Portraits – Woman’s Best Friend: Aly + Sage

Aly and Sage are a special pair.

Like all good owners of well behaved animals and animals who have well behaved owners, they share an unassailable bond. I’m not sure if it is mother and daughter (you choose which way round) or maybe two sisters. Whatever the connection they are joined at the hip, in a wonderful way. It’s special, unique and well simply lovely to watch.

The morning at Fleet Pond was perfect – a typical grey, wet, English day. My favourite conditions! As Aly says “you are the only photographer I know who likes it when it rains.” Really? Look what you’d miss

Sage came bounding out of Aly’s car and greeted me with much doggy snuffling and rubbing. My attempts to impress her by showing her my camera bag failed. No biscuits. Gentle bribery is often the way to the heart of a good picture of a child or even and adult (!) That also seemed to be the case here. Mind you I can’t blame her. I’m partial to a biscuit of the human kind.

I have done many things to get my subject to look in my general direction. Dog biscuits on my head was a new one on me.

As we strolled around Fleet Pond, chatting about this and that Sage went rambling. Snuffling. Searching. Always a brave bark when approached by other canine friends but quickly turning into a great big softy. And that I guess is why she means so much to Aly. And why Aly means so much to Sage. It’s been a relationship a decade in the making. Hearing about how good they have been to each other once again impresses upon me how important our animals are.

We give them importance. We give them names. We place them slap bang in the centre of what we hold and love. Maybe that’s why it hurts so so much when they move on? And why we do it again and again.

I wanted to do something different and focus on them both – just like any relationship it’s the owner and the animal. Too often the images are without the human, but its the bond that is the true subject. It was a pleasure and honour to spend an hour together. I just hope I’ve been able to capture a little bit of their magic.

Interested?

If you would like me to come and work with you and your four legged friend then  email me here and I’ll be in touch