of dogs for the past 15 years. A leading author-photographer, he has a succession of best-selling photographic books to his credit.  Over the years he has worked on numerous photography assignments that combine his dedication to his art and his eye for detail with his passion for capturing iconic images of dogs. David acknowledges his own dogs as his biggest inspiration. He is a keen advocate of animal rights issues and has worked with many animal welfare organisations. Rioght -  Willy and his mob p80  Above - Brent and Hori p 88 Below -  Steve, Eve and the pups p146