Maddie is a sweet-tempered Coonhound from the Cobb County animal shelter in Atlanta, Georgia. She's also the star of photographer Theron Humphrey's side project, Maddie the Coonhound: A Super Serious Project About Dogs and Physics.

While Humphrey churns through his year-long, cross-country photo gauntlet, Maddie provides companionship and comic relief.

“Maddie has come to love the road,” says Humphrey. “She jams her nose into the air vent and is along for the ride.”

What began as a distraction from the toils of the road has become its own successful blog, with proceeds going to Humphrey's main focus, This Wild Idea. As the pair travel the country, Humphrey posts pictures of Maddie, gracefully - and sometimes precariously - standing on things. On trains and horses and shopping carts. On ladders and fire hydrants and even on people.

“The Maddie images evolved organically, I suppose like a lot of good things in life do,” says Humphrey. “Maddie is a lighthearted pause to my daily life.”

Each photo takes about 30 seconds, and Maddie, always a good sport, sits tight for her picture.

“Over time she has learned when I pick her up I want her to stay,” says Humphrey. “She knows if she stands still she will get a treat and eventually a 'Go!' command to run around really fast. She really loves that command.”

It may just seem like a collection of quirky photos of a Coonhound standing in strange places. But in a lot of ways, this series is a playful peek into the story of a man and his dog, told in medium format with imagery reminiscent of some of the great art photographers.

“Like a lot of folks I have a great love for Eggleston, Stephen Shore and the Bechers,” said Humphrey. “Whenever I come across a composition that stirs me up, maybe something they would have pointed their camera towards, I’ll do the same. I guess what I’m trying to say is that the images I take of Maddie are informed by them, images that a lot of folks would take, and that’s why it feels so nice.”

With over 100 days and 20 states left to traverse, Humphrey plans to continue photographing Maddie’s balancing skills whenever the moment strikes, sprinkling pictures across Instagram and Tumblr, creating a collection he thinks may one day end up as a small book.

“It’s like a beautiful photo blog of pop songs, ya know?”

We agree.