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Underwater Dogs
The exuberant, exhilarating photographs of dogs underwater that have become a sensation.
From the water's surface, it's a simple exercise: a dog's leap, a splash, and then a wet head surfacing with a ball, triumphant.
But beneath the water is a chaotic ballet of bared teeth and bubbles, paddling paws, fur and ears billowing in the currents. From leaping Lab to diving Dachshund, the water is where a dog's distinct personality shines through; some lounge in the current, paddling slowly, but others arch their bodies to cut through the water with the focus and determination of a shark.
In more than eighty portraits, award-winning pet photographer and animal rights activist Seth Casteel captures new sides of our old friends with vibrant underwater photography that makes it impossible to look away. Each image bubbles with exuberance and life, a striking reminder that even in the most loveable and domesticated dog, there are more primal forces at work. In Underwater Dogs , Seth Casteel gives playful and energetic testament to the rough-and-tumble joy that our dogs bring into our lives.
From the water's surface, it's a simple exercise: a dog's leap, a splash, and then a wet head surfacing with a ball, triumphant.
But beneath the water is a chaotic ballet of bared teeth and bubbles, paddling paws, fur and ears billowing in the currents. From leaping Lab to diving Dachshund, the water is where a dog's distinct personality shines through; some lounge in the current, paddling slowly, but others arch their bodies to cut through the water with the focus and determination of a shark.
In more than eighty portraits, award-winning pet photographer and animal rights activist Seth Casteel captures new sides of our old friends with vibrant underwater photography that makes it impossible to look away. Each image bubbles with exuberance and life, a striking reminder that even in the most loveable and domesticated dog, there are more primal forces at work. In Underwater Dogs , Seth Casteel gives playful and energetic testament to the rough-and-tumble joy that our dogs bring into our lives.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
14 people are currently reading
973 people want to read
About the author
Seth Casteel
15 books28 followersSeth Casteel is an award-winning photographer and the New York Times Best Selling Author of Underwater Dogs. His forthcoming book, Underwater Puppies, will be published September 16, 2014.
In 2007, Seth began volunteering to photograph homeless pets to help them find loving families. These improved, positive photos showcased unique personalities, resulting in countless adoptions.
Since then, Seth has developed a career as a Lifestyle Pet Photographer, accepting commissions and commercial assignments, collaborating with dozens of publishers and exhibiting his artwork in galleries around the world. His work has been published in National Geographic Magazine, The New York Times and in hundreds of other magazines, newspapers and calendars. You may have also seen him on Good Morning America, EXTRA, Jeopardy!, The Insider and Inside Edition. He has traveled the world in pursuit of his passion, working with animals on five continents. Seth's non-profit campaign, One Picture Saves a Life, inspires, empowers and educates animal ambassadors around the world to improve the image of rescue and adoption through positive photography.
Seth lives in Venice Beach, CA. He loves 80's music and is a fan of the DeLorean automobile. He plans to one day go back in time, and change nothing. His rescue dog, Baby Nala, has accepted the fact that she will be photographed every single day. People often say that Seth and Nala have similar hairstyles.
In 2007, Seth began volunteering to photograph homeless pets to help them find loving families. These improved, positive photos showcased unique personalities, resulting in countless adoptions.
Since then, Seth has developed a career as a Lifestyle Pet Photographer, accepting commissions and commercial assignments, collaborating with dozens of publishers and exhibiting his artwork in galleries around the world. His work has been published in National Geographic Magazine, The New York Times and in hundreds of other magazines, newspapers and calendars. You may have also seen him on Good Morning America, EXTRA, Jeopardy!, The Insider and Inside Edition. He has traveled the world in pursuit of his passion, working with animals on five continents. Seth's non-profit campaign, One Picture Saves a Life, inspires, empowers and educates animal ambassadors around the world to improve the image of rescue and adoption through positive photography.
