The American Kennel Club describes the Akita breed as “dignified, courageous and profoundly loyal,” and Angus’ owner, Derek Brigham, seems to agree. He captured this shot of the canine back in fall of 2014 at Medicine Lake when Angus was around a year old: the photo won third prize in the Pets category of our 2015 photo contest.
“He’s a pretty good-looking pooch,” Brigham says. “We’ve just always loved Akitas. They’re majestic, powerful but also gentle…They’re well mannered.” Over the years, he has had a few Akitas, with 3-year-old Angus being the third.
Although Angus doesn’t have other canine siblings, he does have Brigham’s kids, 13-year old twins and an 11 year-old son, as companions. Brigham says they take weekly shifts walking their four-legged family member.
Angus and the children are some of Brigham’s main photography subjects, along with food, beer and concerts. He says nature is his biggest draw to the camera, especially in Plymouth.
“We’re blessed with fabulous lakes around Plymouth,” he says. “It’s hard to not take good photos in this area any time of the year.”
Ultimately, Brigham says he’s just a guy who loves to take pictures. He practices his photography hobby using his camera phone and often uploads his shots to his Instagram account, @derekbrigham.
