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It is called the dog effect. Researchers found that a dog story in the national section of The New York Times is 2.6 times more likely to be picked up on the wire service than a non-dog story. Stories about dogs are always heartwarming, whether they are happy or sad. As a society, perhaps we have become so desensi- tized by all of the bad news, political bickering and the asinine antics of non-celebrity celebrities, that any news generates a meh response. But when a dog story appears on television or in print, we sit up and take notice. The diversity of dogs is simply beautiful. From the physical
traits that every breed has to a dog’s uncanny ability to make us laugh. So, it’s really no wonder that more and more calendars are created each year with dogs as the main subject, to satisfy the more than 43,346,000 households who live with them. Professional photographer
Denise Mueller took it one step fur- ther and incorporated her love of Florida, specifically Manatee County, with her love of dogs, to create Dogs of Manatee County 2015 Calendar. As a 2008 graduate of Ringling College of Art & Design, Denise majored in illustra- tion and enjoys composing her pho- tographs with various other ele- ments around the dog. “I love visu- ally telling stories,” said Denise. “When I capture images, I aim to tell a story as well as create the per- fect portrait of the subject — in this case, dogs. The idea behind the calendar
the trip with her family during an antique car show. “It was a strange visual parallel: the beauty of the antique cars was being outdone by an even more beautiful antique house,” said Denise. “Sometimes, it’s not the hidden local treasure as much as it is the forgotten local treasures. I hope that including these “re-discov- ered locations” in the calendar, encourages people to visit them,” said Denise. Florida Railroad Museum and Koky, the Poodle.
Denise loved the visual of the Tropicana train cars traveling across the Manatee River. She contacted the Florida Railroad Museum in Parrish as a safer alter- native to a running rail system. “I fell in love with a grassy spot under- neath the shade of oak trees,” said Denise. And what would a photo of a Tropicana boxcar be without oranges? Koky, the Poodle with an orange hue, was a natural. “The photo shoot actually took longer than planned because Koky was just so darn cute and fun. He is a natu- ral,” said Denise. She is especially pleased with the photograph that made the calendar. “It just brings a smile to my face. Visually, it cele- brates the feeling of joy,” she added. Anna Maria Island and
was to give Manatee residents something they could relate to. “Manatee County is a wonderful place for dogs. I love living here. Who wouldn’t? Butterflies flitting around all-year-round, functional public art displays, historical sites, festivals nearly every weekend. And the water,” said Denise. Growing up, the relationships Denise developed with her
Koky, photographed at Florida Railroad Museum, Parrish. Photography by Denise Mueller.
Francine, the Beagle. While the colorful town of Anna Maria Island has many dog-friendly restaurants and businesses that wel- come dogs, the beaches do not allow them. So, what would set this island community apart from any other colorful Florida beach town, Denise wondered? BayFest is an annual two-day, family-friendly
childhood pets instilled a deep love and respect for all animals. She believes in the No Kill movement, and volunteers to help keep the vision alive. She volunteers her photographic services to Manatee County Animal Service’s Picture Them Adopted pro- gram, and assists the Humane Society of Manatee County with her design services. Scouting for locations to set up the 12 different photo-
graphs for the calendar was part of the creative process. It also helped provide Denise with a better appreciation of local color and flavor. How many of us are guilty of taking for granted the many local treasures available to us across Florida? We promise ourselves that, one day soon we’ll make a visit. And we never seem to get around to it. Denise admits that, for instance, “For seven years while heading to the outlet mall in Ellenton, I had driven by Gamble Plantation without ever stopping.” She made
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event in October that features continuous music, a food court, arts and crafts and the LaPensee Classic Car Show, all along Pine Avenue. Francine, an adopted Beagle and her human Kimberley, volunteered to meet Denise on Pine Island during BayFest. The sights and colors were, at first overwhelming to Denise. And the beautiful antique cars. Then her eye focused on a mini, kitschy Beagle figurine lifting its leg on one of the cars. Kismet or pho- tographic perfection? We’ll let you be the judge.
U
Dogs of Manatee County 2015, a narrative pet photography project illustrating how dogs work and play in Manatee County. Created, pro- duced and printed in Manatee County, the calendar is a personal project of profes- sional photographer, Denise Mueller (shown left). It was photographed between May and October, 2015. The cal- endar sells for $20 and may be purchased online at
PolarBearStudio.com/shop.
Winter ~ 2014/15 THE NEW BARKER 27
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