"I wanna see"
The Argos Project
Named for the mythic 20 year old companion of Odysseus, their bond bringing tears of joy even after decades apart, The Argos Project aims to capture our beautiful old friends and to shine a light on them (a single light, in fact) in order to present the dignity, heart, and soul of a dog that has lived a full and noble lifetime.
Most people never have so close a relationship with friends and family as they do with their loyal old dog. Dogs are special, but there's something extra special about that grey-faced puppy that's been at your side for the last ten years.
As my own dog, Fudge's odometer ticked past the 14 year mark, it struck me how important it is to capture these images while the opportunity is here. It's an awkward and uncomfortable thing to think about, but the alternative of regretting it later because I didn't want to confront it, to me, was more uncomfortable. 7 years earlier, we had decided that my ex would keep him when we separated. She did a heroic job taking care of him, and I missed him every day. I decided I needed to do whatever it took to get some last great photographs of Fudge while I could, and now I have those images to look at and enjoy. This experience inspired me to find a way to provide this same sense of relief to others, regardless of their resources to pay for it or transport their dog to where I am. Fudge has since passed on and I'm so grateful to have those memories of him as the beautiful and magnificent old boy he was.
I packed up my single studio light, a portable grey backdrop, and my camera, and now I can bring the studio to the dog. I'll return to my studio to do the editing, and then print an 8x10 print of the image I chose for the archive. I will also provide the digital files of all the images that turned out during the session. There is no charge - okay, maybe the charge is the stories I get to hear about your amazing old friends sitting there in front of the mini studio, perfect as always. This is my way of helping keep those memories at hand.
I understand the difficulty in saying “yes, my dog might not have that long left here with us”, so this project is fueled in part by nominations for dogs (and their people) that you may know that fit the bill. Obviously I'm not going to put some type of age bracket on the project, there are too many factors to consider, but if you think there's a dog that would be lovely for me to capture like this as a gift to the people that take such great care of them, please contact me and we can work on making it happen.
I appreciate your time and consideration and above all, your bravery in looking such a difficult topic in the eyes and taking action. It's worth it, I assure you.
Click the button below to submit your nomination for an Argos dog.
I am also accepting donations towards the project to help cover the costs of operating and printing so that I can continue to provide this much needed service. Thank you so much for supporting The Argos Project in any way you can.
