Congratulations to Randal Ford for his win in the 2020 Communication Arts Photo Annual for this image of Starlight Express from his forthcoming book, Good Dog to be published later this year by Rizzoli.

Below is an excerpt from Randal’s book.

“I have always been fascinated by the way we see human expressions in dogs, and I often push for that in my animal portraiture.  When photographing Starlight, he felt reminiscent of an angular, high-fashion model with long, flowing hair ready to be displayed in Times Square.  His long, slender face, dark eyes and the almost impressionistic strokes of his wild white, made this portrait feel ethereal and majestic.  The way the wind arranged his long strands outward, his head off-center, and the quiet confidence of his gaze all made for an image that is both, humanistic and organic.  My humble hope is that my photographic hero and fashion photography icon, the late Richard Avedon, would no doubt appreciate the nature of this portrait.”

To see the gallery of 2020 winners, link here.