Tuesday, March 10, 2009

connotations

monday, 16 february 2009, apache
it could be said about me that i am not a 'grab shooter'. if something amazing is going on that should be photographed, you can be sure i'll miss it. i'm just not fast or comfortable enough to be ready to get a good photo. this has presented itself as a challenge throughout this project, especially when i am photographing strangers, or even people i know who are not super familiar to me. i tend to be internally flustered, and unable to get a good capture given the brief window of time i'm generally dealing with here. i'm working on it. below, evidence. really good subject matter squandered on crappy snapshots. apache is all about connotations to me. there is no dog burdened with more negative connotations than the pit bull. not being of the uber-dog loving persuasion in the first place, and being raised with mini-dogs, apache makes me nervous. this is unfortunate for apache because apache loves me. he wants me to pet him, he wants to drink out of my water bottle, he wants to be near me. slowly, he's winning me over.
apache's papa is of the same nature. fearsome, overbuff and sweet. the first time i met the boss he was tattooing apache's owner, who happens to train the boss at the gym. he has dispelled the preconceived notions which accompany his appearance, swinging by the shop to say hello, discuss improvements to his apartment, and the special diet he keeps apache on because of his allergies. it's just like sesame street around here. getting to know the dark figures emerging from the alley.

2 comments:

kim said...

Looks like a cute dog... (I, who also completely distrusts pit bulls.)

Sudz said...

You know that thing they say about dog owners who look like their dogs....... this pair fell from the same tree. I like the first one.
Love,
Aunt sudz