Seth lives in Venice Beach, CA. He loves 80's music and is a fan of the DeLorean automobile. He plans to one day go back in time, and change nothing. His rescue dog, Baby Nala, has accepted the fact that she will be photographed every single day. People often say that Seth and Nala have similar hairstyles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 269 reviews
September 2, 2018
i have made a list of dog books over on riffle:
FUNUSUAL GIFT BOOKS FOR DOG LOVERS: It's like memes you can wrap!
check it out! http://www.rifflebooks.com/list/24866...
*******************************************
BEST BOOK EVER ALERT!!!
i know i have made this proclamation before, but that was before i knew about this book. these are photographs... wait for it...of DOGS...wait for it... UNDERWATER!!!!
what is not to love???
DO YOU KNOW WHAT DOGS LOOK LIKE WHEN THEY ARE UNDERWATER???
THEY LOOK LIKE MONSTERS!!!!!
but like the kind of monsters you want living under your bed.
i love this book so so much, and i really wish someone on the second floor would take all the copies out of upstock so they could actually sell.
i am buying my copy tonight. i love it so much
thank you, seth casteel, you have made my day.
come to my blog!
FUNUSUAL GIFT BOOKS FOR DOG LOVERS: It's like memes you can wrap!
check it out! http://www.rifflebooks.com/list/24866...
*******************************************
BEST BOOK EVER ALERT!!!
i know i have made this proclamation before, but that was before i knew about this book. these are photographs... wait for it...of DOGS...wait for it... UNDERWATER!!!!
what is not to love???
DO YOU KNOW WHAT DOGS LOOK LIKE WHEN THEY ARE UNDERWATER???
THEY LOOK LIKE MONSTERS!!!!!
but like the kind of monsters you want living under your bed.
i love this book so so much, and i really wish someone on the second floor would take all the copies out of upstock so they could actually sell.
i am buying my copy tonight. i love it so much
thank you, seth casteel, you have made my day.
come to my blog!
December 9, 2019
4.5 stars. Pet photographer and animal rights activist Seth Casteel photographs the fun and excitement of dogs as they swim and play underwater. In chasing a ball, the pictures reveal dogs from states of cuteness, befuddlement, and humor to wild, primal, and ferocious. Who knew that they could look so different wide-eyed and wet.
December 22, 2012
This is not a book of mysteries - the title says it all. The dogs are caught in those seconds between air and water, photographed from below. Some are standing in the shallow end, their curious faces looking down from above. Some are snapped in action, at the end of the jump. The best of those, the ones I loved the most, are the ones where the dog has leapt with total abandon after a toy, lips stretched back from the force of hitting the water to reveal a set of fangs in even the smallest of breeds. No toe-dipping for these bad boys (and girls).
The pics are beautiful, capturing movement as if with sets of those action lines in comics, the distortion from the water enhancing instead of detracting.My favorites were the B&Ws, just gorgeous and ghostly. I did wish the publisher had tried to avoid straddling the middle binding crease with every picture.
Each dog was identified by name, age, and breed/mix. LIght on words, this book. I read the intro and disagreed with the statement that we love dogs because we see ourselves in them. Are we really like them, able to disregard caution and jump after the object of our desire with such focus and drive? I think we often find that when we do, jaws open to bite at life, the ball is missing. It's like some cruel person had pretended to throw the toy and whipped it around behind the back while we trustingly anticipated and went ahead and jumped. Sigh. Wtf, life? Where's my ball? I think we love dogs because we want to be like them, no hesitation from prior experience with being screwed over. We wish we could jump and trust that toy will be there to grab. Why can't things be that simple?
Things aren't that simple, but I am. I have no doubt I'll continue to jump after toys. Someday, I hope it'll really be there.
Hah. This book made me think. It's a good one.
The pics are beautiful, capturing movement as if with sets of those action lines in comics, the distortion from the water enhancing instead of detracting.My favorites were the B&Ws, just gorgeous and ghostly. I did wish the publisher had tried to avoid straddling the middle binding crease with every picture.
