In the Details: Storytelling Through Close-Ups

With the sweltering heat engulfing Vegas, I've been staying home quite a bit. It's just too hot to do anything aside from a quick morning walk. However, I still need to keep my dogs entertained, so I set up a small above-ground pool every year. This year, I went smaller than usual so it would be shallow enough for Vibe to stand, for his safety and comfort.

All my dogs enjoy the pool, but Vibe loves it the most, and this year, he gets his own private pool time. Vibe has always had a love for water. Over the years, we've spent endless hours at the lake swimming, paddle boarding, and kayaking. A favorite getaway was Fiesta Island, where I would walk the path, and he would swim the entire distance out and back. Then he would completely ignore me and refuse to get out of the water. My boy, with the nicest recall of any dog I've ever had, would stay about 15 feet out and watch me load up the other dogs. Once they were up, I would have to go back for him.

Now, as an older guy, he can no longer do those big adventures, but he still loves the water and goes straight to his little pool when I let him out. He doesn't do much in there, but he's perfectly content to stand in his pool and play with his ball—a simple pleasure that brings him happiness and reduces the restlessness that has accompanied his cognitive decline. After his 'swim,' he'll crash out for hours.

I'm well aware that this will be our last summer together, so I want to capture images and videos of him. A little inflatable pool on my covered patio isn't super exciting or make for great photographs, but sometimes the smallest details can tell the most powerful stories. So, I decided to take a few short videos and some close-up images of him enjoying his pool time.

The image at the top is the back of his head. I took it as he stared at his ball floating in the water. I just love the texture and how messy his fur looks.

And here’s a short video of us playing his favorite old man game—push the ball.