Photo Time

 

Aslan’s and Marlowe's breeder, Ann, is in hospital, and has been for a while now, with more weeks in hospital likely.  She is missing her Saint Bernard family dreadfully.  Ann and I send each other text messages from time to time when my puppies or hers do something worth sharing.  I suggested to Ann that she tell the hospital staff that studies have shown that patients heal faster if their pets are allowed to visit like family.  I admitted that I made up the studies bit, but Ann felt it worth a try.  She had no luck.  Hospital staff have firm opinions on a number of Saint Bernards visiting their cardiac wards.

With Ann suffering from Saint Bernard withdrawal symptoms, I thought I'd photograph Cleo and Marlowe looking suitably sympathetic to add to a get-well text message to try to cheer her up.  

Photographing Cleo and Marlowe together is not for the faint hearted, although photographing them singly isn't a piece of cake either.  Cleo, who has settled into geriatric life quite comfortably, just can't be bothered with posing for the camera any more.  She feels that she's done her time as a photo subject, and now that her years have mounted up, should be excused from all requests to sit for a photo.  In short, Cleo now needs a lot of gentle persuasion to join in the fun. 

Marlowe, who is still enjoying a prolonged puppyhood, loves any form of attention and bounds up ready, willing and able to pose for as many photographs as I'd like to take.  The trouble with photographing Marlowe is his taste leans towards the avant garde style of photos and Marlowe prefers extreme close-ups of his nose, over the more mundane shots taken from a short distance away.  

Getting the two puppies together is usually easy.  They are great friends and Marlowe just loves anything that includes Cleo.  Cleo is happy to listen to my plans and then raise whatever objections come to mind in typical irascible old lady fashion.  The problems arise when I want them sitting still, side by side (or as close as I can manage to get them side by side), for a posed photo.  As stated above, Cleo is not enthusiastic and it takes much cajoling to get her to sit where I want her to sit.  These days her old body is not a fan of sitting when asked to do so.  I rarely ask her to sit these days out of respect for her advanced years, but when I do, it takes a few repeated requests to get her bottom on the ground.   

Marlowe is another kettle of fish altogether.  He will smartly sit when asked, with a very smug look on his face, but actually getting the large body into the spot I want it for a photo takes a great deal of effort on both our parts.  I take him by the collar, plant his body reasonably close to Cleo and say, “Sit!”  Marlowe sits, then turns towards Cleo to give her a snuggle on her face, or a lick on the ear, nose boop, or any other affectionate gesture that occurs to him. 

Cleo is now well and truly over sitting, but bravely stays put, doing her best to ignore Marlowe’s actions, no matter how good-natured they are.  According to Marlowe it's not his fault that when he snuggles, licks or leans on Cleo it ends up with him standing up again and in a different spot to where he started.  I then manoeuvrer him back to the desired spot and get everything ready for the photograph. 

By the time I gently persuade Cleo to sit nicely and to stay put, with Marlowe sitting beside her, I have to back away carefully, hand raised in the stop position and repeatedly saying, “Stay, stay, stay!”  Marlowe's tail invariably wags, and I'm all in favour of a dog with a wagging tail, but he loves to instil a false sense of hope in me and stays beautifully until I lower my hand to press the camera button.  Then we are back to nose close-ups. 

Cleo meanwhile is sitting like a perfect angel, clearly asking Marlowe what's so hard about staying.  Only Cleo and I know she stays so beautifully because she can't be bothered getting up and going through the whole routine again.  I then return Marlowe to the spot next to Cleo - wrangling him into position with lots of enthusiasm so Marlowe thinks it's a treat.  I then go through the "Stay!" process again and repeat the above over and over. 

What usually happens once Marlowe finally realises I want him to sit next to Cleo and actually stay there, is that by now Cleo has had enough.  She lets me know that she sat and stayed for quite a while and she is now fed up with sitting and staying.  She tells me a lady of her advanced years needs lots of pats, ear rubs and sleep - sitting and staying is not on the list of geriatric Saint Bernard needs anywhere.  I have to sweet talk her back to sitting next to Marlowe and keeping Marlowe in place while I get Cleo's co-operation and get her to at least try to look happy about it.  Once I finally get a reasonable photo, and by this time, I have taken many, many unreasonable ones, I delete all the nose close-ups, ear scratches, nose boops and puppies looking over their shoulder or whatever.  I then come inside and make myself a cup of tea - because boy! have I earned it.  

Here are the only two reasonable photos I managed to take today.  The first one has Marlowe sitting in a very peculiar, hunched over position (I think he's just about to get up and move in for a close-up).  He’s actually quite a bit larger than Cleo but because he’s hunched over it doesn’t look like it.   I sent the second one to Ann, even though the puppies aren't quite sitting side by side, they are both facing the camera and looking suitably sympathetic.  I just hope Ann appreciates the amount of work that simple little photo represents.