Each dog was identified by name, age, and breed/mix. LIght on words, this book. I read the intro and disagreed with the statement that we love dogs because we see ourselves in them. Are we really like them, able to disregard caution and jump after the object of our desire with such focus and drive? I think we often find that when we do, jaws open to bite at life, the ball is missing. It's like some cruel person had pretended to throw the toy and whipped it around behind the back while we trustingly anticipated and went ahead and jumped. Sigh. Wtf, life? Where's my ball? I think we love dogs because we want to be like them, no hesitation from prior experience with being screwed over. We wish we could jump and trust that toy will be there to grab. Why can't things be that simple?
Things aren't that simple, but I am. I have no doubt I'll continue to jump after toys. Someday, I hope it'll really be there.
Hah. This book made me think. It's a good one.
June 14, 2013
Dogs.
Water.
Pictures.
A book.
What else would you need?
The photography is stunning. These pictures are hilarious, beautiful, kind of scary, poignant, goofy, silly, breathtaking, and more. One perfect photo has the dog perfectly centered in a bubble in the middle of the photo of the dog. Another has a dog who looks exactly like a shark. In addition to the expected photos of goldens and labs swimming for toys, there's a photo of a pug testing out the water to get the ball, and a chihuahua in ecstasy as she flashes through the water. there are some dogs that will only get their paws wet and others that appear to be biting the water. (All dogs jumped in of their own accord, none were forced.) Everyone I showed it to laughed many times and a couple of people who I didn't think would be interested, looked through the whole thing.
Go on, check it out. You know you want to. You won't be sorry.
Water.
Pictures.
A book.
What else would you need?
The photography is stunning. These pictures are hilarious, beautiful, kind of scary, poignant, goofy, silly, breathtaking, and more. One perfect photo has the dog perfectly centered in a bubble in the middle of the photo of the dog. Another has a dog who looks exactly like a shark. In addition to the expected photos of goldens and labs swimming for toys, there's a photo of a pug testing out the water to get the ball, and a chihuahua in ecstasy as she flashes through the water. there are some dogs that will only get their paws wet and others that appear to be biting the water. (All dogs jumped in of their own accord, none were forced.) Everyone I showed it to laughed many times and a couple of people who I didn't think would be interested, looked through the whole thing.
Go on, check it out. You know you want to. You won't be sorry.
Read
March 23, 2021What an amazing collection of photographs! If you're a dog lover, or if you're captivated by unusual art, please give this book a try. The author, an award winning photographer of dogs had an inspiration to capture the images of dogs diving underwater. The effect is amazing, transforming a beloved pet into its wild state, with eyes staring and jaws gaping to grab a toy. Tremendous!
-- Louisa A. --
-- Louisa A. --
January 18, 2018
I mean....it's dogs....and they're underwater. What isn't perfect about this happy book? Actually I could have used more pictures of that weird Boston, but I'm not knocking off a star for that.
May 21, 2021
Our dogs are our heroes. They teach us that if you just jump in, you might have fun along the way. — Seth Casteel
I can see why this book is so popular. It really does show a side of dogs we rarely if ever see. It is the only time outside of a vet appointment I've seen a dogs teeth, seen evidence of the evolutionary base and this is so natural. This is something that the author points out in the introduction but it does bear saying anyway. Like other photography books featuring dogs, there is a decent variety in the breeds used and the dogs are identified by name and breed. There is a pleasing diversity in the photos selected. Some are dogs diving for a toy Dachshund Rhoda is just fun, they are so small and flexible. Some look like the dogs is just walking in the water, Pug Duncan staring at his paws walking in the pool is adorable. And yet some again are just paws or muzzles or a face in the water, at first they look kinda odd but they are effective as a different type again and would have taken perhaps more skill than the others for timing alone. I appreciated the inclusion of the small black and white portraits of the dogs on land. This is a niche genre. But this is a good example, it's a lot of fun. If you do like books like this I recommend it.
