AV News 190 - Novembert 2012
Bridgend 5 to 8 PhotoHarmony 2012
Highly Commended
Jeff Driscol
Highly Commended
Geoff Poole
Winner - Chris Timbrell
The Runner
Chris Timbrell
Several years ago my daughter, then aged about eight, decided that we should
acquire a dog. Although not a constant issue, the question came and went for a
couple of years with my wife adding her support. They looked into what type of
dog we should have and where we could get one from. When we finally reached
a decision to take the plunge they were more than ready and within a couple of
days Lizzie had arrived. She is a lurcher – a greyhound cross with some collie
and German shepherd. Before coming to us she had spent three months at Croft
Rescue kennels near Bridgend. Within just a few days she settled in and we all
started to get used to one another.
As a photographer, the arrival of a new family member, albeit a four-legged
one, brings along new opportunities. It didn’t take long before a small collection
of images started to build up. In the first couple of weeks Lizzie wasn’t able to run
as she had been spayed just after we took her on. So during this recovery phase
the images were straightforward portrait shots.
On the day of her first run we took her to the local playing field. This was the
first inkling of the real photographic opportunities that lay ahead for lurchers can
really move, even after being laid up and having little opportunity to run for quite
some time. The first attempts to capture this runner were all made at the playing
field. Most were out of focus and all had uninteresting green backgrounds with
only grass and trees.
As time progressed
the range of locations
increased.
We
also
learned that Lizzie was a
'water dog' with a desire
to get wet at the smallest
invitation, whether in
puddle, stream, river or
sea.
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