Dog Portraits Capture the Unique Personalities of Pups Around the World

Dog Portraits by Alan Schaller

Last year we introduced you to London-based street photographer Alan Schaller, whose high contrast, black and white images capture “the realities and diversities of human life.” Previously, we covered an intimate series of his that showed the rarely photographed faces of Moroccan people. In his latest work, Schaller takes to the streets once more, but this time, his subjects are a little smaller and furrier. From tiny pups to bounding hounds, his growing collection of dog portraits capture the unique personalities of canine friends that he’s met around the world. “I find dogs are in general more consistently friendly, unpredictable, and amusing than humans,” says Schaller.

Part of Schaller’s process is to bond with the dog, by bending down to equal ground, where they can get familiar with him, as well as his camera gear. If the dog has an owner, Schaller first asks permission to photograph their pet, and from there he moves onto gaining the dog’s trust. “Almost every dog I have photographed, unless the scenario has been tragic, has made me laugh at some point when meeting it,” Schaller admits.

The photographer tries to avoid disturbing stray dogs who are often vulnerable, injured, or sick. However, in some countries most of the dogs he met were homeless—such as India, where there are approximately 30 million street dogs. One particular stray in Kerala bonded with Schaller straight away. “We ‘clicked’, and there was total mutual trust from the beginning,” he recalls. Starved of food and attention, Schaller couldn't help but care for her during his week-long stay. Each day she would meet him outside his hotel and follow close behind him as he went about his day. “It was great getting to know her,” Schaller fondly remembers,“but she was quite painful to leave.”

Schaller hopes that this series will encourage viewers to support charities such as the UK’s RSPCA where you can adopt a dog or support their cause through donations. You can find more of Schaller’s photographs on Instagram.

Street photographer Alan Schaller’s ongoing collection of dog portraits captures the unique personalities of canine friends that he’s met around the world.

Dog Portraits by Alan Schaller

London

Dog Portraits by Alan Schaller

Casino Royale, Monaco

Dog Portraits by Alan Schaller

London Underground

Dog Portraits by Alan Schaller

West Wittering Beach, West Sussex

Dog Portraits by Alan Schaller

Volterra, Italy

From pampered pooches to stray street dogs, Schaller hopes his series will encourage viewers to support animal welfare charities.

Dog Portraits by Alan Schaller

Kolkata, India

Dog Portraits by Alan Schaller

London Underground

Dog Portraits by Alan Schaller

London

Dog Portraits by Alan Schaller

Pisa, Italy

Dog Portraits by Alan Schaller

Koh Phayam, Thailand

Dog Portraits by Alan Schaller

West Wittering Beach, West Sussex

Dog Portraits by Alan Schaller

London

Dog Portraits by Alan Schaller

London Underground

Dog Portraits by Alan Schaller

Istanbul, Turkey

Dog Portraits by Alan Schaller

London

Alan Schaller: Website | Instagram | Twitter

My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Alan Schaller.

Related Articles:

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Expressive Dog Portraits Capture the Soulful Essence of Man’s Best Friend

Incredibly Expressive Dog Portraits by Elke Vogelsang

Hilarious and Heartwarming Dog Portraits

Expressive Portraits Highlight the Overlooked Beauty of Black Shelter Dogs

Emma Taggart

Emma Taggart is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met. Originally from Northern Ireland, she is an artist now based in Berlin. After graduating with a BA in Fashion and Textile Design in 2013, Emma decided to combine her love of art with her passion for writing. Emma has contributed to various art and culture publications, with an aim to promote and share the work of inspiring modern creatives. While she writes every day, she’s also devoted to her own creative outlet—Emma hand-draws illustrations and is currently learning 2D animation.
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