Fourteen Years of Rascal: Why the Photos Matter More With Time
This September, Rascal turns 14.
Fourteen.
I’m not quite sure how that happened.
Somehow, the dog who inspired the name Blue Merle Photography — and who has been beside me through so many chapters of my life — is now a senior boy.
If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you’ve probably seen Rascal pop up here and there. He’s my Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix, my rescue boy, my adventure buddy, my sometimes-reluctant model, and one of the biggest reasons I understand just how much our photographs of our pets eventually come to mean.
And as I look back at fourteen years of photographs of him, something has become very clear:
The photographs I treasure most aren't necessarily the "perfect" ones, read on and you'll see.
They're the ones that bring him back to me exactly as he was in that moment.
Fourteen Years of Little Things
When Rascal was younger, I don't think I looked at his photographs and thought about how important they would someday become.
I was simply photographing my dog.
I photographed adventures. Walks. Trips. Birthdays. Ordinary afternoons. Funny expressions. That unmistakable Rascal look.
There are photographs that immediately remind me of where we were and what we were doing. Others bring back details I had completely forgotten until I saw the image again.
And that's one of the things I love most about photographs.
They become little bookmarks in our lives.
A photograph can bring back the way your dog tilted his head when you said a certain word. The spot where she always sat by the window. The ridiculous toy he carried everywhere. The expression she gave you when dinner was approximately three minutes late.
Those little things don't seem particularly important while they're happening.
Until one day, they are.
The Photos Change as They Get Older
Something happens when our pets become seniors.
We start noticing things differently.
The gray around the muzzle.
A walk that's a little slower than it used to be.
The extra nap in the afternoon.
Maybe they don't jump onto the couch quite as easily, or the adventures become shorter and a little more leisurely.
But we also notice something else.
The history.
By the time a dog has been beside you for fourteen years, there is an entire life woven into that relationship.
They've been there for ordinary Tuesdays and enormous life changes. They've seen different homes, different routines and different versions of us.
And somehow, through all of it, they've simply remained our dogs.
That's why I believe photographing senior pets is about so much more than creating a beautiful portrait.
It's about preserving a relationship.
They Don't Have to Be Young to Be Photogenic
I sometimes hear people worry that their older dog won't photograph well anymore.
Maybe their eyes are cloudy.
Maybe their face has gone gray.
Maybe they can't sit perfectly or hold a pose for very long.
Maybe arthritis means we need to move more slowly.
None of that makes them any less worthy of being photographed.
In fact, I think those years deserve to be celebrated.
A senior pet photography session doesn't need to involve long walks, complicated poses or asking a dog to do something that isn't comfortable. We can slow everything down. We can stay in one small area. We can take breaks. And for pets who are happiest at home, we can photograph them there.
I always follow their lead.
Because the goal isn't to photograph who they used to be.
It's to celebrate exactly who they are now.
Photo above by John Mazzello
Beyond the Perfect Pose
The older Rascal gets, the less interested I am in whether every photograph is technically "perfect."
Of course I want beautiful light, beautiful composition and photographs that you'll be proud to display in your home.
But perfection isn't what makes a photograph meaningful.
Connection does.
Personality does.
Memory does.
Sometimes the photograph that eventually means the most is the one where your dog isn't looking at the camera at all.
Maybe he's looking at you.
Maybe she's leaning against your leg.
Maybe it's the expression you've seen thousands of times and would recognize anywhere.
Those are the moments I want to preserve.
Because years from now, you're probably not going to look at that photograph and think about whether your dog sat perfectly.
You're going to think:
"That's so him."
And to me, that's what makes a photograph successful.
So, Happy 14th Birthday, Rascal
I don't know exactly how we'll celebrate yet.
I'm sure treats will be involved.
And photographs. Definitely photographs.
But mostly, I want to appreciate having him here — gray muzzle, slower walks, stubborn opinions and all.
Fourteen years with a dog is a gift.
And while I wish we could keep them exactly as they are forever, we can't.
What we can do is notice them.
Celebrate them.
Photograph them.
And preserve all those wonderfully ordinary little things that make them ours.
Happy birthday, Rascal.
You have no idea how much of Blue Merle Photography exists because of you.
And I'm pretty sure you'd be completely unimpressed by that fact as long as there are treats involved.
Photo above by John Mazzello
Is Your Pet Becoming a Senior Too?
Please don't wait because you think your dog is too old, too gray, too slow, too anxious or won't sit still enough for photographs.
The never need to be someone they're not.
Senior pets — and pets nearing the rainbow bridge — hold a particularly special place in my heart, and whenever possible, I reserve flexibility in my calendar so families facing these circumstances don't have to wait.
If you've been thinking about photographing your pet, I'd love to hear about them.
Learn more about a Blue Merle Photography session or get in touch with me here.
Blue Merle Photography creates relaxed, on-location pet photography experiences throughout Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Largo, Dunedin and the Tampa Bay area, with indoor sessions available when home is where your pet is most comfortable.
