Reflection on Creative Media Directions, Modern Master (ARD507)

“Choose a classical painting of renown and reproduce its essence and characteristics through photography.  You must replicate the pose, colour, character and lighting, BUT costume and location can be brought up to date.  Your finished image must bear a strong resemblance to the original painting.  Apply your completed image to an appropriate product using interesting copy.”

As previously mentioned, when we first got given this assignment, there was only one Master that came to mind.  As I live with four dogs, Doris, Joey, Angel and Jack with several cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and fish, I have an appreciation of anything to do with animals especially artwork.  The thought of attempting to replicate the famous “Dogs Playing Poker” picture by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge, but with actual real dogs was an assignment I wanted to achieve.  As I found out when researching, “Dogs Playing Poker” actually is a collection of sixteen oil paintings.  With this in mind, it gave me greater versatility as to the layout of my interpretation of this classic.

I did however have the challenge of working out how to photograph four dogs sitting at the table playing cards.  Working out the typical staging for a photo shoot was one thing, but to add to this four live (normally very well behaved) dogs who had to sit still to have their photograph taken was another challenge.  Fortunately, I have two very willing assistants in the forms of my Mother (Carolyn) and my friend (Claire) who volunteered or were persuaded to help in this task.

To hopefully make the dogs behave better, I decided to change my dining room at home into a photo studio with the fact that Doris, Joey, Angel and Jack being in familiar territory would make them more at ease.  With the enticement of treats for good behaviour, and my two assistants located behind each pair of dogs, I decided the best chance of getting the photograph I wanted was to use the sports option on my camera, in effect continuous shooting as trying to get all dogs to pose and say cheese wasn’t going to be an option I could use.

 With a lot of treats, and an hour of shooting, with jack doing his favourite trick of climbing on to the table especially as he thought it was fun to investigate the cards and poker chips, I think eventually I managed to get the photographs I wanted.  At the end of the shoot my Mother summed it up quite well with that all famous quote “Never work with animals or children” , after making my two assistants a much deserved cup of tea, we reviewed the photographs and considering the dogs are not professionals, I’m really pleased with the results.  Joey stayed sitting at the table after I had finished taking photographs, I think he worked out that if he sat good at the table he got treats so wasn’t planning on moving.

Upon reflection, would there be anything I would do differently next time, probably yes, be better prepared.  Have a table cloth that was either thicker or somehow attached to the table so the dogs couldn’t knock it so easily.  Would I do it again?  Yes the photographs I have caught of my dogs have captured them brilliantly and although finding one photograph with all four perfect has been a challenge, even with humans you can have this same problem.  Dogs playing poker, Doris, Joey, Angel and Jack may not be actually playing cards but they did have a fun time and that is why humans play cards to have fun isn’t it?