Benjamin Butruille, canine portrait photographer
Inspired by the american Instagram account ' The Dogist', Benjamin created his own french version 'Gueules de Lyonnais'. Crazy about dogs and photography, he combines his two passions as he tracks down our four-legged friends and their owners.
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On his Instagram account ‘Gueules de Lyonnais’, Benjamin Butruille, a photographer and video director who has lived in Lyon for the past 10 years, posts snapshots of dogs and their owners who he meets in the street. In the space of just four months, his canine portrait gallery has attracted more than 130,000 subscribers! One of the highlights of the thirty-something’s adventure was when he recently shot a portrait of TV celebrity and animal specialist Hélène Gateau* and her dog Colonel.
*author of ‘Pourquoi j’ai choisi d’avoir un chien (et pas un enfant)?’ (Why I decided to have a dog (instead of a child)?)
Wallpaper
“Well, it’s Rio, of course, my “son” (laughs), a one-and-a-half-year-old Labrador. I always had dogs growing up, but I didn’t adopt my own until I was 30. It’s a big responsibility! People in the street immediately see that I know how to act around dogs, which is why they rarely refuse when I approach them.”
Number of steps
“Lots (laughs)! I currently live in an apartment and I walk Rio three times a day. In the morning, for a long one-hour walk, then in the afternoon and again in the evening. Contrary to what some may believe, dogs in apartments get more freedom to explore than those in houses; they’re not cooped up in the same garden with nothing new to discover. Rio’s favourite spot is the park of La Feyssine.”
Last text
“A message from a mate of mine who wants us to set a date to shoot some publicity photos of his restaurant and his dog. It’s a dog-friendly place in Lyon’s 7th district, which is named after his dog: ‘Okja’!”
Most liked photo
“The photo of Rockette, a black German shepherd. Because it’s very rare, many people argued that it wasn’t a German Shepherd. Comments are very often linked to the breed of dogs I photograph.”
Social networks
“I created the account because I love dogs and I felt like it was a good way to do something linked to my new career as a freelance photographer (BB Production). The great thing is that I’ve never met so many new people! A shoot in the street generally takes 5 or 10 minutes, but sometimes I stay and chat with the owner for up to an hour.”
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