Underwater, dogs show you vividly what retrieving really means to them, and how whole heartedly and intently they engage with the world. — Seth Casteel
A representative gif:
October 27, 2012
Okay...confess time! I actually "read" this book on Tumblr. There were pictures of all the dogs in the book, and I just fell in love with them! I am always sharing them, posting them on Facebook/Twitter/Tumblr as much as I can. One day I went to B&N and found the book. I finally had to "read" all the rest of the dogs and just stood there laughing. I love this book. I think that everybody should read this book and if you have a dog, you need to take pictures of your dog underwater!
April 30, 2013
They're dogs, underwater and they look hilarious. What more do you want?
May 26, 2021
I feel a little guilty saying I “read” this book, as it was mostly photographs and I flipped through it in about 10 minutes. The photos are amazing, capturing dogs in that moment of sheer joy when they are diving for a toy. Some look adorable, some look like freakish monstrosities (all teeth), but the sense of energy is almost palpable. It would have been fun to have more text. But the pictures alone capture that very special brand of presence and joy known as “dog.”
February 26, 2020
This book was a delightful slice of sunshine on a dreary February day.
July 3, 2016
Thanks to Kelly for alerting me to this book. It appealed to me because I love dogs and water, but also because of my late dog Jenny, who despised the rain, and hated baths, but would gleefully jump into and swim through any body of water she could: oceans, rivers, lakes, ponds, including very, very filthy bodies of water, such as a local algae filled lake, when she then immediately got the baths she loathed. I thought this would be a fun book of photos.
And the photos are cool, and much different that what I’d expected. Thank goodness for the The Dogs on Land photo section at the end. As I viewed the underwater photos, I wanted to see adorable pictures of the dogs out of the water. While the dog portraits weren’t exactly the very best type of shots, at least I got to see the dogs as they truly look. In the water, their eyes and teeth often make them look like monsters. It was really interesting, but not as soothing or cute as I’d expected.
I really should have a dog or dogs shelf. Hmm. I think I’ll stick with my nature shelf.
3 ½ stars
And the photos are cool, and much different that what I’d expected. Thank goodness for the The Dogs on Land photo section at the end. As I viewed the underwater photos, I wanted to see adorable pictures of the dogs out of the water. While the dog portraits weren’t exactly the very best type of shots, at least I got to see the dogs as they truly look. In the water, their eyes and teeth often make them look like monsters. It was really interesting, but not as soothing or cute as I’d expected.
I really should have a dog or dogs shelf. Hmm. I think I’ll stick with my nature shelf.
3 ½ stars
Read
December 25, 2012You know when you're lying in the tub and your hair is floating around you all soft and mermaidy? And if you're old like me the loose skin of your face and breasts and earlobes gets all misshapen when you submerge and re-emerge? Well, this is the same thing, except with crazy, overexcited dogs who are not self-conscious at all, who don't mind someone taking their picture while they frolic. Some look angelic and some look monstrous and mostly they just look like lunatics.
I got this for my son for Christmas and the photographs are so comical and also beautiful. Great idea. I should go snap up some more copies because this is a good gift for anyone who likes dogs.
I got this for my son for Christmas and the photographs are so comical and also beautiful. Great idea. I should go snap up some more copies because this is a good gift for anyone who likes dogs.
January 19, 2013
A short but worthwhile introduction and you're straight into the photos. Of dogs underwater.
The images are a mix of silly, goofy, impressionistic, and fierce. There are a lot of bared teeth, curious to look at but also a little unsettling. I preferred the friendlier pictures.
Almost as fun as the photos are the captions which include each dog's name, breed, and age. There is also a section at the back which has headshots (close-up portraits) of the dogs on land and dry.
A very quick read with some cool and fun dog photos.
The images are a mix of silly, goofy, impressionistic, and fierce. There are a lot of bared teeth, curious to look at but also a little unsettling. I preferred the friendlier pictures.
Almost as fun as the photos are the captions which include each dog's name, breed, and age. There is also a section at the back which has headshots (close-up portraits) of the dogs on land and dry.
A very quick read with some cool and fun dog photos.
