Yes, another blog post about my beloved dog, Damian the Wigglebutt. Because I love him, and now that I’ve moved out and don’t get to see him very often, I miss him. It hurts a lot more, because dogs don’t really understand the concept of how cell phones work. So not only does he not recognize that I’m on the screen of the phone when I video chat my sister, he refuses to even look at the camera. I would like to believe it’s because he is sad to hear my voice and not see me, but who knows?
It might surprise you to read that this post isn’t entirely about my dog. For our anniversary, my attentive boyfriend bought me a fancy camera. I say fancy because I’ve only had the more affordable digital cameras growing up, and he got me an advanced, professional DSLR camera. He overheard a conversation where I was talking to my sister about how she broke mine, and was sweet enough to get me one as a gift.
That being said, I am now trying to learn and understand how to properly use this new camera. I’m at the point where I will probably invest in a class if I can find the time. For today though, I wanted to talk about Damian because when it comes to photography, he is my muse. No one makes me want to whip out my camera more, and it is also painful because when I do, he will refuse to look at the camera 85% of the time. But I still love him, and that’s why he is being celebrated today, on National Dog Photography Day.
How Does a Dog Inspire You?
I know there are people in the world who don’t understand the infaturation that some dog owners have with their dogs, and I don’t think you can actually understand it until you have had a dog or a child of your own. So some people would probably say that I am crazy for calling Damian my muse, because muses are meant to serve as personified inspiration for creatives.
But he does, and has since the day that he has come into my life. Sure, I would never put “photographer” on my resume and claim it in anyway, but I have written about him countless times (please refer to my previous blogs about him, such as “Why Damian is the Love of My Life,” or, “Dressing Up Mr. Wigglebutt“).
It’s because after living my life, I started to become a bit jaded about the world and the people in it. And while some people think and believe you have to hit rock bottom for artistic inspiration to strike and save you, I have always written to try and make sense of the world and to believe in the better parts of humanity. Damian came into my life and softened me again, because I don’t think I truly ever fell in love until I met him.
And that’s what makes him my muse. In falling in love with him, I fell back in love with the world.
A Collection of Damian Photos
Has your pet had an impact in your life? Do you have any photography tips that you care to share? What inspires you? I would love to have you tell me in the comments below.
As always, thank you so much for taking the time to read this blog post. If you enjoyed what you read, please let me know by taking the time to like this post, commenting your thoughts below, and sharing it with your friends. And of course, you know that you have the power to make my day by subscribing to the blog, which means you will get updates every time I put out something like this.
Love Always,
Kristi My
Kristi My Dao 