Lydia and Mr. Red

This was not the photograph I meant to take, although the subjects had both struck me well enough. Caroline had hailed Lydia across the way in Central Park with a "He's friendly," referring to our dog Louis. Immediately the dogs played with the intensity of a feverish dance, and the women talked harnesses. I was left standing and about to leave them to it and wander off in search of subjects without animals when I thought that I had better just try and take a picture because subjects have a habit of not reappearing.

"Could I just take a picture of you and Mr. Red together?" I said loudly over the grunts and yelps from the dogs. To help, Caroline dragged Louis away from his new friend, but as Lydia sat down with Mr. Red for the picture he started jumping around looking for his playmate.

Then Lydia revealed the absolute way she has with dogs. With a few gentle words and a firm touch she had soothed him. There was no time for looking for the right background or light. I had to do it more or less where they stood. The background is not too bad; the light is a bit flat and too much from the top. The sitters do look as one, though, like true friends do.