The Everyday Struggles of a Dog
Introduction The Everyday Struggles of a Dog -- Being a dog isn’t easy. Some dogs, like Moose, are required to do many tedious activities everyday. Along with that, sometimes they have to do a lot of waiting; waiting to play, waiting to eat, and waiting to go somewhere-- anywhere. It can get boring sitting inside while their owner goes about their daily life. And their day is much more strenuous if there’s a cat in the house, because they often get bullied. Dog owners like to make their dogs work hard for the things they want. Begging for treats is tough work. Nothing gets handed to them. Then, there are the times when a dog is a means of entertainment. They get dressed up in silly outfits and even treated like a baby. A dog can finally relax when their day comes to an end. I didn’t want this to be a “cute” photo gallery with pictures of my dog. It’s meant to highlight the simple things he
does everyday that, to him, seem like a lot of work. This photo essay is meant to be light and amusing, so just about anyone could find some enjoyment from it. By looking at this, people can take a break from their busy, hectic lives to look reflect on these pictures. They will also act as reminder that everyone’s day isn’t easy; it just depends on who is the judge. A dog’s life is clearly not as boring as one might assume. Some of the pictures are actually of Moose while others are pictures from his view. Both perspectives show what I think he would consider a struggle in everyday life. This is a selection of 15 photos that represent Moose’s day from the time he wakes up to the time he goes to sleep. He’s faced with many challenges, but somehow he still can make it through the day.
Analysis I used my iPhone to capture all of the images of my dog. I always have my phone on me, so this made it easy to document. I also have to option to focus, zoom, crop, enhance, color or black and white options, etc right at my fingertips. Editing these images was simple because of all the features the iPhone offers. The pictures that I have chosen to include are from two different views. The pictures that are from his view were taken at his level and are also in black and white because of the assumption that dogs can only see in black and white. However, I did look this fact up and it doesn’t hold true, but it’s more about the point I was trying to make. The other photos are actually of him. This is done to show how he is being. For example, his body language and facial expressions say a lot about how he feels, or that we assume he feels. He is a Golden Retriever, so it was hard to capture him looking sad (I feel like he’s always smiling), but it’s what he’s actually doing in the picture that I think tells you what he’s thinking. All of the things he’s doing or looking at show what he would call daily struggles. Everyone has a different opinion on what they consider a struggle. This photo essay lets you take a walk in the shoes of a dog. It shows his daily activities, how he reacts to certain situations, and how he is impacted by all of this. Picture #13: Moose looking at snow outside through a window. This picture shows my dog, Moose, looking out of a window in our house. However, he does not look happy. It looks like
he is sad because he’s stuck inside the house while there is snow falling outside. One would assume that he loves to play in the snow (which he does) just by his body language; lying with his head down. This image can signify just one of the many “struggles” that a dog is faced with everyday. He really wants to be outside playing, but he can’t. We don’t know the reason for this, but we can tell that he isn’t happy about it. The composition of this photo is what makes it interesting. First, the rule of thirds seems to be present here. When breaking the picture down into 9 equal segments, with 2 horizontal and 2 vertical lines dividing it, you can see that the main focus of the image, which is the dog, is in the bottom and right side third. Second, the window creates the effect of leading lines. The majority of the lines run top to bottom, which I think helps to navigate your eyes toward the dog. The angle of the photo makes the horizontal lines seem like they are running toward the right side of the image, which, again, is where the dog is. Third, the background of the picture is light in color, probably because of the white snow that is outside, but it works to keep the main focus of the photo on Moose. He is full of color and that contrasts what it going on outside. Finally, this picture shows a great deal of depth. It’s like there are two layers to this picture; the dog and outside. The image of him is clear and large, while the houses outside seem a little fuzzy and small. We know that a dog is definitely not bigger than a house, but this pictures gives the illusion that he is. I don’t think this picture would be quite as interesting had it been taken from a different angle. (10 Top Photography Composition Rules)