Fast & Curious
Unveiling the swiftest dogs in the world
For the past seven years, my passion for pet photography has driven me to capture not only the beauty of animals but also their unique personalities. In 2021, alongside Veronica Ershova, I embarked on an ambitious project to not only showcase a dog's character through emotions but to invent entirely new ones. And what better way to do this than by portraying them as the fastest dogs in the world? Thus, the concept of "Fast & Curious" was born, a portrait series where the four-legged protagonists transformed into racers, each with their own distinct personality. Staying true to my love for cartoon-style portraits, reminiscent of my childhood fascination with cartoon shows like “Speed Racer” and "Biker Mice from Mars" I chose to maintain that aesthetic for our canine racers.
However, outfitting dogs with helmets for their racing personas proved to be an impractical task. So, we asked the professional help of CG-artists, starting with Alexei Koler and Nikita Bulgakov, followed by the renowned POP Creative Studio.
To capture the essence of a racer, we opted for classic scooter helmets as the foundation for our designs. These helmets not only offered a comfortable fit but also added a touch of old-school charm to the project. Designing the helmets became a focal point of the process, with each one incorporating colors and elements inspired by the breed's characteristics or country of origin. Veronika Ershova spent hours on post-production work, not only with composing and general retouching, but with color grading to create an overall classic vibe for each of the portraits.
In total, we photographed sixteen breeds for the project. Alongside renowned runners like the Greyhound and Saluki, we featured rare breeds such as the Chortai Greyhound and Taigan, with only a few hundred species remaining in the world.
