It was my birthday yesterday which means even more reminiscing than usual.
So as I was going through some folders on my computer I came across this photograph. I learned photography on a film camera back in high school. it was a Minolta that I'd bought from my next door neighbour when I was 17 and it cost me $75. Interestingly it re-sells for more than that these days. I used it a lot - even taking it to New York when I was in grade 12 - but these days it does a lot of sitting around. The work I've been doing requires an element of immediacy - or at least longer than it would take for me to get film developed, choose prints, get prints developed. There's an expectation when you're photographing on a job vs. shooting for yourself. I've been missing those 'happy accidents' that would turn up sometimes on film. This is one of them - a double exposure of my grape vine and dog Suzy in my backyard on June 19, 2013. It's one of 2 double exposures that were on this roll of film and I just love them.
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Marlo --- though his physical ailments were getting the better of him, this ol' chap showed me the teeniest glimpse of the fun-time fella he used to be. He still loved his orange ball. He still loved treats. He still loved his mom and his family. Rest in peace and love sir, I'm grateful to have met you.
This magical being is Pumpkin. 🎃 He was a sled dog who worked in Whistler, BC up until recently. 🎃 If I didn’t tell you he was a former sled dog, would you have believed me? That slim build, that short coat. 🎃 Pumpkin is one of 192 former sled dogs I’ve photographed over the past decade. Head on over to www.iwasasleddog.com for more pics and stories. 🎃 Thanks to @victoriahumanesociety for taking him in and ensuring he gets the care he needs. Back in December I met and photographed a lovely English Bulldog named Tonic. She was in the care of the Victoria Bulldog Society (VBS) and awaiting dental surgery. She needed it badly. So many of her teeth were just rotten and the inside of her mouth looked incredibly painful with inflammation. Last week, the old sweetie got her dental surgery and while under anesthetic she got her ears cleaned and some lumps and bumps removed. She's doing amazing - her stitches come out this week and although her ears are still giving her problems (currently under investigation), she's living it up by trundling around her neighbourhood, meeting new friends, looking as cute as ever... and napping. I met up with her again and finally got to meet her foster brother Tanker and Gertie, the permanent fixture with VBS. When I arrived, all three dogs came up to me to investigate and the first photo below is the result. Catching dogs in that moment of investigation and interest in a new person can work to my advantage. And although I caught a couple more of the three of them together - a little more posed with a bit more help from Mel - this was completely unposed and it gave the dogs the chance to show their true, interested selves. A couple visitors came to the park while we were there - Rio and Casper - so Tonic and Gertie greeted in their bulldog-y way. All snorts and snuffles and awkward play. We finished off with a group photo, showing Mel, the founder of VBS who does it all. These photo sessions are part of a larger project coming up (which I'm so excited about), so can only share a few photos at the moment. I hope you enjoy! If you’d like to support the Victoria Bulldog Society, learn about them and see more of what they do, please visit them on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VictoriaBulldogSociety/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoriabulldogsociety/ Thanks Mel, Tonic, Gertie + Tanker xo Today I met Tonic, an English Bulldog in the care of Victoria Bulldog Society.
This girl has thankfully landed in the lap of someone who can help her and ensure she gets the medical care she needs... and yes, that includes a dental. I fell in love the moment I saw her waddle down the grassy hill. She's almost 11 and pretty deaf so getting her to actually look at the camera was a bit of a challenge, but it was fun making sounds and confusing everyone at the park. She was a bit drooly (see photo below) and a lot sweet. I'm hoping she'll be part of a larger project in the new year (fingers crossed), so for now, I share these two images. If you're interested in learning more about her, or donating to her care, you can visit their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/VictoriaBulldogSociety I just re-found this group of images - like so many photos, they were sitting on my hard drive, edited, but not shared.
Does that mean they existed? They were taken in May 2019, and I believe Heather holding her hands up in the first photo is illustrating that she dropped Chester's leash and let him walk without tether... although his leash was still attached to his collar... just in case. I realized there are more photos of Saru the Shiba, Chester's brother, than the other dogs. Going beyond his photogenic-ness, maybe I was trying to show him some extra attention as we were all so smitten with Chester and his ability to figure out jumping logs (it took him a few moments to figure out what to do!) and the fact he didn't run away. There's even more of Saru than my own dogs, Mister Coco + Bella Boo. Whatever. It was a peaceful walk with four very different dogs all at various stages of their lives, just getting to be dogs. Thanks gang. xo My first written magazine article and cover photo in one!
I came across Wunderdog on Instagram when they put out a call for submissions to the first issue of their new magazine. So I did some research to see if I thought it'd be a good fit for my story following former sled dogs since the 2010 Whistler sled dog cull, and I really liked their messaging, so I submitted. Nina, the editor, and I had some back and forths to flesh out how the story would fit and in that time the first issue was launched. I thought maybe they'd moved on, but Nina reached out again and we got to work... the best part about the delay was then getting the cover! I'm not gonna lie - condensing the last nine years of this project into 400 words was tough. I'm not a writer so I agonized for days and weeks trying to include a mix of everything I've learned and photographed over this time. I submitted a whole bunch of photographs and let them choose - I just couldn't. And the cover... it was tough to decide about using an existing photo or getting something new, but we went with new (and it was an excuse for me to visit and photograph Chich again!) I had no idea which image they'd choose, but am in love with the one they did. This wee dog with the big eyes and perky ears not only draws you in, but when you learn she was a sled dog, it's an opportunity for learning about sleddies. Thanks to Wunderdog Magazine for helping share the plight of sled dogs as well as sharing the stories of the sleddies on an international scale! This magazine is just beautiful to hold and it holds so many interesting stories from all over the world featuring pet art therapy to what rescues are doing globally during the pandemic - and the paper it's printed on is thick and matte and showcases the photographs perfectly. It's a piece of art in and of itself. Wunderdog isn't available in Canada, but you can order direct from www.wunderdogmagazine.com. For more on former sled dogs: www.iwasasleddog.com Started 2020 off with some forest bathing, mud bath style... a walk in the woods with dog friends and human friends...
As part of my on-going advocacy work for sled dogs, the full photo set can be found on my sled dog blog! |
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