"A Dog's Life" ("une vie de chien") Photo

Photographer’s Note

A veterinary in Turkey (where I'll be back very soon) remarked that this French expression, meaning that the dogs have the worst life on earth (talking of stray dogs, of course, who have to fend for themselves), was the most silly thing that he had ever heard : "as usual", he told me jokingly, "you French speaking people have understood nothing !" :)))

It's true that I did not meet in Cuba any really miserable dog like I saw in many countries in south Asia for instance, - "pariah" animals,

... and it's also true that all the dogs met in Cuba were very sweet, discreet, generally not barking excessively at night (except some of the ones who were owned by someone).

........................
(Havana at night is even more atmospheric than day time ; I was out with my camera each night, even when it was raining hard - exciting and each time new adventures, that I'll maybe tell with other photos).

lousat, cihandoger, delkoo, broglia, papagolf21, rigoletto, Merline, Docarmo, mikeyeats, bostankorkulugu, bantonbuju, stevev1, Bruno40, Vasa, thea0211, Atousa, flory trouve(nt) cette note utile

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lousat (15794) 2009-04-10 13:03

Salut Catherine,hereux de retrouver avec cette magnifique photo! Une classe exceptionelle signe cette image..la tienne! Peut etre qu'elle soit sortie par hasard,mais tu as fait un merveilleux travail en PP.Lumieres magiques et details extra! Merci de partager et Bonnes Paques a toi et ta famille,Luciano.

sayeed_rahman (2299) 2009-04-10 13:05

When i look at this, one of Sohrab's and Animesh's post comes to mind...

Yours too has its own story..very deep..this post needs no note surely..

Great one Cath..have a great weekend !

Cheers
Sayeed

Manamo (3474) 2009-04-10 13:07

Salut Catherine,
j'ai une envie folle de voler vers cuba ces jours-ci...probablement dans un resort (besoin de vacance),mais surement ponctué d'escapade à La Havane ou ailleurs. Ça fait déjà quelques photos qui ajoutent à mon envie aujourd'hui.
Comme d'habitude, les tons et le crop sont bons (je cropperait un brin à gauche mais surtout en haut... Le moment est intéressant et l'architecture donne un bon indice d'où est prise la photo.

C'est comment à la Havane le soir. Tu t'es sentie en sécurité?

salut,
Marc

delkoo (34574) 2009-04-10 13:12

salut catherine
quelle ambiance magique!! ce chien flou cadré dans l'embrasure de la porte est du meilleur effet, le traitement n&b se justifie pleinement.
amicalement
didier

broglia (3349) 2009-04-10 13:55

Hi Cath, your night shots from Cuba have been an absolute delight - the Lumix does so well under such difficult conditions. The symmetry here is just great and the detail in that doorway is so crisp and sharp. Lovely B&W as always. I'll be flying out to Turkey on 24th to work on my garden - and hopefully have time to take some photos too.

Warm regards, Roberto

MarianneS (14352) 2009-04-10 13:55

Bonjour Catherine,
Une composition vraiment rigolote malgré l'ambiance sombre et chargée de ta photo.
D'habitude, je n'aime pas les sujets centrés, mais ici, cela fonctionne vraiment bien! Avec le N/B, c'est parfait!
J'espère que tu vas bien. Chez moi, c'est la course sans arrêt...
Mais j'ai ramené un portrait sympa de Venise, qui je pense te plaira. Dans quelques jours sans doute;-)
Bises. Marianne

Polonaise (5638) 2009-04-10 14:06

Nothing can be closer to the truth than what you've just said about the French, Cathy.
Not only you don't understand the lives of the dogs, but you even don't speak Polish and hardly drink a pure, only slightly warmed up vodka straight from the bottle !!!
.......................

Moving from the 'cave' shooter to the streets shooter, dear ?
Someone said before: If you are good - you are good...( OK...OK...I said it...Big deal !)
The caves of Capaddocia or the dreadfull streets of Havana...
Vibrant Brussels or crowdy Mumbai...
You are there and with your magic touch - you turn the things around the way you want it.

g
................

D'you like eggs :-))))

............

papagolf21 (56533) 2009-04-10 14:27

Bonsoir, chère Catherine,
Tu as rencontré un vétérinaire philosophe ! ;o)
Très belle image où l'apparition du chien presque fantomatique prend toute sa dimension avec le décor environnant.
Un décor de cinéma ! J'aime beaucoup.
Amitiés.
Philippe

Aragon1981 (6) 2009-04-10 14:32

Greet.
Sie pleases me , interesting.
I greet.
Peter D.

jasmis (50799) 2009-04-10 23:40

Stunning shot. Superb silhouette of running dog. And this climate...
Regards my dear friend and have a sunny Easter.

mojitoto (522) 2009-04-11 0:32 [Comment]

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rigoletto (26566) 2009-04-11 4:52

Hi Dear Cath
Writing my admiration for the latest one, i must also congratulate you for your Belgian serie. They are wonderfully joyful, close, rich and interesting to explore through.
But this latest one, being especially closer to my taste (if you still remember my taste, LOL) attracted me for the aforementioned reason. It is dark, desolately moody, unconventional and disturbing. I do not care much about the street lives of Cuban stray dogs, but this one gives me the shivers, for sure.
Big Hugs from Edremit (only 35 days more, HA!)

ps: got your mails, thx a lot, dear! very happy to see you still around here on TE, btw ;)

Merline (6578) 2009-04-11 9:02

Why did you post this beautiful photograph in such a small size Cath ? Taking bad habits :-)?
I think you know I would love it, the night, that lonesome dog, slighly blurred, a vagabond looking for food, or a place to sleep. I feel for him. Great result in b/w with that great little Lumix of yours. I would have cloned that something whitish on the top right corner which attractes too much attention. Maybe cropped that last door on the right too, but not sure about that; I like the centred choice you made.

