Sebastian Magnani, born 21 February 1985 in Brig/Valais, Switzerland, discovered a passion for photography whilst training as a media designer in 2006. After 5 years as a graphic designer and creative in an advertising agency, he decided in 2011 to turn his passion into a profession. Since then he has been making a living in Bern, Switzerland as a professional photographer. Although fascinated by all aspects of photography and it’s various styles he currently works on various subjects such as portraits, advertising, corporate, architecture and reportage.
“Underdogs” is a series of photos that reached a global audience and has become a hit around the world. He first started the project in August 2009. As soon as he had the idea, it had pretty much already been realized, namely to photograph dogs with their owners.
What originally started out as entertainment, without expectation, without any pressure, was suddenly creating waves. The four-legged friends and their owners have since travelled the world. Various blogs, journals, and television shows have all reported on the bizarre image combinations of humans and animals. So where does this striking resemblance between dog and owner come from? Does the “underdog” really rank himself lower, even visually? It is undisputed that the canines not only stir emotions and interest, but also our inner most needs. Dogs are considered loyal, selfless, trustworthy, life saving, fun and proud companions in a world where these values are gradually disappearing. From the inexhaustible number of examples, lies the difficulty to find the gems, which captivate with uniqueness, brilliance and depth. Only to create a single moment of symbiosis – between man and beast – to be one.
