Richard Alton is a freelance photographer based in London and Zambia. He shoots on film, and has remained loyal to the same equipment for nearly twenty years: '35mm film cameras, a few lenses and lots of black & white film – Kodak Tri-X 400 in the UK and Ilford FP4 (ISO 125) in Zambia.' His Town Dogs project combines his love of dogs with his liking for quirky subject matter…

As a project Town Dogs developed out of my daily life. Sometimes when I went out shopping or met friends, I would bump into dogs – and I came to realise that they have become part of the very fabric of town life.

First there was Bruno the Mastiff, who supervised the workshop at Etty & Tyler’s, the motor cycle dealers in Forest Gate, east London. He would only pose for me if I remembered to take digestive biscuits for him. As I took more pictures, the project took on a life of its own. Almost by chance, I’d stumbled on a subject that I enjoyed exploring.

As shop or gallery dogs, sometimes as local celebrities, Bruno and the other dogs I photographed have made themselves fully at home in town. And this is their story.

You can see more work by Richard Alton at his Shutter Hub profile, and find out more at his website here.

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