A photographer with a passion for dogs has travelled the world capturing amazing images of man’s best friend in the most stunning locations.
Polish pooch photographer Alicja Zmysłowska runs workshops and shoots for dogs around the world in places where dogs have never been captured on camera before.
She has shot incredible photos of a dogs dancing in the Northern lights, playful friends on a polish beach and even a dog overlooking a stunning Norwegian lake from a cliffs edge.
Her project ‘Craving Miracles’ was a way to combine her fascination with travelling and her love for dogs.
And having grown up in a heavy industrial area, she was desperate to take her photography out of the city to some of the most stunning settings on earth.
Alicja, 23 said: “I wanted to photograph dogs in places that dogs have never been photographed before.
“I wanted to find a way combine dreamlike landscapes with dogs as my main models.
“I have always had the desire to travel to breathtaking places, and I didn’t want to limit myself to classic landscape photography that has already been done by so many.
“I wanted to create something new, that is unique, original, something that was a true piece of me – a very personal project.
“I just try to find beauty wherever I go.
“And when I have been travelling, if I see something that inspires me, I photograph its.
“I am a perfectionist and I will never stop trying to better myself and create better art.”
Her project, which began three years ago, took her to some extraordinary destinations on the planet.
She would trek to some of the most remote and difficult-to-reach settings in Poland, Norway, Iceland and Alaska, USA.
She has also run workshops for dogs, which start at €200 per dog across Europe, including England, France, Spain and others.
During the project she has photographed up to 25 breeds of dogs, including her own two with a selection of DSLR cameras.
Alicja runs her workshops for dogs where she trains them to pose for the camera and when they are ready, she snaps them with fantastic backdrops.
She has taken magnificent photos in some of the most remote places including lava fields, glaciers, glacier lagoons, fjords and waterfalls
Alicja’s two-year-old Border Collie named Ciri and her 12-year-old Golden Retriever Kiara have travelled the journey with her, by her side.
She added: “My dogs are my best friends and the source of my inspiration.
“Without them, none of this would ever have happened for me.
Alicja explained that Kiara’s age and lack of training has stopped her from travelling to some of the further destinations, but lively Ciri went along every step of the way.
Self taught photographer Alicja, began snapping when she got Kiara her first dog at age 11.
She never turned back and has been photographing pups ever since.
She added: “My two dogs are my best friends and literally my professional models.
“When I got Ciri I knew what I want to do in future with her, so I taught her since she was a puppy to travel on public transport, taught her special tricks and how to pose for the photos.
“She learnt really quickly and she has come with me on all my big expeditions where we have to hike long tracks for shootings in special locations.
“She has now got so good that she offers her own poses for photos.
“She loves the camera and when she sees me lining up she gets excited to find a right spot so she can pose for me in return for a reward like a snack or favorite toy.
“For example, she hides behind a trees, jumps on rocks, goes inside a cave without me asking for it before waiting for me to get the shot she had idea for.
“I wish I could take Kiara to as many places but she is getting old and can’t travel as much, but that isn’t to say she hasn’t been the star in many of my shoots.”
