Dogs in Cars

by Lara Jo Regan

The pure joy of a dog with his nose to the horizon, in a moving car--captured on the page. First we had dogs underwater, then dogs shaking off water... so why not dogs soaking up the exhilarating no-holds-barred pleasure of a car ride? Photographer Lara Jo Regan began her pet project as a calendar, but the response was overwhelming and Her photographs of the cruising canines, taken from incredible perspectives, with tongues hanging and ears flapping, became a global Internet sensation. The energy of the photographs is impressive and visceral. In order to get these shots, Regan built a special light, which jutted out over the roof of the car, a harness that allowed her to lean out of the window, and various other contraptions to make the images come to life. This book will make you laugh out loud and want to share it with everyone you know. It’s full speed happiness.

Genres: Photography, Nonfiction, Dogs, Animals, Art, Picture Books, Transport

144 pages, Hardcover

First published November 3, 2014

About the author

Lara Jo Regan is a photographer, author, book producer, and animal lover whose diverse career spans the magazine, fine art, film and journalistic worlds. She honed her skills as a regular contributor to the world's leading publications such as Time, Newsweek, Entertainment Weekly and Life, winning many of the field's top honors including numerous American Photography and Communication Arts accolades, NPPA Pictures of the Year awards and the coveted World Press Photo of the Year.
Her sideline as one of the world’s most respected and popular dog photographers began when a photo series she created of her rescued pup, Mr. Winkle, made Internet history, transforming her pet into the first four-legged viral cyberspace celebrity who attracted record crowds at book signings. Regan’s interest in animal photography has since deepened and expanded, generating many projects as an author and editor. To date she has authored six monographs of dog photography published by Random House, W.W. Norton, All Things Winkle LLC and Myth and Matter Media.
Regan has been a featured guest of the Today Show numerous times, and her titles have been prominently featured in many other major media outlets such as People, Time, USA Today, The New York Times, The Los Angles Times, Animal Planet, ABC News and the BBC. Her photography is widely exhibited and collected.

Reviews

[karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

AAAOOOOOO!!!



this only gets four stars (let's call it 4.75), not because it doesn't deserve five, but because i have just a TINY bit of disappointment. i thought the whole book was going to be pictures of dogs gleefully hanging their fuzzy heads out of car windows, fur blowing in the breeze, tongues flapping out; enjoying a good drive as only doggies can.



and not that this isn't freaking adorable



or this





but this - oh god - too many dogs!



and while there is plenty of this, plenty of exactly what i wanted













for some reason, i'm still mildly disappointed that the perceived theme has been broken. this might just be the lack of painkillers talking. final word is that it's a wonderful book with amazing adorable photographs, i love it like crazy, and it cheered up my whole night after my crummy day. but a girl's gotta do what she feels, so 4.75 it is.



>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

OH MY GOD BEST DAY EVER!!

despite unexpected oral surgery, where they STOLE MY GUMS and were stingy with the painkillers, causing a very crappy start to the day, this book came across my desk JUST NOW, nearly a month before publication and fixed everything. (except giant hole in mouth)

this happens all the time with "regular" books, but rarely with the fun photo books and they're NEVER finished copies, just ARCs missing lots of their content. "photo TK" thumbs down. but THIS is perfect, beautiful, and a book i was already going to buy, and now i am going to leave work early (or "earlier than usual" - it's already after 5 and i have been utterly useless today), go home and read this book like crazy while i eat mashed white beans and avocado (soft soft soft) and then watch runway.

this day has suddenly become AWESOME.

except still ouchie

come to my blog!

[Erica · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you love pictures of dogs, you will love this book. Like, you will want to marry it. Seriously. This is the book for you.

It is not the book for me.
I have a dog. I take pictures of him all the time. My friends have dogs. I take pictures of them, as well. I'm good on pictures of dogs, I've got plenty.

To me, the difference between this and books like Underwater Dogs (and now Underwater Puppies, too!) and Shake is that those dogs are versions of themselves that the standard person doesn't get to see very often, if at all. Yeah, we see the dog in the water, but not like that, not all buggy-eyed and open-mouthed, suspended like ridiculous fish. We see dogs shake all the time, but not slowed down to one little moment so that we can then see the full-on ridiculousness of a dog's face when it flops its body around like that. Those books give us a closer look to what we consider commonplace.
That stuff is wonderous, delightful, and hilarious.

