Man's best friend

BELLEVILLE, Ont. (19/10/11) - Joe Mucha has been "borrowing" dogs to bring to the dog park in Zwick's Park in Belleville ever since his own dog died two years ago. Today he brought his roommate's beagle Noodles, who would rather sit on the bench with Mucha than run and play. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

I recently had an assignment due called Shoot Your Weakness. If you think this sounds like misery, it really was. I didn't want to cop out and say, well, I'm not the best at studio lighting! I actually wanted to challenge myself. Of course this meant I overworked myself and overthought how I should go about shooting my weakness, which is really portraits and candids in feature situations. I don't know what it is about these, but having to (a) control a situation that much, and (b) go out of my way to make something into a good picture while feeling like I'm bothering someone really bothers me. After several failed attempts and some words of wisdom from friends and instructors, I went back to the dog park for a second time and found Joe doing a crossword while Noodles alternated watching Joe and between pacing back and forth between two trees.

They are two peas in a pod.

BELLEVILLE, Ont. (19/10/11) - Joe Mucha and his roommate's beagle Noodles wait out the rain in a shelter in Zwick's Park in Belleville on Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011. Photo by Rachel Psutka.