If there was ever a question about whether or not dogs loathe bath time, here is photographic proof.
New York dog photographer Sophie Gamand set up her camera at a local groomer's shop earlier this year to capture dogs in what she describes as their most "vulnerable and humiliating moment": bath time. What came from her mission was an award-winning series of adorable — and pathetically damp — pooches.
"The expressions were priceless and really entertaining," Gamand told TODAY.com. "It was magic."
Gamand photographed more than 12 dogs over the course of two days in pet stylist Ruben Santana's Bronx studio, and compiled the photos for her "Wet Dog" series.
While she loved each dog's unique spirit, her favorite was a little guy named Oscar who gave Gamand a stoic pose while getting soaped, scrubbed and soaked.
"He looked so deep, like a sculpture," she recalled. "I really loved his expression. It maybe even had a bit of sadness and was a bit cheeky."
The "Wet Dog" series ended up winning first place in the portraiture category of the Sony World Photography Awards earlier this month, and Gamand is now working on a book inspired by the images.
To be released in the fall of 2015, the book will have approximately 120 photos of dogs enduring the dreaded bathing process.
Gamand, who is originally from France, has been photographing dogs for four years and looking for a niche project like this to come along.
"I've been waiting for this for years, hoping something would click," she said. "The wet dogs have really changed my life."