The Making of Dogs of Palm Beach

The Making of Dogs of Palm Beach

a year ago


Hi Everyone,

I hope you’ve had the chance to explore my latest series, Dogs of Palm Beach. After the success of my other dog series (Dogs at the Parker, Dogs of NYC , Dogs of Aspen, Dogs at The Beverly Hills Hotel and Dogs of Paris), I was ready to create a new fantasy world filled with pampered pooches paying an homage to the joys of escapism through fashion, accessories and iconic locations around the Palm Beach. I have always loved the preppy and vibrant colors of The Colony Hotel, and it was such a dream to add some cute doggies to the mix – and see my vision come to life!

Dogs of Palm Beach



I shot this series in May, and it was certainly a great time to be by the ocean or a pool – it was hot! The iconic Colony Hotel was such a huge help in making this vision come to life. Additionally, I was so fortunate to have the help from Katherine Landy, a friend of mine who helped me source vintage clothing and props for my first Palm Beach series. I couldn’t resist reaching out to her for help again as a local consultant – but this time with some furry friends.

Backgammon, The Colony Hotel



We sourced 14 different dog breeds for this shoot, ranging in sizes from a Great Dane to a Dachshund. While the main location of the shoot was around the grounds of the gorgeous Colony hotel, we also ventured out to shoot in front of Worth Avenue, the seawall, the beach, and even set up a hilarious shot aboard a private jet and chic boat - some very lucky pups!

Although we had a very clear vision of the images we wanted to capture for this shoot, it wasn’t until we were actually on set at each location that everything really came to life. Once we were in the environment, we began to play around with the designer accessories and saw what the dogs were capable of. This was when my imagination really began running wild and I got more and more excited with each click of my camera.

There were so many funny moments in the sunshine with these adorable pups, I loved these two amazing poodles – fun fact they were both show dogs and you’re going to love their names… Apollo and Matrix! Pretty cute right?

Poodle Pals, Palm Beach



As many of you know, I love to add vintage cars to my shots to really accentuate the retro feeling I admire so much. To go along with the pink hotel, we found this incredible 1968 Thunderbird and parked it outside the hotel as if these posh pups were pulling up to check in for a getaway. I love how this moment turned out!

We were so fortunate to be able to use a private jet and this gorgeous boat that truly amplified the luxury experience Palm Beach evokes. Seeing these dogs sitting in the private jet made us all chuckle, and was so fun to capture!

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Private Jet, Palm Beach (1)



Getting the dogs to balance on the surfboard on their own was a challenge – so many of them didn’t want to sit still, but this adorable Golden Retriever Boey was ready for his close up, sitting perfectly on the board, even while balancing a hat and sunglasses on his cute smiling face! During our pool scene, many of the sunglasses kept falling to the bottom of the pool on the other dogs, so this was a great treat surprise to see all the accessories staying put!

Golden



As you all have probably come to realize, I love capturing animals in my photography. Although I’ve shot some amazing exotic animals in my series Gray Malin at the Parker, I have a soft spot for working with dogs, especially the ones in this shoot! They were so well behaved and an absolute joy to work with. I was thrilled with the variety of poses and looks they were able to offer, and I’m so happy with the results of this happy and sunny series!

Gray Poolside

Poolside Sips, The Colony Hotel



I love sharing these behind-the-scenes moments with you all after each of my series releases. Since I can’t bring all of you on set with me, this is the next best thing! It also gives me the chance to look back on my process and reflect on the memories. Do you have a favorite image from the series? You can explore all of the Dogs of Palm Beach here.

Cheers!

Xx

Gray
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