So, in my last post we moved out of the motorhome after the better part of a year into a regular house in Indian Hills, Colorado. I’ll post more about that place later.
About a city block’s worth away was the Sit ‘n Bull Saloon. I’ll post more about that place later, too.
One of the bartenders there was a woman named Amber Hope. One day I heard her and some regulars talking about “Bob Hope.” Turns out that’s what she had named a pit bull puppy that she and her husband had recently adopted.
So I stuck my neck out. “I’m new here, but I’m a photog. I have a little mini-studio in my home for shooting pets. I’d love to shoot your puppy; all I ask for is a model / property release.”
A date was arranged, and Amber with Bob showed up. She had makeup on. I wasn’t planning on shooting her; just the dog. But since she came obviously prepared to be in front of the camera, I began with this shot:
This photo went a long way, although no one ever licensed it. Getty Images accepted it into their stock agency, and I made a big print of it which hung on the wall of the bar for a number of years. And the next year, when the community decided to do a community calendar, I submitted this shot. After which a whole bunch of patrons from the bar showed up at the community center and stuffed the ballot box! Yeah, it got in the Indian Hills calendar.
My romantic partner at the time was one of the best photographer’s assistants I ever had. She kept the puppy occupied (at one point even teasing him with a steak) while I adjusted lights and snapped the shutter. Here are a few more from that shoot:
Just as was the case with Brinkley some years earlier, Bob started getting tuckered out.
So his human picked him up, and sat down with him on our love seat. I moved the lights, and took one last shot:
I think it’s the sweetest shot of the entire session. I’m glad that Amber showed up ready to be photographed.
Epilogue
I contacted Amber a few minutes ago. Mr. Bob Hope died of cancer about four years ago. She still keeps a picture of him, one of the pictures in this post, by her phone.