Interesting note, as always.
Amitiés
Michèle

Docarmo (8844) 2009-04-11 9:56

Bonjour Catherine,
J'ai vu cette photo plusieurs fois hier, chaque fois que je regardais la galerie... l'image attirait mon attention, je la regardais et je partais... à plusieurs reprises. Je ne savais pas pourquoi elle exerçait cette attraction sur moi. Mais rien mieux qu'une bonne nuit de sommeil pour trouver les solutions (on dit ça au Brésil, en portugais, naturellement ;-) Aujourd'hui, me voici encore ;-)
Ce chien sur ton image, comme ça, est un peu comme nous tous - espèces de fantômes au milieu de quelque part... Le chien-fantôme est au centre de l'image parce qu'il ne sait pas exactement où il va...
Merci, ton image fait réfléchir ;-)
MCV

mikeyeats (421) 2009-04-11 19:37

Cath, good day.
I love the image of the buildings in the quiet and cool of the night. Then there is the mystery of the little dog,where is he going? does he have a name? a citizen of Havana, endlessly walking from here to there looking for something to eat,a drink and some where cool to sit in the heat of the day. We will never know.
Mike

bostankorkulugu (33830) 2009-04-11 23:37

what is that cloth hanging up on the right upper corner cath... curtain?... newly washed sheets? >:P... well, who cares, the pic is very moody with the ghostly dog dear... take care, happy easter...

bantonbuju (48762) 2009-04-12 0:23

can a photo about dogs have a poetic tune in itself? oh, yes - you did it, cath!...

i think - a central compo added that special "importance" to the hero of the night, here...

bw, j.

Asiulus (1066) 2009-04-12 3:17

Cool. The only thing I don't like in this shot is the fact, that it's not mine.
The dog runs straight to my favourites.

PS. In Polish we have a saying like this too.

stevev1 (999) 2009-04-12 3:57

The dog in motion looks almost alien...a creature of the night. Luckily it's a small one :) The entire scene is a bit forboding and grim (I like that stuff)
Great greytones too Catherine.
All the best
Steve

kensimage (8543) 2009-04-12 14:02

It's a very evocative image, Catherine! The dog is so alone, made anonymous by the blur, passing momentarily through the one light on his way back into the darkness. You have captured the feeling of night on an empty street. Regards, Ken.

Bruno40 (6442) 2009-04-13 0:35

nice B&W photo, I like thelight and the blur dog. Good note to couple with the photo.
Well done
Jorge

tomescuc (2837) 2009-04-13 22:37

Now this is a very different impression of Havana. Perfect exposure, and a hell of a mood.
cheers,
Cristian

holmertz (9869) 2009-04-19 6:45

Hello Catherine,
A superb picture, like straight out of an old horror movie. But why so small? Is it the Flickr influence?
Kind regards,
Gert

Vasa (6004) 2009-04-20 16:24

Chere Catherine,

Ta sensibilite que je reconnais bien et le sujet qui m'est cher. Le theme qui engage la discussion et qui nous engage tous. C'est beau mais j'aime tes couleurs Kodak. Et elles ne sont pas la. Pourtant ne change pas l'appreil.

Amicalement a toi et tres content de t'avoir revue ici a Havana.

Branko

thea0211 (1355) 2009-04-25 1:18

cath,
can't help but repeat what george says:
(sorry for not being original on this one, but what/how he says it is so simply true)

"if you're good, you're good!"

simple as that.
... will pop in to check your latest work.
hope you're well! do take care!
dora

pabau (486) 2009-05-05 13:04

Bonjour Catherine
Dans cette rue "déserte" où il n'y a pas un chat, j'ai été attiré par les portes si diverses : éclairées de dehors, de dedans ou pas du tout, ouverte, entrouverte, fermée, grillagée ... autant de manières d'être ou de se croire chez soi.
Pascal

Atousa (3456) 2009-05-11 2:46

Salam Cath,

The shot is really atmospheric n the dog seems to have a real dog's life; his uncertain way of walking says so..B n W has been a good choice ..thanks for sharing.
Best regards, Atousa

MarcT (21103) 2009-05-16 22:55

Salut Cath,
Une image est originale. La symétrie fonctionne bien et le N&B de la nuit également.
Content de te retrouver de temps à autre.
Amitiés
Marc

flory (4804) 2009-05-23 5:59

my dear Catherine ...but 'as much you'll know the people,much better you'll love the dogs'.
you did very well that you was there with camera.Catherine in the night...:)like a lot your last pictures,even you are less here,is good to know you around..
friendly,
Flori:)

polter (6124) 2009-05-24 9:55

One of the best photos of dogs I've ever seen :))
Love symmetry, light and the very special atmosphere of loneliness in night.
Very touching.
Greetings T.

KateinDenmark (1117) 2009-09-06 10:32

I like how you've captured the idea of this poor creature scuttling about in the shadows. It is an eerie photo that leaves on wanting for some type of conclusion, but that makes it a good photo. One wants to be involved in it, some how.

Happy travels,
Kate

smarcell (14503) 2009-11-17 5:31

Really a good an original shot.
The black and white is perfect, as well as the blurre dog.
Very good atmosphere
Regards Stefano