Bella (1993 - 2011)

I got a last-minute request for a session on Friday afternoon during Dewey. It turned out my subjects were three Italian greyhounds: Bella, Marco, and Milo. Bella's owners wanted to get some pictures of her at the beach because they took her there often. They'd adopted her when she was thirteen. But now at eighteen years of age she had long been blind and had other maladies. She is not well and we're not sure she'll be around to return to Dewey next year, I was told.

So I spent the majority of the next hour photographing her for as much as she would tolerate. The rest of the time I photographed her companions Marco and Milo. And while I did that for a few minutes, Bella came up to me and started barking. Not with any malicious intent, you understand, but I think she was doing this just to let me know who was in charge. So I stopped, turned, petted and scratched her for a few moments, then returned to photograph Marco and Milo. As I resumed shooting, she resumed barking.

She must've been one protective broodie in her younger days. I could imagine her saying, "So I'm old, missing teeth, can't see a thing, and a bit wobbly, but I can still smell and hear where you are and I can put you down on the ground."

I couldn't help myself but smile at that thought of her.

Bella suddenly fell ill and passed last weekend. Rest well, Bella -- I'm glad I met you. And, yes, I know who's in charge.

(Shot with the Nikon D300 using the 18-200mm zoom at 200mm; program mode; camera chose 1/320 second and f/11 at ISO 200; slow-sync; SB-800 used for fill; auto white balance; post-processed in Lightroom; shot in RAW.)