3 months ago, I signed onto this project called TAILS OF THE WORLD.
I wanted to do the project last year, but so much was going on & I wasn't able to take it up, but this year, I knew I needed to be a part of!
For those of you who have NO IDEA what the hell I'm talking about....
What is Tails of the World?
"Tails of the World™ is an international collective of professional pet photographers, all united in our mission to make a difference for animals in need by celebrating our local dogs & fundraising for animal rescues with Tails of the World coffee table books!”
The project brief is to take photos of dogs in the city that you are signing up from, showcase & show off your city's beautiful buildings, historical sights etc with the help of dogs on the forefront!
When I signed up for the project, I wasn't too sure how I was going to do it. Which dogs I was going to reach out to for the same & if people would pay the session fee. Then, one night it hit me...INDIES!
I love Indies, I have an Indie & create an Indie calendar every year. I work on awareness od Indies & realised that THIS would put Indies on a global platform & help bring awareness to their "breed" & beauty!
And that was it, it was decided.
I believe that it’s time for Indies (street dogs that have been adopted) to be represented on a global scale. I want their beauty & uniqueness against the backdrop of stunning Bombay to speak for adoption!
100% of the sessions fees go towards SECOND CHANCE SANCTUARY by Sanjana Madappa. One out of the 2 photos from each shoots gets published in the TAILS OF THE WORLD collective book next March & that book raises money for charity too! With each photo, we have to submit a write up of the dog & the place we took the photo & I thought, what a better place to share the Indie's adoption story than here?!
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TAILS OF THE WORLD - SHOOTS IN ACTION
This would be the first time I was taking on such a project - dogs with architecture! I was so nervous, but knew that we would be able to achieve it.
Now, time to get the doggos!
For this project, I only had 10 slots available. Each dog got a 30min shoot with 2 stunning photos included along with their prints & a special gift box!
After releasing the sign up form, we pretty much immediately sold out of slots in the first week! Take a look at some of the stories behind the scenes & enjoy the final results!
1. BRUZO DATT SHARMA
Adoption story:
Abhay Datt Sharma - "During the second lockdown, my friend shared a Facebook post which mentioned a cruelty case of an adopted Indie dog ‘Bruzo’ who was tied outside a house and his mouth was tied with a rope because he was teething. He was often beaten up by his family. He was infested with ticks and suffered from a very severe case of mange and dermatitis. He had several scars and wounds all over his body. For a dog who was abused for the first 8 months of his life - Bruzo was EXTREMELY TRUSTING. He came to me immediately.
After the passing of my 9 year old dog, I had decided not to get a dog again. But I fell in love with Bruzo & knew I had to make it work. Within two months my parents moved to Mumbai to help me raise him. Just a bit of love and care has made him into a different dog altogether. He lights up the house with his big goofy smile and his enthusiastic nature. He meets every person with so much love and excitement that sometimes it’s difficult to believe that he has such a rough start in life."
Location:
Sea Link from Bandra Fort
After seeing Bruzo's photo, I knew in the first go which location we needed to shoot at. The Sea Link in Mumbai is a magnificent 5.6km - 8 lane structure that connects Mumbai Suburbs to South Mumbai. For everyone who lives in Mumbai, crossing the Sea Link has a very nostalgic feeling & it's an iconic structure that Mumbai is now known for. I wanted Bruzo's happy grin & excitable body language to point to the Sea Link as if to proudly say "This is our Mumbai!"
The steel cables tower over you, converging at the top to create a tent sort of structure with the stunning view of the ocean peeping out from between the gaps. The Sea Link never ceases to amaze you, no matter how many times you travel on it, & you can never truly understand the feeling unless you've travelled on this marvel yourself.
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2. Mowgli
Adoption Story:
Prerana - "Aman (my husband) & I were preparing to adopt an Indie for a long time. Aman’s parents have two pahadi indies and we were keen to add one to our family. We saw a post on Instagram and on reaching out to the adoption agency- found out this 3 month old pup (called Fudge then) was adopted by a family who couldn’t keep him any longer because the only caregiver was helping test patients for Covid during the pandemic and had a hectic work schedule. Mowgli’s eyes immediately caught our attention and we knew it then and there that he has chosen (adopted) us."
Location: BMC & Victoria Terminus
The Victoria terminus is Mumbai's most iconic local train station. It was designed by a British born architectural engineer in 1878 & took 9 years to build. The local train network is the beating heart of this stunning city. Hundreds & thousands of people depend on the intricate vein-like network of the local trains to get them to work every morning. The ticket price is so minimal that every person, regardless of their social status can afford to use this train & is openly welcomed. I wanted Mowgli to look like he was awaiting to board the train, just like the thousands of people do every day!
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3. Bobo
Adoption Story:
My husband & I took a decision to adopt a dog almost 15 yrs into our marriage & took the plunge when we saw Bobo’s adoption appeal on social media. He was abused and hit on the head as a puppy and still does not like anyone new touching him on his head. After he came into my life, I feel that a spark (that was missing) has been reignited.
