Domain Name
Okay Dog Meets World is not taken and is now the unique name of this new global photo project with the notion of promoting “Take & Give Photography”. The future website address is officially www.dogmeetsworld.org and email is dogmeetsworld@gmail.com.
What’s in a name?
Years ago a friend gave me a small stuffed beanie dog as it happened to resemble Foto, my black & white cock-a-poo pup. Yes, I recognize that cock-a-poo is an absurd name for blended mutt, but she is nonetheless adorable as is plain to see. Of course all pet owners claim some such status of magnificence for their pet. So on my adventure travels from the Inca ruins of Macchu Picchu, Peru to those near Angkor Wat in Cambodia , little Foto has been dragged along, eliciting the giggles of local children and the delight of even adults.
So what to name this NEW global photo project?? Why not let Foto be the face, the mascot, the ambassador of the project? She’s the perfect prop and foil for breaking frequent language barriers…in fact, a little stuffed animal speaks the universal language of joy and fun. And Foto is the perfect NAME for a icon to “fetch photos for the globe’s children”
After much silly deliberation, my son, Austin, co-collaborator on this crazy notion of bringing photographs to kids around the world, suggests we do a take off of the popular TV show of his childhood Boy Meets World and name it Dog Meets World! Yes, it’s simple, easy to remember, to the point and most importantly FUN. It’s official DOG MEETS WORLD is it.
Where are the smiles?
Hi. Here I am sitting outside a classroom in Ibo Beach, Haiti doing impromtu English lessons with these French speaking girls. They easily parroted my words and we laughed alot. In an effort to capture this scene I handed my SLR camera off to a young man. He struggled to figure out how to use it and numerous shots are taken. The girls crowded around and stared at the digital screen images. Later I study the shots and realize the girls are not smiling, while I’m always grinning to beat the band. My Haitian friend explained the girls have rarely, if ever, had their pictures taken and are trying to look serious for this important moment. Wow, smiling for a camera is actually a learned response.
Back in Florida, I come to the conclusion that it is infinitely unfair that I have this picture of these gorgeous girls and they do not. This realization is the catalyst for starting a non-profit aimed at bringing personal photography to the rest of the world’s kids and families. The idea is to shift the paradigm (ever met a paradigm that didn’t shift?) from no longer just taking pictures of others, but to “taking and giving” pictures.