Beauty in the Abandoned

The portrait of Aja is unforgettable. Her missing eye and her luminous green one are almost closed, her ears pinned back, a serene look on her face. The black-and-white portrait of the red-nosed American Pit Bull Terrier possesses a hauntingly beautiful aura, sort of like a canine Mona Lisa.

Yet this is not a one-time-get-lucky Kodak moment. Photographs as rich as this are commonplace for Los Angeles-based dog photographer Frank Bruynbroek (pronounced BRIN-brook). He’s best known for capturing canine souls and personalities in dramatic black-and-white portraits too emotionally charged not to be called works of art.

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