Curly is a standard poodle who belongs to our good friends, Ann and Dean.

Curly is the same vintage as our Shiba Inu, Lola, and she’s been a frequent guest in our home for more than a decade.

I love photographing dogs, but Curly presents a unique challenge. A jet-black dog with dark eyes hidden behind raven locks, she is a subject without hightlights. But I love a challenge. As Curly was lounging in front of the Christmas tree, I snapped a few floor-level shots, calling her name to get her attention. Converting the image to black-and-white allowed me to bring out just a bit more definition in Curly’s snout and eyes. 

You can almost tell there’s a dog in there.