photos by Michael O’Brien
My wife is a dog lover. Actually, that is an understatement; she is obsessed with dogs—especially ours. She knows every dog’s name in the neighborhood (even if she doesn’t know their owners’ names), their ages, their temperaments, their quirks….pretty much everything about them.
So as the Holidays approach, her standard request comes: “Please photograph our dogs so we can send out a beautiful Christmas card!” Usually, I get out my Canon and do a quick snap and I’m done. But this year was different—I decided to make a production of it, set up a background, model lights, the whole deal.
We have two dogs. One is Jamie, a one-year-old, female chocolate Lab, and the other is Buffett, an eight-year-old, male Bichon Frise. They are an odd pair. I haven’t spotted this combination in other households. Buffett is like an old French curmudgeon—reserved, proud and downright persnickety. Jamie is unbridled enthusiasm and affection. She is still straddling the line between exuberant adolescence and proper adulthood.
They sat for the photo session obediently. Elizabeth, was directing the affair, holding their gaze while I snapped the shutter, rewarding them with treats and kisses. Of course, I took a number of pictures, curious as to how the dogs would photograph with the soft benefit of the portrait lights.
I downloaded the shots and was delighted with the images. Of course Elizabeth, who has never seen a dog she didn’t love, was thrilled. We had compelling shots of both dogs and memorable images for this year’s Christmas card.
We have shown the pictures around and now, one by one, the neighbors are bringing by their dogs. Soon I’ll have a gallery. I guess I am going, literally, to the dogs.