meet Buster … an amazing, proud, old man, who is surrounded by a truly amazing amount of love.
Buster’s shoot is a Father’s Day gift, so i hope these images and his blog entry are a real surprise.
from Toronto, Buster came to our neck of the woods for his shoot because — like a number of our clients — his owners really liked some of the settings that they have seen on the blog.
14-year-old Buster is suffering from degenerative myelopathy — a progressive spinal cord disease which is affecting his mobility. but in spite of some rests, this boy was rarin’ to go during the shoot. in fact, Sara and her sister claimed that they hadn’t seen this old man move so fast and have so much fun in a long time, especially once we got out to our natural setting. you could hardly hold him back!
on the way between the graffitied train tunnel and our favorite shooting spot, i made sure to stop at a small park to capture the last of the wild flox. when scouting earlier in the day — checking out the state of the latest graffiti — i passed this amazing patch and just knew that we’d have to make use of these pretty flowers for our tough pitty boy, so i way-pointed it on the GPS in order not to miss it later that evening during our shoot. and at that point, with the late afternoon sun, it was glorious.
“woof!”
and then, up to the infamous tunnel of trees for this old boy …
i’d like to take a little time to talk about our Honour Sessions™. as i mentioned in our most recent newsletter, i’ve struggled over the last few years to come up with a proper name for those very special sessions that we shoot for clients with ailing and aging pets. other pet photographers call them “bereavement sessions”, but that term has always felt a little too morbid and sad to me. friend and Minneapolis pet photog Sarah Beth, calls hers Joy Sessions®, but for me, the name still eluded me. for me, based on the number of these sessions i’ve had over the years, these sessions aren’t always joyful, nor are they sad and full of bereaving. instead, for me, they are a serious time, a deeply heartfelt time, and — most of all — a truly reflective time.
so, at long last and after much thought, i’ve come up with the name “Honour Sessions”. these are sessions where the clock stands still … where we do whatever it takes to capture as many unique and powerful images as possible of your beloved pet … where we strive for as much variety as your pet can muster … where we sit and talk, sharing the experience … and through it all, truly honour your pet, the love and bond that connects you, and the lifetime you have shared together.
no matter what, these Honour Sessions™ are always worked into the scruffy dog shooting schedule. even other clients are happy to shift their sessions to accommodate a sick and ailing pet. after all, we all know the love of a pet, we all share the common understanding, and as such, share the same compassion.
at the same time, i always advise people not to wait too long to make that booking for their dog. i’ve had numerous Honour Sessions™ where the clients wished they’d booked a year earlier, when their dogs were still relatively vibrant and able to run and catch a stick, or just walk amongst the grasses. to me, those are the memories best captured. but still, many wonders can be worked even with a pet who is relatively immobile, as i’ve done in many Honour Sessions™. (and by the way, if you don’t already receive the scruffy dog newsletter, drop us a line, and we’ll rectify that, pronto!)
but back to Buster … during our shoot, you’d hardly know he was struggling. this big-hearted, never-quit boy was on the move … he had things to sniff, trees to pee on, and lovely long blades of fresh grass to mow down …
in fact, he was so determined to eat this entire field of grass, it was nearly impossible to get just this one shot of him not eating!
yup, still licking his lips from his salad-bar experience as we headed to the shore …
Buster, it was a true pleasure and delight to meet you, and an absolute honour to photograph you. i hope i have done your courage, strength, and great will-power justice through these photos
Sara and family, i look forward to hearing from you, and i hope this is the happiest Father’s Day ever, for all of you and for Buster most of all. you have a large gallery of images to sort through. do not hesitate to contact me for help, and i am here if you would like to set up a studio consult.
and Buster, you three-toed wonder … dude, you’re the best. just keep on keepin’ on!
