Puppy Styled
If you’re an animal lover or pet owner, it’s likely that you’ve seen Grace Chon’s work. If you’re also addicted to social media, then you’ve definitely seen her work.
As a popular pet photographer based in Los Angeles, Grace became well-known for capturing the intimate and joyful relationship between pets and their owners. By combining her unique ability to connect with animals, a well-crafted personal style, and an eye for good design, Grace created her own signature style that soon became sought after by celebrities and big name brands.
With a client list that includes Purina, Fancy Feast, and Jax and Bones, and celebrities like Chris Pratt and Chelsea Handler (see her full client list here), Grace had undoubtedly achieved success, but was not content to continue following the same path forever.
In order to evolve - yet stay true to her passions - Grace began to seek outside projects and partners who shared the same genuine love of animals and understanding of nuanced art and photography. This led to successful collaborations with Nintendo of America and Oh Joy! and eventually, book projects.
Her first book, “Waggish: Dogs Smiling for Dog Reasons” was published last year and gave her a taste of the publishing process. Grace knew that whatever came next, would have to come organically - as all her great ideas do.
A “Puppy” is Born
Cover boy Biggie Smalls
Her lastest work, “Puppy Styled: Japanese Grooming Before and After,” features pictures of dogs styled using the unique form of Japanese dog grooming - a relatively new sensation here in the US.
Grace worked with California retailer, Healthy Spot using some of their groomers trained in the specifics of the style, and their work space. The team started out with nine dogs and worked swiftly on a day the store was closed for regular business. Those initial shots were all Grace needed to confirm that her instincts were right. She posted the pics to her social media accounts and they quickly went viral. BoredPanda reached out. Once they featured the photos, things sort of exploded.
Ultimately, Grace held three more photoshoots and then spent months retouching the pictures, in order to achieve the final shots that appear in the book.
“I love this Japanese grooming style. It’s elevating the idea of dogs’ before-and-after pictures. Philosophically, this aligns exactly with what I was trying to do in my work. I pull out the things that make each dog unique. I try to capture that in a still frame. That’s what Japanese style dog grooming tries to do, too.”
“While Western grooming is done to breed standards, with the Japanese style, there are no rules, except to make the dog look as cute as possible.”
Groomer credits: Cindy Reyes, Alyson Ogimachi, Koko Fukaya, Cameron Adkins, Donna Owens, Patricia Sugihara, Rebecca Bradford.