Location: Elphinstone Building & Bombay Samachar
The Horniman Circle Gardens represent lush greenery surrounded by grand buildings. It took 12 years to complete. But then later it was being used as a dumping yard. Two Governors decided to make this a city attraction & soon made it the centre of a business hub which was surrounded by office buildings. The garden was named Elphinstone Circle as a tribute to Governor, John Elphinstone. This marked the first planned garden circle of the city.
I wanted to have Bobo placed infront of the main Elphinstone building, situated at Horniman Circle as it's one of the few flat-iron building's in South Bombay with & has significant importance to the city. Just opposite the building is a taxi stand, where every morning taxi drivers line up their cars to give them a good wash. At just the perfect moment, a kaali-peeli (black & yellow, govt taxi) happened to zoom passed us, adding the perfect zest to the image, depicting exactly what the city is about!
While shooting at Elphinstone Building, a Streetie (what we lovingly call our street dogs) came bouncing towards us & became best friends with Bobo! I thought "Why not have her in the photo as well?"
So we walked to the right side of the building where the iconic & age-old BOMBAY SAMACHAR printing press is located. The Bombay Samachar, Asia's oldest continuously published newspaper, was first published on the first of July 1822. The red painted brick was the perfect backdrop to these white-furred cuties that we had with us. They were really enjoying themselves while running after each other & play-fighting, so I just sat like a fly on the wall & captured the true essence of their friendship!
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4. Quincy
Adoption Story:
We found her via Anubis Tiger foundation. When we met her we thought she's smart because she jumped out of her box and ran into the grass. She was braver than her siblings and was too cute with her expressive eyes. I want the world to know how intelligent Indian pariah dogs can be. I want indies to be seen as indies who belong and finally acknowledged.
Location:
Asiatic Library
The Town Hall which houses the Asiatic Society of Mumbai is heritage building, located deep in the city’s historic Fort area, shaped by colonial geography, architecture and sculpture. The circular Elphinstone Garden (now Horniman Cirlce) in front, St. Thomas Cathedral and Flora Fountain (now Hutatma Chowk) beyond, Mumbai Samachar building, the area’s oldest Agiary and other beautiful residential and office buildings make a walk in the neighbourhood an experience full of interwoven textures of past and present.
The dramatic flight of 30 steps up the Town Hall is an iconic structure visited by flocks of cyclists, tourists & photographers every Sunday morning.
I chose to do Quincy's photographs there since the contrast of her black fur against the backdrop of the pure white structure seemed like the perfect way to make both her & the magnificent structure of the Asiatic Society pop!
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5. Stella Jethani
Adoption Story:
Stella was born on the streets of Mumbai city, her mother was abandoned by her owners because they got to know she was pregnant. They were a litter of 5 born. Stella’s mother was also hit by a car once as she was running helter-skelter to find food for herself so that she could feed her litter. They went from foster to foster when finally we adopted Stella from one of the foster homes.
Location:
Mukesh Mills
Mukesh Mills is one of the most haunted place in Mumbai. The mill was abruptly closed after a terrible fire. From demonic possessions to ghostly smoker, various unusual occurrences have made this abandoned place one of the most haunted locations in India.
Mukesh Textile Mills Pvt. Ltd. was established in the 1870s & was the only mill in South Bombay (Mumbai) at that time, and it was built on the Arabian Sea shore of Colaba region. Therefore, it had a large private dock where the boats used to come unloading the bales of cotton and loading yards of finished cloth. It was the year of 1982, when a disastrous fire forced to shut down these mills forever, but the exact cause of the fire remains unexplained.
I was very very excited to shoot at Mukesh Mills & was open to anyone of the signees to come along. I had never been there, neither had I seen many photos of the place, so we all went in blind. The security guards there warned us not to go into the building walkways or to cross over the barbed wires as Mukesh Mills is known to be haunted.
It was a Sunday morning & the only way we were allowed into the gates of Mukesh Mills was because a SOUNDRISE event was being hosted there. We arrived an hour before the event was to be hosted, told the security guards that we were of the Soundrise crew & made our way in.
We had only 10 minutes to shoot these images of Stella as we were told during the shoot that we had to pay money to use a camera. But after explaining why we were doing the shoot, the security guard graciously said he would cover for us for 10 min!
We wrapped up the shoot as fast as possible, tucked the camera away & walked through this spine chilling place to reach the event & enjoy some live music & food!
