May 5, 2003 – At last year's GDCA National, I photographed Carol Brakhage's 5-month-old fawn, Ricochet. He was full of "piss and vinegar," as are most young puppies, but I managed to catch him during a quiet moment. The original photo was one that I passed over many times. Eventually, though, Rico's silhouette and the overall moodiness of his pose won me over. I used the picture to create this week's DaDane composition, which I consider to be more a study of shape and form than it is a portrait. The Art of Great Danes
Great Danes are extraordinary creatures, if only for their sculptural presence. Of course, there are many more reasons to love Great Danes than mere form, but I think anyone who owns a Great Dane sometimes finds himself – at certain special moments – overcome by the sheer beauty of his dog. This is why I've chosen the Great Dane as my subject matter. Whenever I photograph a Great Dane, I am exquisitely aware of the magnificent physicality of the breed. In working with these photos in my studio, I strive to push them beyond simple photography and create a portrait, composition or study that communicates the sculptural quality, overall beauty, and unique personality of each subject. Sometimes I get lucky and manage to produce something of lasting aesthetic value, something we might call art.

I hasten to add that some would tell you the REAL artists are those dedicated breeders out there who are striving every day to improve the breed. I have to agree. These people invest their time, their energy, their vast experience, their intellect, and finally their hard-earned dollars with one goal in mind – to create a line of Danes that is aesthetically beautiful, physically sound, genetically healthy, temperamentally balanced, and highly intelligent. It is not an easy thing to produce a perfect Great Dane. Many will say it can't be done, and they may well be right. But there are some wonderful individuals in the Dane community who are doing their utmost to produce as perfect a Dane as they possibly can. And I, for one, am grateful to them.