Philip Borden

Dogs are social creatures. Vizslas are very social dogs. Winona is a very, very social vizsla. In this image, Winona watches for the arrival of her best canine friend Coco.

I took this photograph January 2021 at Winthrop House on Harvard’s campus. At the time, Massachusetts was experiencing a surge in the COVID pandemic, with 6,000 new infections and 80 deaths per day. We were all huddled at home. Harvard Square, where we live, was eerily quiet. The students were gone. Many shops and restaurants were closed. The streets were empty.

Straining through wrought iron bars, Winona here peers out, mournful yet alert awaiting her friend for a rare but cherished off-leash romp during this time of social isolation. Winona’s separation from and longing to see Coco is the same thing I’ve frequently felt during this awful year.

In my photography, I aim — not always successfully — for simplicity and clarity. Often I restrict an image’s color palette in an effort to reduce visual distraction. Here, the camera focuses on Winona’s face and paw, while the heavy iron bars blur and recede to the right. Blacks, oranges, and muted pinks and reds dominate this early-morning shot.

I like this photo because it highlights Winona’s velvety ears. They are spectacular.

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