This book is all photos of dogs in cars (thus the title). Some of the photos are beautiful. None of them capture the essense of a dog riding in a car, though. You can't hear the jowls flapping in the wind, the spit squeaking along the paint job. You can't tell if these dogs are yipping in delight. My dog curls up into a ball so tiny that he can fit on the passenger seat floor and he cries, eyes pleading and horrified. He does not love riding in cars. Many dogs don't. The joy, the terror, the newness, the oldness, the wonder dogs must feel when they're in cars, I just don't see it. What I see is pretty pictures of dogs in cars and I can get that at home.
Ok, yes, this version is far less furry; I won't have to put a sheet down in the backseat. But still. I'll take the mess in order to experience that amusing dog-joy, firsthand.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

If Karen can read it, so can I. And it is a nice collection of dogs in cars. What did you expect? I was a bit pleased with the rather diverse and entertaining choice of names for these mutts, as well as the fact that so many of them were mixed breed. No humans to mar the beauty of the canines. Also a common theme: multiple dogs of the same breeds, although there was some mixing as well. I am a tad more of a cat person, but I love me some pups too. Sadly, there were no greyhounds, although one Italian greyhound.

[Jan Polep · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hey, you had me at dogs...whether they are in cars or not...but wait til you see Tatum (Wirehaired Ibizan Hound), Elvis & Presley (Dachshund), and Bearlie (Toy Pomeranian) airing out their fur from the back of a car or a window. Basically this is an overload of cuteness.

[Chiara Adorno · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I got a sneak peak of the WHOLE book. It's a remarkable work with great variety that hangs together really well. It's almost like a cool little road trip film with unexpected surprises."

[Amanda [Novel Addiction] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute! Just a bunch of pictures of dogs in cars. Which I appreciate.. because I love dogs (in cars or otherwise).

[Leslynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

How cute are they?

[Rexanna Ipock-Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the pictures and loved the dogs. A great book to bring smiles to faces everywhere.

[Gladimore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute!

[Julian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute dogs. Lot of great photos of amazing dogs in cars (obviously). Great variety of breed and top photo work.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I WANT A DOG SO BAD

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this cute photo book. The pictures of the dogs goofing around in the cars brought a smile to my face and a few chuckles too. A real winner for any dog lovers out there, very much recommend.

[Cymiki · Rating 4 out of 5]

who can resist the joy in the face of a dog in a car? different breeds of dogs, different cars all make for a cute book!

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pure joy. Regan perfectly captures the thrill of a car ride. Anyone lucky enough to be owned by a dog will adore this book.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeah, this is a five star book. I'd give this five stars based on some of the dog names alone. Count Nutsford? Uncle Max? Buster Cornbread? Plus a slew of dogs with human names. Fantastic!

[Mariela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best way to start the year!

[Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pictures of dogs in cars. Cute

[Suzie Q · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute picture book, but I wished each page had how the shot was taken and where

[Ericka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great pictures, really brightens the day. Wish it were longer though.

[BibliofiendLM · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute but not as enjoyable as the Underwater Dogs series.

[Olivia Mancini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gave my husband and I a good laugh

[Kellie Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is such a cute. All breeds and they're so cute too

[Mark Bunch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dog lovers enjoy..... this one will stay on my personal office bookshelf or my coffee table.

[Danielle Robertson Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book to flip through when you need a little pick me up. I liked the diverse representation of different breeds and ages.

[Amelia Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

so many adorable dogs

[Natalie Pietro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dogs + Cars = happy me!

This book is super cute. Being a dog lover I found this book very real. You put a dog in a car with wind on their face and you just see the happy glow that surrounds them.
I loved the dogs eyes. They were full of surprised wonder. Some dogs were just sitting in motionless cars with no destination in mind. That didn't matter. The photographer was still able to capture the beauty of the scene around the dogs. I loved the winter scenes the best. They were so vibrant.
Oh and how could I forget. The best part was learning each dogs names. Such unusual names as Count Nutsford, Buster Cornbread, and Von Party Crasher just to name a few. Those must be some badass dogs. :)
This book was wickedly cool and I would recommend this book for anyone with a passion towards animals and just photography in general.

[Kellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Sure, it's just pictures of dogs in cars or hanging out of car windows. Maybe you can see that in photos of your dog or your friend's dog. However, if you're a dog lover, you'll still enjoy the photos and get a few giggles from them. My dog hates sticking his head out the car window and now hates car rides too, so I like seeing other dogs enjoy it!

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lara Jo Regan shot to internet fame with the adorable dog, Mr. Winkle. That dog did grab your heart, this book and collection of pictures of dogs in cars just kind of pokes it.

The dogs are in heaven, some of the rides are really cool as is the staging, example the Rottweilers in the stretch Limo. Regan also offers tips on taking pictures of your own motor dog.

[Steve H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great dog photo book, with dogs exuding happiness. A real family pleaser, especially since I'm from a dog-loving family. Also a great library book because once you've seen it, you might want to look at it again, but more than likely you want to share it with other dog lovers.

[Kent District Library]

“Had a long day at work? Holidays already driving you nuts? Take a look at this book, you’re sure to smile. Nothing but pure joy, total happiness radiates from these photos of dogs taking car rides. Great book. Great gift.”
—Shaunna at KDL’s Alpine Township branch