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6. Waffles
Adoption Story:
Ruchita & her husband Shravan were ready to bring home a dog & were sure they wanted to adopt an Indie. They started looking at appeals & spoke to some fosters but just a day before they could meet them they stumbled onto me on Yoda Mumbai's Instagram. They knew I was the tyrant they needed in their lives. A few conversations with Yoda later, I was taken from the street to the shelter to meet the hoomans. As soon as I was handed over to them at the shelter I slept in their arms & in under 5 mins, I knew I was home. - Waffle
Location:
Marine Drive
Marine Drive is a 3-kilometer-long Promenade in South Mumbai. It’s a C-shaped concrete footpath along the sea line.This Promenade is also known as the Queen’s necklace Road. This is due to the night street lights that exhibit necklace designs when seen from an elevated height.
Flocks of people are gathered at Marine Drive every evening to enjoy the cool breeze & waves crashing while watching the sun set on the horizon. The view from the Promenade of Marine drive is that of the Mumbai Skyline. Enjoying this moment of the day is one of the most iconic things to do when visiting or even living in Mumbai. Marine Drive is swarmed with people of all ages on the weekend as varieties of physical activity classes are held on Sunday mornings.
I really wanted to get this shot as I felt like there's not better way to show the "vibe" of Mumbai than a sunset on Marine Drive. Whenever someone visits or even moves to the city, there's always a friend who shows you how beautiful this view can be. With all the hustle-bustle of the face paced life that Mumbai has to offer, just looking out at this view brings you solace.
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7. Coco
Adoption story:
Kinjal used to own a salon at Marine Drive & one day 5 years ago had stepped out from work early and heard a low purring sound coming from under a car. She assumed it was a kitten since that was quite common but as she bent down to look her eyes met with a scared shivering handsome pup. As the day ended, he had not moved an inch from where she had left him and it was time to shut shop. She decided that she would keep him for the night. On her drive back home he had instantly fallen asleep & it was the most beautiful thing she had witnessed. Over the next few days while she battled with the idea of putting him up for adoption, he ate and slept like he was finally home and they fell in love. There was no way she was sending him anywhere.
Location:
The Bombay Reclamation Gardens is a beautiful promenade along rocky stoned coastal of Mumbai has a beautiful view of Bandra Worli Sea Link, Sunset and the Mumbai skyline.
We wanted to shoot Coco against the backdrop of the South Bombay skyline & tried to do something new! The lights of all the buildings in the back look stunning with their reflection on the waters of the Arabian Sea adding a touch of magic to the images.
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8. Ichigo
Adoption story:
We found him one diwali hiding from the noise of crackers.
Location:
St. Stephen’s Steps in Bandra, Mumbai is an urban transformation project by Abraham John Architects (AJA). A historic landmark, St. Stephen’s Steps are directly aligned with the gate of St. Stephen’s Church.
Walking along the road that leads to the Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount Mary in Mumbai’s Bandra, one passes through the artistic St Stephen’s Steps. What makes the zig-zagged climb up and down the serpentine stairs scenic are the paintings that flank both sides, most of them made by artists paying tributes to various art forms across the country.
I personally love these photos. I love how Ichigo is so close to the sun, somehow just shows me how much light these Indies bring into our lives. Each one of us has changed because of them. We are more aware of the wrong doings of the breeding system in India, we are more aware that there are other living beings on the road that need help & shelter in the extreme heat or rains. We are aware that we need to think about more than just ourselves.
As for the next photo, "FIND YOUR TRIBE" perfectly encapsulates what Mumbai is about. There is not one person that is left out in this city. No matter who you are, where you've some from or where you live in this vast expanse of a concrete jungle, there is always someone who is of your tribe, waiting to be found. Mumbai can be a lonely place, but finding your tribe is what keeps you going.
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9. Brie
The Gateway of India is an arch monument built during the 20th century in Bombay, India. The monument was erected to commemorate the landing of King George V and Queen Mary at Apollo Bunder on their visit to India in 1911.
Built of honey-colored basalt, the Gateway of India resembles a conventional triumphal arch in concept, but architecturally it is Indo-Saracenic in style, modeled on 16th-century Gujarati work. This absorption of Mughal influences was consciously done, with a view to suggesting the link with earlier rulers and thus arguing for the legitimacy of British colonial rule. Intricate latticework decorates the walls, and four turrets surround an imposing central dome that is 50 feet (15 m) in diameter and rises to 85 feet (26 m) high. Side chambers and halls were added to accommodate civic receptions.
Every year, we at Pawparazzi make a charity calendar & focus on featuring Indies to help spread awareness about the ADOPT DONT SHOP campaign. We want to highlight the wit, intelligence & beauty of these Indies!
This year's calendar features all of the photos that we've taken for the Tails Of The World project - and more! Our beautiful, iconic Indies against the stunning backdrops of Mumbai's' iconic landmarks!
All the proceeds from this calendar go to the lovely folks at PAW PEOPLE from Bhopal.
They are India's first rehabilitation centre for streeties.
Our Indie calendar is a passion project where we aim to give back to society & help those animals in need.
It's the least we all can do!
So join us in this mission & help us raise money for these lovely doggos & cattos!