Unbound
Category
Pets & Domesticated Animals
Location
Dean Clough Reservoir, Blackburn
Gear
Sony A7rIv & 24-70mm 2.8,
Description
I’m going to make myself a bit vulnerable here… (Hey, we’re all human… or canine…) Last year, I struggled internally with my beloved Scarf Project, the series of images of dogs with colourful scarves billowing around them that I’ve been working on since 2021. This series has come to mean so much to me, but after a catastrophic event, my enthusiasm took a hit. At one point, it was even suggested that I wouldn’t be able to continue it. Did that make me throw in the scarf and give up? Absolutely not. Quite the opposite...it lit a fire in me: a fire to prove that yes, I jolly well could… and not only that, I would excel. This photograph represents that determination for me. It was a particularly tricky shoot: just me, my client, and the dog. I had to manage the material floating in the air, getting the light in the right position, keeping the dog happy and alert, and framing the shot perfectly—all at the same time! Finding a new way to approach something you’ve done the same way for a long time is hard. It makes you doubt yourself, your abilities, and sometimes even whether you should keep going at all. But despite the mental turmoil, I dug deep and found strength. I reconnected with the quiet belief I’ve always had: that whatever I decide I want to achieve, I can, despite the odds. So I went for it. I practised, experimented, tried new approaches. Like this! This Scarf Project portrait of gorgeous collie Molly embodies that feeling for me. This beautiful girl sat on the breezy shoreline of the reservoir not far from where I live, as she and her human persevered with me through the dropping temperature to create something magical. Once I was set up, it didn’t take long—Molly had an uncanny ability to stay perched on the rock I placed her on, tilting her head curiously at the strange noises I made, all while her mum wafted the blue scarf that matched her cool coat and chilled-out personality. Safe to say, I’m really proud of this image. I hope you love it too.
Photographer
Cat Race
Social Media
Instagram: @catsdogphotography
Twitter: @catsdogphoto
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catsdogphotography/
Website: www.catsdog.co.uk
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