Photographer William Wegman's Old Dogs Learn New Tricks

OLD DOGS, NEW TRICKS

It's known that a dog is a man's best friend. William Wegman goes a step further and captures a picturesque side of humanity with the help of his Weimaraner, Man Ray.

Kelly Caminero

Art Director

Updated Oct. 02, 2017 11:11AM ET / Published Sep. 30, 2017 12:01AM ET

William Wegman shares a compilation of over three decades of portraits of his Weimaraner, beloved best friend, and artistic collaborator Man Ray and later on, Fay Ray. Being Human includes more than 300 photos that depict a closer look into the lens of Wegman's witty, humanist eye to his subjects.

Wegman began this artistic journey in anthropomorphizing his dogs in the 1970s. He was strongly influenced by Man Ray and his deadpan appearance. However, unlike Man Ray, Wegman juxtaposes the deadpan with vibrant colors and beautifully lit sets to capture his subjects. Wegman divides his body of work into 16 themed chapters, each chapter showcases a different layer of Wegman's thought process.

These gems represent Wegman's relationship with the surreal as he playfully comments on the characteristics that make us human. It has become second nature to capture the effortless and intriguing portraits in the worlds he has created. All images were captured on a Polariod 20x24 camera and developed in color.