The bond between a dog and its owner is something so unique and pure it can be difficult to describe—a connection rivaled only by what can be found between two humans. Though even then we’d be willing to bet a great deal of folks would choose a pooch over another person as eternal companion should they find themselves stuck on a deserted island. Because dogs are good. Plain and simple. And so is Mother Nature.
Documenting this enduring relationship between dog, owner, and the great outdoors, is Seattle-based photographer Julia Sumpter, and her ongoing portrait series A Hound Dog. As a classically trained photojournalist and lifelong dog lover, Sumpter has a rare eye for capturing dogs in their most earnest moments of being.
As dog lovers ourselves, we felt immediately drawn to learn more about, and to share the project. It's not the most deep, or intense project by any means, but as Sumpter herself explains in the following exerpt from a recent phone conversation, A Hound Dog is about more than just pretty pictures of Good Dogs.