caught in the headlights

did you know that children are known to recreate scenarios (especially when playing) in order to deal with unprocessed emotions? i think i've been doing that with my photography...

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i don't typically view experiences from my childhood as traumatic until i reflect on them.

 a nice day. a casual family walk. a driver who wasn't paying attention. a dog owner who was too confident... 

i never learned if the dog turned out alright & it's bothered me for years. 

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i was given an assignment to shoot an image that gave "impact". i instantly formulated this idea and so, as soon as the sun had set and rain began to fall, i drove to an empty parking lot, parked the car, left the lights on, stuck my dog in front of said car and shot the image. all the while, my anxiety was spiking because cars were driving past me from behind as i was situated in the middle of the road. i was scared that my dog would run into the road and this staged photo would be a deja vu moment of what had happened years prior. 

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he's alright. he's alive. i've been able to process my emotions and the result was a beautiful image.