A Dog and His Man...with Miguel LC
- LIAM C.
- Apr 27, 2016
- 2 min read
I woke up this morning to the familiar 7am sound of my cat scratching on the door frame. It's her usual signal that it's time for her breakfast. So I got up, poured her a 1/3 cup portion of Go Cat Senior (she's ten years old and on a diet), and went back to bed. Then I waited.
There's something comforting about witnessing the unfolding routine of an animal. I listened to her crunching her meal, then heard her digging in her litter tray, then heard her run around for a bit of exercise, then heard her scratching on the entry hall rug where she sharpens her claws. Every day it's the same. The last step in the process, the one I was most waiting for, is when she jumps into bed with me and cuddles up between my calves or beside me. I reach over and give a short head massage, which successfully triggers purring, and then I go back to sleep for another half hour.
Before I met Miguel LC for our shoot for the Lisbon issue, he asked if he could bring his dog, Assis. At first I thought it was an odd request. As much as I care for my cat, I wouldn't bring her on a shoot. But dogs are different. One of the things that most bonds me to my pet is her need for me and my ability to provide. With Assis, who by now was quite elderly and almost deaf, the bond they shared was most strong since Assis need Miguel so much. And what Assis gave in return was probably just as much.
I learned more about Assis than about Miguel LC on our shoot, even though Elska is supposed to be about showcasing local boys, not local hounds. Yet what I learned about Miguel through this was that he was a rather tender and loyal man who makes one feel sort of safe to be with. And that's says a lot more about him than facts about his job, interests, and love affairs.
Elska Boy: Miguel LC (and Assis)
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Photographer: Liam Campbell
Assistant: Andriy Melnyk
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