I hope by now that you’ve all had the chance to explore my latest series, Dogs of Paris. After the success of my other dog series (Dogs at the Parker, Dogs of NYC , Dogs of Aspen, and Dogs at The Beverly Hills Hotel), I was ready to create a new fantasy world filled with pampered pooches paying an homage to the joys of escapism through Parisian fashion, food and culture in iconic locations around the city. I have dreamt of doing a Paris series like this for many years – and it was such a dream watching it all come to life!
I shot this series in July, which was such a lovely time to be in this gorgeous city – but then again, I am not sure if there is a bad time to be there. The gorgeous Hôtel Plaza Athénée was such a huge help in making this vision come to life. Additionally, I was so fortunate to have the help from Landen Kerr, who went to my high school and moved from Dallas to Paris. I couldn’t resist reaching out to her for help as a local consultant. She also has a business as a tour guide, so she had the best connections and her ability to speak french certainly made the language barrier easier to manage!
We sourced 14 different dog breeds for this shoot, ranging in sizes from a Dachshund to a Great Dane. While the main location of the shoot was around the grounds of the stunning Hôtel Plaza Athénée hotel (including the front of the hotel, La Terrasse Montaigne, inside a few of their iconic suites, the grand stairway and a private terrace that overlooks the Eiffel Tower), we also ventured out to shoot in front of Laduree, the Café Antiquarians, Jardin Tuileries, Seine River/Pont D'Iena and even set up a dreamy picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower!
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 onsite, we began to play around with the 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.
We styled the dogs in vintage designer accessories, costumes, and vintage cars to give the series a timeless and playful feel. There was a combination of designer rentals and borrowed items from friends and family. It is pretty hilarious to imagine our bags packed full of several dog barrets, 30+ pairs of vintage sunglasses, vintage luggage, and even lounge chairs to bring our own GM touch to the rooftops of Paris.
Dogs of Paris
From the moment you arrive at this hotel, you feel a sense of glamor and style, so naturally we wanted to evoke that same feeling as if these dogs were pulling up for a chic getaway, ready to turn some heads! It was hilarious to see the reactions of passersby, especially once they realized how immaculate the dogs were dressed in the driver's seat of this adorable vintage car!
Dogs of Paris
As noted above, we were so fortunate to shoot several posh pooches on one of the private suite terraces that overlooks the Eiffel Tower. This balcony is especially special as it was the same one used in the iconic Sex and The City Episode, An American in Paris Part Une scene when Carrie arrives in her room in Paris. As you can see in this adorable scene, this chic Poodle and darling little Dachshund are embracing the Parisian lifestyle with freshly baked pastries and majestic Eiffel Tower views, just like Carrie Bradshaw!
Dogs of Paris
This delightful scene was shot in the Eiffel Suite, where it is evident that Haute Couture is living on! This room is for those who appreciate an eye for bespoke elegance - which must be why these pups requested it!
Dogs of Paris
No visit to Paris would be complete without a tour along the Seine. How adorable would it be to have this chic poodle and golden retriever as your chauffeur to show you the city’s most famous landmark? We had this vintage Triumph TR3 Roadster car driven down next to the river at sunrise one morning before the tourists were awake to capture this memorable moment with the uninterrupted timeless backdrop.
Dogs of Paris
This romantic scene was captured at the world-famous Tuileries Garden. We arranged the chairs to look like this love struck couple had stumbled upon this secret spot to soak in this special view. It was so funny to see all the double-takes we were getting by the garden visitors that day! What really made this series come together was all the amazing help we received from locals – For the picnic scene, this gorgeous spread filled with florals, charcuterie boards, and fresh baked goods was styled to perfection and put together by the amazing Yanique - she is so talented!
Dogs of Paris
I am so in love with how this shot turned out – it truly portrays a Parisian picnic one dreams about, adorned with so many stunning details. High fashion pups sipping champagne with dreamy balloons and mouth watering fresh baked goods in front of a show stopping view of everyone’s favorite French landmark - pretty woof-tastic if you ask me!
All the pastries and the stunning macaron tower were made fresh for us at the bakery in the hotel - and between us and the dogs, we all agreed it was delicious – nothing beats baked goods in Paris!
Dogs of Paris
How cute are these pooches rendezvousing at La Terrasse Montaigne? They are certainly making a fashion statement indulging in refreshments and people watching on the avenue of Haute Couture.
Dogs of Paris
Dogs of Paris
After shooting this adorable German Short-haired Pointer with a baguette in Picnic Pup, Central Park from the Dogs of NYC series, we were inspired to bring this scene to Paris, because of course, when in France, everyone should indulge in a baguette! We had success with this sweet golden and thought we better have him hold a croissant as well!
Dogs of Paris
Additionally, I received so much love for my other “spotted” moments in my other Dog series (Spotted at The Beverly Hills Hotel, Spotted on Top of Aspen Mountain, Spotted at The Parker and more) that
I wanted to create the perfect “spotted” moment in Paris! We discovered the prestigious Palais-Royal’s elegant courtyard surrounded by tall colonnades, which is now home to an incredible art exhibition by Daniel Buren showcasing vibrant black and white stripes, which contrasted amazingly with Dalmation spots. Story time - it was so hilarious, while we were capturing this moment, a couple was taking their wedding photos at the same time!
Dogs of Paris
What would Paris be without a bit of cafe culture? We shot this adorable scene at Les Antiquaries, and while shooting, we had to be very careful as we stood right on the edge of a sidewalk on the side of a very busy road, which was quite scary, but all worth it in the end to get this fantastic Pariasan moment. Anyone for macarons and a cafe au lait?
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 love 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.
Dogs of Paris
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 Paris here.
Cheers!
Xx
Gray