Walking Styxx
Photo book, David Firman, 48 pages, [email protected], WalkClickMake.com
Styxx, shortened from his original name Firestyxx, is a greyhound. Or, more correctly, he’s a lurcher. So begins Walking Styxx, a delightful look at a Winnipeg-based pooch, rescued from a life of heck and plucked into pages of this sweet little book. His human dad is a photographer named David Firman and Mr. F is clearly quite smitten with his lithe companion. Editorially, Walking Styxx is not very high concept: it’s merely a collection of Styxx pics taken on doggie walks over a 34-day period in the summer of 2014, one per day. Every walk is unique and every photo includes a map to show the route the two pals took. The images were shot on an iPhone 5 and Firman maxes out the technology with a ton of fantastic shots of the curious canine, some at play, some at pause and others, just pure and easy contemplation. Yes, it’s a great collection of smiley dog photos but also, it does give micro-glimpses into life in Winnipeg, which is also quite compelling. You don’t see much but that’s actually kind of effective because it forces the reader to craft their own reality of what was and what is. And the best part? It’s a dog-infused reality! (Cam Gordon)