'This is the photographer Martin Parr's dog, Ruby. She has a very serious demeanour, a certain stoicism I like'
It's impossible to choose a favourite shot. But this is one I like a great deal, and I chose it because, when I shot it at Martin Parr's house, we'd been travelling arond the UK for two weeks shooting the Guardian's cities supplement. So it has the right context.
Martin is an old friend of mine, and a few years back we had held an unofficial competition, photographing together in Memphis and the Mississippi delta ? a "shoot-out" as we called it. We published the result anonymously, under the title Obvious & Ordinary: America 2006.
Then Martin decided that because, as an American, I had had home advantage, I had to go to his house in Bristol for a similar arrangement. But then actual work came along ? the Guardian cities supplement ? and he had to opt out and become "professional". But I went along with him, and it was just the most interesting time. I even got a book out of it. Our competition is yet to be fully resolved.
This picture, though, I took before starting out. It is of Martin's dog, Ruby. This is the third-floor landing, where she sits and looks out the window. I stood a few steps below, so I could get the picture at her level. She has a very serious demeanour, a certain stoicism I like. I never normally take pictures of animals, so this one stands out.
There's no real mystery as to why this is in black and white. I always hated the colours when you shoot on film stock, as they are decided by the manu-facturers. When I shoot colour nowadays, I use digital equipment so I can adjust the colours to the way I see them.
But the older camera equipment suits me better. So I shoot in black and white, and I can make the result much closer to my own vision.
CV
Born: New York City, 1946.
Studied: Courses given by Lisette Model and Alexey Brodovitch.
Inspirations: "Eug�ne Atget and Chuck Berry ? the first artist I ever saw with my own eyes."
Dream subject: "None. I've got to do everything I wanted to do."
Top tip: "Believe your own voice. And get a day job."
? John Gossage's The Thirty Two Inch Ruler/Map of Babylon is shortlisted for the Kraszna-Krausz book awards and is part of the World Photography festival and exhibition at Somerset House, London WC2, from 26 April?22 May.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2011/apr/13/photography-john-gossage-best-shot
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