Sunday 15 June 2014

Everyones Best Friend

I have a friend who loves dogs. She fosters neglected dogs at her home and when a new owner comes along, with a tear in her eye she farewells her four legged friend. She does this selflessly and totally out of love for an often forgotten minority.

Spending more and more time making images on the coast, particularly around the ocean baths of Newcastle I started to pick up on the number of dogs that were out taking people for a walk. Starting to watch the dogs as they passed I realised that they were already sussing me.

I began to note that there was a fearless eye contact being made by almost every dog I passed. Whereas it's often difficult to engage a fellow human eye to eye, the humble K9 is totally up for it. As the human cruises coolly by, trailing haplessly behind and sticking to the correct side of the path, the dog is making full eye contact as it passes by. It's almost a staring contest, and they never blink first.

I decided to start responding to their gaze and snap some images. They are truly the perfect subject. Completely relaxed under the stare of the lens. Humble and unselfconscious. Full of emotional responses and comfortable with the display of any emotion they happen to be feeling from moment to moment, love or rage, joy or sorrow.









1 comment:

Andrew Finnie said...

wow they are super dooper pics :) sorry about the art talk !