Dog, Street, Drama and Camera in pieces…
Today, 26th March was a regular Sunday ‘Street Photo-walk’ with all the Drashtikon members and Instagram members at one of the busy streets of old city area in Surat.
Since quite a long time I have been trying to capture the wild-angle perspective in streets the way now days we wildlife photographers are doing in forest for wild animals. Once I made few people images I noticed a curious dog, and from childhood I have special love for the stray dogs. It was quit little dog and was friendly enough to have unspoken conversions with me. I started making some low-angle perspectives with this lovely dog in there.
After a while he got over friendly and me too was carried away with its gentle behavior we created humble drama in the street and became center of attraction. Both of us were enjoying the over all play, but…
I left my camera near the dog to make an image with another camera when the dog thought its his turn now. And somebody tried to take my camera back and dog did not like it at all and he started running with my camera in its neck. I missed few heart-beats for sure, but still I was little ok thinking I will catch him nicely and remove my camera but concerned people around me in trying to help me started chasing the dog and now the dog became a victim. It was terribly scared now and kept on running here and there with my camera.
But now the local people participated in the scene and tried to me help me getting my camera back and the situation turned worst than we can even think. The dog was running at its best and few more dogs for the street joined it. Now some 50 people including me were creating a picture there while running behind a dog with my camera and along with a bunch of few other dogs. By that time I understood that this has gone in the worst possible situation now. People from the entire balcony were enjoying the Sunday morning show.
Almost chasing that dog for one kilometer I could catch the dog and hold it with care. He was very much in the trauma and fear. Poor dog became the victim of my foolishness.
So the learning was, when we do this in forest we know the jungle rules but I forgot that in city there are no rules, and I should have not crossed my boundary while playing with the dog. After all it was an innocent dog which came to me with an intension to share its friendly nature and situation in the street turned into a movie climax.
I got some good pictures but I retuned office with many broken pieces of my camera and lens, but my love for stray dogs will never melt at all, because they are most endearing animals we have around us.
So enjoy the street photography and just be careful…
-Saurabh Desai
With all the sorrow and thrill together…
