Zen Dogs
by Alex Cearns
HarperCollins

Alex Cearns is well-known among Perth pet owners for her ability to produce amazing photographs of furry or feathered family members at her Houndstooth Studio in North Perth.

Actually, Alex Cearns is well-known much further abroad as she has won over 100 awards for her work. This includes the International Pet Photographer of the Year in the 2016 International Photographer of the Year Awards and being named Australian of the Day by the team behind the Australian of the Year Awards. It’s not just pets that catch Alex’s eye. Her wildlife photography has its share of awards and she organises wildlife photography trips.

Alex and her partner have two rescued dogs (Pip and Pixel) and a rescued cat (Macy). They give their time to many animal organisations to make a difference in the lives of rescued animals. Alex provides a huge amount of pro bono photographic services to projects raising funds for animal charities at local, national and international levels.

When you book a photo shoot with Alex, she takes lots of photographs. Then, with Alex’s help, you have the painful task of having to whittle down the selection to take a few prized shots home. Some shots get rejected straight away because the animal has their eyes closed, but Alex saw these shots celebrating peace and calm… and the idea for a book of serene dogs was born.

The human owners loved the photograph of Suzi the Sharpei with her eyes closed and it went viral after it was posted. Alex has selected eighty dogs in their moments of serenity. Sometimes the photographs ‘of peace and joy’ are accompanied with proverbs or sayings from the masters of meditation. It is a book to come back to again and again … and her studio packages are great gifts for a friend with a furry or feathered companion.

Lezly Herbert