The Dog Tales
May I, Frankie Lodge present to you…The Dog Tales.
This is an on going project based on my love of dogs. It was an idea that started back in 2015, I was once again working away from home, which meant having to leave behind my beloved Shih Tzu dog, Mr Miyagi. Being in different countries for long periods of time, with different timeszones, in unfamiliar surroundings and with miles between me and my loved ones, was taking it’s toll. So whenever I would miss Mr Miyagi and was able to get some down time from work, I would pick up my camera in search of the nearest dog, hoping they could soothe my homesickness, or should that be ‘dogsickness?!’
It soon became apparent, as the project went on and the body of work grew bigger, that I wasn’t just photographing these amazing four-legged friends to ease my loneliness, it was becoming an obsession. A mission, where I wanted to document ALL the various dogs I would encounter, capture their characters, personalities and share their stories to the rest of the world. So whether I’m in London, taking a stroll during a lunch break, or working in a far away country, there is always a dog to be found with a tale to tell and a portrait to be captured.
The method in my madness is quite simple and involves me being at the dog’s eye level, crouching down, standing tall, lying face down in mud. Whatever it takes to see what they see, capturing their alternative perspective. I have no use for treats or squeaky toys to get their attention or try to coax them into particular poses, as I feel that the encounter should be as spontaneous and random as it would be if “we” humans met for the first time. The reactions of the dogs are of course much much more varied and unpredictable, and that is exactly what I am interested in.
So this is the part where I tell you a little bit about me…
I’m a 34 year old pizza eating, photography enthusiast, and dog obsessed individual, haha!
I’ve been working within the photographic industry for around 15 years now. Starting as a studio assistant, painting studios that were sometimes as big as houses (well it felt like that) as well as making copious amounts of tea and coffee (which I may add, I have cracked the formula to the perfect cuppa).
Then I was saved by a photographer and taken under his wing. Where I lit anything from cars, to shepherd’s pies, as well as encountering surreal moments like having to throw water in actress Dame Helen Mirren’s face, to being told to hurry up and pass the ball by footballer Cristiano Ronaldo.
Now, when I’m not doing the above I thoroughly enjoy switching off from the world and binging on a good Netflix series. I also enjoy going into London and witnessing the extreme talents of The Royal Ballet, as well as feeding my soul with great music gigs. So before this starts sounding like a dating website profile I will leave it there.
Press
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