I was originally going to travel almost 100 miles to photograph an abandoned barn. Then I started looking for abandoned subjects closer to home. Then I started wondering whether it had to be a structure. Or a car. And began pondering about objects that get abandoned, and I came upon the (not terribly original) idea of a sad, dirty, abandoned doll. I already had the concept in mind, and set off to the Goodwill, where I find EVERYTHING I ever need for all my shoots. Honestly, it's rather miraculous.
Except this time.
They did not have the doll I had in mind. In fact, they hardly had ANY dolls at all, and since the American Girl ones they did have were clearly dressed for a gala, they wouldn't work for what I had in mind.
But they did have a bunch of stuffed toys and animals, and when I saw this guy, I knew I'd found my toy. And it transformed my concept from a simple doll left behind to a symbolic dog that is left behind. I set up on a busy corner, and because I was shooting from the toy's level, had to use my live view to frame the shot, and kept waiting for a pedestrian to pass us so I could shoot them walking away. But there were hardly any pedestrians at all, and the few that did come by went out of their way to "not be in my shot".
Then this car drove up, and a passenger jumped out, but the car stayed. At first I was a bit miffed - he was in my shot - until I realized that that WAS the shot. So I took a couple of frames with the car. THEN it dawned on me that the car was still there because the other guy was going to come back. So I patiently waited for the guy to return, and then barely was able to fire off a few frames as he got back into the car. And luckily I got the perfect one.
There are very few things that REALLY get me rabid, and people taking their family pet "for a drive", letting them out, and driving away without them, is near the top of the list. I am especially vitriolic about people that drive out to the middle of the desert and throw a stick for their pups, who return proudly with it only to find their human is gone. There is simply no reason for that cruelty. Cities are exploding with shelters where people can take animals they no longer want or can care for.
I didn't mean to get so heavy, but sometimes you just gotta. I tried to soften the story by using the stuffed animal. So although this image is both cute and heartbreaking, I hope it resonates with the voters.
There IS a happy ending for this little guy, though; when I finished shooting, a pinned a little sign to his chest and left him sitting on the corner. A few hours later I drove by, and it seems he found a home.
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just like the over processed real dog on page one. but not really. after reading your description, and looking again, and reading the title (!) the great sadness struck me. very appropriate processing. (nothing wrong with lazy, especially if it means a trip to the thrift shop).
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