December 7, 2012
Tiny bubbles...in the fur...(a little Don Ho reference). These dogs are a stitch. Some of the dogs are fierce as they go underwater to grab rings and balls, baring their teeth in a blizzard of bubbles. My favorite dogs smile straight at the camera, are covered in bubbles, eyes wide open, paws and tongues going in every direction. On a down day, this book would cheer anyone up!
February 10, 2016
This book was awesome. The photographs are amazing. They are of dogs of all different ages, breeds and sizes diving into water. The photos are so clear and crisp and the expressions on the dogs faces are priceless. The book is wonderful. The photographer really captures the joy in the dogs as they dive into the water.
December 26, 2012
Super cool book of photos of dogs underwater. They look kind of scary, with their eyes bugging out and they're teeth all gnashing. Probably not for someone who's afraid of dogs-they might get a little freaked out.
January 20, 2013
A great flip through book to share with others. The photos range from cute to downright manic!
November 26, 2014
Hanging out in a pool. Photographing dogs. Yup, I want his job.
December 15, 2014
Simply fabulous photos of dogs underwater. Some look fierce, some look adorable, but all the pictures are great. The only thing that would make this better is more.
Library copy
Library copy
March 3, 2018
This is so cute. Dogs...water...silly hearted fun!
January 25, 2018
Great photos. Dogs are the best!
February 29, 2020
Dogs. Underwater. Photos of dogs underwater. So much fun! The dogs have a range of expressive looks, from fierce to goofy.
January 5, 2021
This is hilarious
This made my day.
This made my day.
March 30, 2022
I like dogs ... I like pictures ... I like pictures of dogs so this book caught my eye.
In 2000, Seth Casteel was taking pictures of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Buster in a backyard. Buster started knocking his ball into the pool and jumping in to get it. Casteel wondered what he looked like underwater so he changed his focus and the photo shoot switched from being an "on land" theme to a "in the pool" one.
He went on to photograph more than 250 dogs, most of whom had never been underwater before or even swimming. Some of the pictures are freaky but underwater dogs show what retrieving means to them. It's a quick read as it's just pictures, both full colour and black and white ... but it was a fun book.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2022/03...
In 2000, Seth Casteel was taking pictures of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Buster in a backyard. Buster started knocking his ball into the pool and jumping in to get it. Casteel wondered what he looked like underwater so he changed his focus and the photo shoot switched from being an "on land" theme to a "in the pool" one.
He went on to photograph more than 250 dogs, most of whom had never been underwater before or even swimming. Some of the pictures are freaky but underwater dogs show what retrieving means to them. It's a quick read as it's just pictures, both full colour and black and white ... but it was a fun book.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2022/03...
November 17, 2019
What can be said about Seth Casteel’s “Underwater Dogs” other the what becomes obviously apparent to anyone who opens the cover. It is a masterpiece not only of photography but American literature as well . The book may play on ‘cute’ dog motifs common in any coffee table place holder, but it is a far from common. The collections photos take the reader to a new world of “puppy love.” The Magnum Opus that is this book will shake any reader of any age to their core, and keep them flipping through its ornate pages savoring every moment, and fearing the end that must inevitable come.
March 3, 2023
I've seen (in an episode of the Dutch TV programme about photography, 'Het Perfecte Plaatje') how hard underwater dog photography can be, so it's very impressive that this photographer managed to get all these pictures. It's truly an art!
Some of the pictures I'm not sure I would describe as visually stunning, but they are certainly entertaining and unique.
There's a section in the back showing what each dog looks like dry and on land, which I thought was a nice addition.
Some of the pictures I'm not sure I would describe as visually stunning, but they are certainly entertaining and unique.
There's a section in the back showing what each dog looks like dry and on land, which I thought was a nice addition.
April 25, 2017
It's easy to give this book five stars because of cuteness, but the structure and format of the book unfortunately takes one star away from the amazing photography. Still, if you like dogs...
June 24, 2019
How can you not love a book about doggos playing in the water?
January 1, 2020
This was definitely one of- if not THE- most adorable presents I received for Christmas! Thank you, Christa! 😂
Displaying 1 - 30 of 269 reviews