DIY Photography

Your one stop shop for everything photo-video

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

Remarkable Photo Series Of Sorrowful Dogs Waiting In Cars For Their Owners To Return

Jan 17, 2015 by Tiffany Mueller 1 Comment

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

martinusborne

Looking at Martin Usborne’s collection of photographs, aptly titled “Dogs In Cars”, you experience a range of emotion. Some of the dogs in the photos have a markedly melancholic look in their eyes, while others remain still as a look of sad desperation takes over their expression. Then there are other dogs, who look fearful and aggressive as they protect their beloved owner’s automobile from the stranger holding the camera.

Regardless, you can’t help but feel compassion as you sympathize with dogs who gaze out the window longing, searching for their owners. Some seeming to ask the camera, “What if they never come back?” That question, Usborne explains, is very similar to the question that sparked this inspiring project in the first place.

“I was once left in a car at a young age. I don’t know when or where or for how long, possibly at the age of four, perhaps outside a supermarket, probably for fifteen minutes only. The details don’t matter. The point is that I wondered if anyone would come back. The fear I felt was strong: in a child’s mind it is possible to be alone forever.”

Usborne continues, speaking of his affinity for animals that sparked around the same time. At a young age, he concerned himself with “their plight at the hands of humans.” After seeing a video in which a dog suffered greatly while in the company of a viciously abusive human, Usborne fell deeply saddened by the fact dogs were not able to speak for themselves.

Now, as an adult, Usborne has witnessed just how expressive dogs can be; however, they are often visual expressions and overlooked or disregarded all together. He’s since made it a personal mission to tell the stories of dogs through breathtakingly poignant portraits. He also embarked on a year long project, A Year To Help, in which Usborne will try to help as many dogs as he can during a 365 day long period, sharing his stories and raising awareness along the way.

As for the photos, Usborne knew from the beginning they were going to have a dark feel, as it was a darkness, “a fear of being alone and unheard”, that moved him to create the series in the first place. The dark feel of the photos was Uspborne’s attempt to relive an insufferable childhood experience.

And, while there’s an air of sadness in the photos, it is presented to us in such poetic fashion, the initial stillness that overcomes you is quietly swept away and replaced with wonderment.

Usborne closed his statement by simply highlighting, “There is life in the darkest places inside us”, which goes to serve as a reminder to all of us that great art comes from great pain, as “Dogs In Cars” perfectly illustrates.

martinusborne3jpg
dogs in cars martinusborne4 martinusborne5

“I should say that I was a well-loved child and never abandoned and yet it is clear that both these experiences arose from the same place deep inside me: a fear of being alone and unheard.”

martinusborne6 martinusborne7 martinusborne8

“What I didn’t expect was to see so many subtle reactions by the dogs: some sad, some expectant, some angry, some dejected. It was as if upon opening up a box of grey-coloured pencils I was surprised to see so many shades inside.”

martinusborne9 martinusborne.1jpg
martinusborne10
martinusborne2

Browsing through over 40 photos from “Dogs In Cars”, I couldn’t help but start to feel overwhelmed at having to make a decision on which one’s to share, here, with you. They were all outstanding. Each and everyone of them. I encourage you to head over to Usborne’s website, where you can view the entire catalog, as well as some of his other work.

[ Martin Usborne | A Year To Help | via Agnostica ]

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

These fast cars photos are actually made with toy cars and practical effects ‘Shelter Dogs’ Captures Human-Like Emotions from Dogs in City Pound Photographer shows dogs from underneath in this fun photo series Photographers show unique traits of dogs in an adorable series of portraits

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: Dog, martin usborne, portrait series, uk

Tiffany Mueller: from diyphotography.net

About Tiffany Mueller

Tiffany Mueller is a photographer based in Hawi, Hawaii. You can follow her Twitter here and her personal life here.

« Old Nintendo Power Glove Modified To Control Stop Motion Photography Software Wirelessly
Nikon’s Latest “I Am Generation” Campaign features Same-Sex, African American Dads »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup
DIYPhotography

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Recent Posts

  • Comica CVM-VM30 is the world’s first wireless shotgun mic
  • Everything you need to know about science/technology photography
  • How Fujifilm survived while Kodak didn’t
  • Use these two simple methods to remove skin shine from portraits
  • Improved Sun Moon Expert app gets you perfectly timed sun and moon photos

Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy