Gentle giants

Photography

Norwegian photographer Truls Bakken on the big dog that raised him, and the Zen nature of the Irish wolfhound.

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Gentle giants

WORDS BY Jessa Shields

Truls Bakken was raised by a Bearded Collie. It wasn’t the Mowgli and Akela situation you might be imagining, but the 29-year-old freelance photographer describes his family dog, Robin, as being like an older brother to him growing up in Norway. Ever since, dogs have captivated Truls; particularly larger breeds like Irish Wolfhounds. In Truls’ photography series ‘Dogs Best Man’, these gentle giants stand in forests, on piers, in rain-soaked city streets, each dog conveying their own intriguing binaries. “The Irish Wolfhound is so rough and powerful, yet so regal and serene,” said Truls. Other subjects include a dalmatian, St Bernard, and a sharp-looking doberman standing at almost the same height as the five-year-old girl beside him. The girl, Truls’ friend’s daughter Ida, wears her favourite party dress and a Batman mask that she won in a cereal box, its pricked ears mimicking those of her canine companion. With this shot, Truls says, “I was looking to get a mix between an urban and mysterious image. I hope I got it right!”

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All images courtesy of Truls Bakken
dogsbestman.com

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