The Power Of The Dog // Emma O'Brien
About the exhibition
Inspiration for ‘The Power of the Dog’ came from my own golden oldie Jane and the Rudyard Kipling poem from which the exhibition takes its name. Kipling, in my view, perfectly sums up what it is to experience life with a dog and the unavoidable sadness that the end of their life brings. It’s also a reminder to enjoy every moment.
Jane was my companion from October 2009 (I got her a month after I moved to South Africa) until the 18th of December 2022 and the time went by in what feels like an instant. I photographed her pretty relentlessly throughout her life and she knew exactly what to do whenever she was called into my studio. I shot her last official portraits two months before she passed away and it’s these images and the legacy they leave that inspired me to create a project featuring senior dogs.
My work is less about technical perfection than it is about capturing the characters of the dogs that (sometimes) sit for me. I believe in making the magic happen in the moment I take a photograph and because dogs, especially seniors, do their own thing, this project was a little challenging at times. Getting the attention of a deaf dog is not the easiest thing to do. Some of the dogs struggled to sit thanks to arthritic joints and some were just on their own mission. I’ve captured them exactly as they were on the day of their shoots.
The Power of the Dog is a celebration of dogs and the magic they bring to our lives, I hope you enjoy it.
Somewhat inevitably with a project featuring elderly dogs, some of the seniors are no longer with us. You’ll see a 🕊️ next to the names of the dogs that have since passed away.
ABOUT EMMA O'BRIEN
Emma O’Brien has been working as a professional photographer since 2004. She began her career in the UK as a wedding photographer, then became an accidental dog photographer after adopting Jeremy the Dachshund from Sandton SPCA in 2011. Emma volunteered to photograph a fundraising calendar for SSPCA over a decade ago and the rest, as they say, is history.
Alongside private client commissions, Emma has shot several commercial assignments for corporate clients including: Woolworths, Land Rover, BOSS Dog Food, Dotsure and Pick N Pay. She shoots all the celebrity imagery for Pet Prints Magazine and her work has won multiple international awards.
Emma regularly donates her time to photograph the dogs in need of homes at CLAW (Community Led Animal Welfare) as well as, still, photographing the annual Sandton SPCA calendar. As you might expect, she shares her home with a collection of rescue dogs.
The Power of the Dog is Emma’s third solo exhibition at Foto ZA.
You can find out more about Emma’s work on her website - www.emmaobrien.com and you can follow her on Instagram @emmaobrienphoto
Exhibition Events
Healthy Hounds Search & Rescue Talk - Saturday the 8th April 2023
Mini Pet Shoots - Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th April 2023
SA Guide Dogs Talk - Saturday the 22nd April 2023
Pet Photography Workshop by Emma O’Brien - Sunday the 23rd April 2023
Please email Emma via emma@emmaobrien.com to find out more info for the workshops & to book your slots for the Mini Pet Shoots.