Hunter and Sarah Lawrence travel all over the world taking gorgeous adventure photos. And while all of the young couple’s work is amazing, it’s hard not to feel particularly attached to the photos Hunter takes of their incredibly charismatic dog, Aspen.
As a result, Aspen has become an internet sensation. The world seems to love him (almost) as much as his owners do.
It’s hard to say exactly why certain videos and photos go viral. But often it’s because they spark an immediate visceral reaction from the viewer. And an adorable animal like Aspen is particularly ripe to become an internet star. He’s just got that cuddly sweetness that makes you want to see more and more of him. I mean, who hasn’t fallen into the endless time sucking hole of clicking on video after video of unlikely animal friendships or guinea pigs wearing hats? It’s just too addictive.
The photos Lawrence takes of Aspen not only tap into that “Awwww” factor but also into an “Awe” factor as we see Aspen positioned in front of breath-taking outdoor vistas. It’s a winning combination.
All this to say that Aspen’s Instagram page has over 200 hundred thousand followers, which feels like a lot for a dog. The sweet pup’s soulful eyes staring up at the lens (in front of some of the most beautiful landscapes in North America!) make for captivating shots that we can’t help but love. It’s a reflection of pure happiness, and in times like these, a much needed respite.
I connected with Lawrence recently and asked him about his photography, and how he feels about his dog’s super fame.
How did you get started as a photographer?
I first got introduced to the visual arts on a trip to Honduras with an organization that seeks to empower families through education across Central America. I originally went to help teach a soccer camp, but because of a torn knee I was left to stay on the sidelines. I borrowed my friends camera while I was there and shot some film and photos on it, and when we got home some of that footage was used for a gala to help raise funds for the organization. Seeing the way people connected with the content is what hooked me. Unlike any other form of communication, I had the ability to capture and communicate exactly what I’d seen.
When did you get Aspen and from where?
Aspen, man where do we even start with him? I got Aspen when he was 6 weeks old from a city on the gulf near Houston, Texas. He was the biggest puppy of his litter. It was Thanksgiving morning of 2011, and I saw a listing for a new litter of puppies posted online and immediately ran out the door to go check them out. My wife Sarah and I never thought we could love a dog so much.
He seems like such a good boy, how does he react to being dressed up?
Aspen just smiles, it doesn’t matter what he’s doing, he always has the biggest smile on his face. He’s genuinely happy, and whether he has a hat on his head or some shoes on his feet, if we’re near him, he just lights up.
You travel quite a bit for your photos, what are your favorite places to photograph?
We love photographing in Colorado, it’s honestly such a beautiful state year round. What we love most about it is that it has four very distinct seasons, which makes for so much variety in our imagery. Personally, my wife and I have loved photographing in Iceland, Italy, the Faroe Islands and Morocco. We love culture, and while Aspen hasn’t been able to travel internationally with us yet, we still travel quite a bit for our own business.
When did you first set up an Instagram for Aspen? And why did you decide to do so?
After years of saying we would never be ’those’ people, I finally cracked and started @aspenthemountainpup about two years ago. We’d just moved to Colorado and were getting some really fun images of Aspen enjoying the mountains and I wanted to share them.
Were you surprised by the response to Aspen’s page?
On our road trip to Canada we posted the image of Aspen in the canoe on Lake Louise just prior to taking off towards the US border when we still had wifi. For like 10-15 hours we didn’t have any service, until we got to the Washington state line and that’s when my phone started blowing up with emails and texts. I mean honestly, we had to take a step back and laugh at all the hype that image in particular was receiving. We didn’t try to make that happen at all and surely were not expecting such a response!
Aspen both stands out and yet doesn’t take away from the beauty surrounding him! How do you set up a shot, and what are your goals when taking his photo?
Honestly, the reason we even started taking pictures of Aspen was because we were continually finding ourselves in some really beautiful spots with our pup. We’ve wanted to keep that theme through his imagery as much as possible. I want people to feel the environment that Aspen is in. Aspen for sure is beautiful, but the landscapes that we find ourselves in are often incredibly beautiful as well and we want to really pair the two.
What’s your favorite photo that you have taken of Aspen?
To be honest, the image of Aspen and my wife Sarah out on the canoe truly is my favorite photo of Aspen I’ve ever taken. I think what I love most is the story behind how we actually ended up on Lake Louise in the first place. It was a weekday in Denver and my wife and I were really wanting to do a road trip out of Colorado before the snowy season began. We loaded up our Jeep and took off north, originally planning to start heading west once we got to Montana and head over to Oregon. A few hours into our trip, we looked on our maps and realized that getting up to Banff, Canada wasn’t all that far out of the way, and so we decided to keep heading north instead of turning west. We camped along the way and ended up on Lake Louise. We originally weren’t going to take Aspen out on the water, but then had a change of heart when the canoe rental company said we could if we really wanted. We paddled out to the middle of the Lake, Aspen had never floated on water before, he was rocking the boat left and right to the point that we thought about our plan if we tipped.
We go to the middle of the lake, I snapped a pic and the rest is history.
What projects are you working on right now?
We’re currently wrapping up some projects with some really fun brands after a super busy end to 2016 and start to 2017, but are always looking for new businesses and brands to work with for the new year!
