We will miss you, Willy

posted June 15, 2017 in Happenings

Today hasn’t been easy. We had to put our 13.5 year-old goldendoodle to rest. He gifted us with more than we ever dreamed. Barking and shedding, included. He was breeded with the idea he wouldn’t bark (golden retriever genes) or shed (poodle genes). Yet, he did both.

In sum, he was our perfect, “Goldendud.”

Blog readers know Willy has been frequent guest on this platform over the years, subject to countless lighting technicals and gear tests. Even pictured in a Fearless Award, too.

If you are a wedding, portrait, or fine-art client since late 2010, Willy has been about 24 inches from my editing workstation, under my desk at my feet. That’s pretty much as close as it gets to my editing heart. He has been apart of your image.

In March 2013, Willy and I enjoyed an epic guy’s trip to the Pacific Ocean. We enjoyed the experience of a lifetime, indulging in time with friends and mentors along the way. We even created #WillysTripToTheOcean. The experience cured him of seizures, as he never had another. I hired Anna Kuperberg to documented the moments. My wife and I enjoyed it with our eyes, savoring the senses and experience.

During the road trip, I brought my camera to document our experience. The old adage, “good things come to those who wait,” remained in the back of my head. If you’ve every waited four years to get a roll of film developed, you know the feeling.

I decided not to edit these few special images, knowing I would save them for a time when I would need them. That day was today.

Willy, we will miss you. May you be in “dog heaven” along with two Fritz’s, Dash, Bella, and Traveler.

On a personal / photo geek perspective:

Seeing these images for the first time brought back the warm memories like it happened yesterday. That’s joy of the photographic medium (don’t try that with medium format film). Details recorded in precision like I remembered them, better than any rose glasses could paint. I shot everything on the Phase One, a camera I use for those really important images where important details matter. Instant gratification is just that: instant. Yet, the experience has re-affirmed to me the importance of playing the long game. Rewarding personal projects are priceless.