The Eyes Have It
I went to a dog show this past winter, and I had the best of times. I don't want to get into the whole debate about purebred dogs vs mixes and issues that sometimes surround breeding. There will be plenty of time to talk about that at some other time. While I've always been a sucker for small dogs that like to sit in your lap and cuddle (and I'll always love those little guys), I found a new appreciation for some of the larger breeds, especially the sight hounds (Greyhounds, Salukis, Afghan Hounds, Borzois, etc.). Their severe features including those narrow, pointy noses, long, skinny legs, bony hips and knobby spines at first sound pretty unattractive, but somehow when it's all put together it works. There's a certain coolness to their laidback demeanor and the bounce in their step. They look to me like the beatniks of the dog world.
I love to take photos at these events as the dogs are so entertaining to watch. You can usually tell the veterans from the newbies by the way the experts just take it all in stride. You'll usually see them curled up in the corner of their cages just snoozing away while the activity comes and goes all around them. But when it's their time in the ring, they come alive and strut their stuff.
These shows are great opportunities to get all kinds of photos, but my favorites are dog portraits. When possible, I like to catch the dog's gaze and see if we can connect even for a brief instant when that shutter clicks. Not only does that make for a great portrait, but I think it shows the heart and soul of the dog. I know, some will disagree with me and say that dogs don't have a soul, but I've always believed that animals have some kind of soul, life force, or whatever you want to call it. Granted, it differs from ours, but there's something there. I think that's why we connect with dogs and they with us.
As I was editing through the images of the day, I came across this one of a greyhound, and I was captivated by the look in his eyes. Look at him and you can't deny that there's something there beyond just a bundle of instinct. I often wonder what they're thinking at times like this. All I know is that by connecting with them in this manner, I walk away somehow refreshed and a little more alive.
