Sean Geer, Mike and Milly
Sean Geer: "This is my dog Milly, a rescue dog from Romania. Like many rescue dogs, she arrived with a good variety of neuroses pre-installed, one of which is a general and almost total indifference towards people and other dogs. She makes some rare and apparently random exceptions, one of which is illustrated here. She absolutely loved my great friend Mike Hardaker, even though she saw him very infrequently on his visits from South Africa, and her adoration was joyous to observe.
"We lost Mike early in 2024, just shy of his 60th birthday, a tragic consequence of complications from treatment for long COVID. He was an accomplished photographer in his own right, and the creator of several very good and well-received iPhone photo apps—645 Pro and PureShot probably the best known examples. He was also a great dog lover, and I don’t think there was ever a time in the thirty-plus years that I knew him that he didn't own at least one. I took this picture the last time I saw him, on a cold day in London spent discussing favourite crop formats, among much else. His favourite was 6x7, and I present this photo in that format accordingly—a wonderful memory of two great friendships."
Sean Geer, London, UK
Mike adds: Since I published the "Love of Dogs" post I've been overwhelmed by many stories, some joyful, some very sad, and all of them much appreciated, about pet friends and pet owner friends. I thought I would break out this story-and-photo Baker's Dozen submission by Sean Geer, of London, UK, to stand as an emblem for all the rest. The words are very moving, and would stand alone; the picture's very special, and would stand alone. But the two obviously belong together. Many thanks to Sean, along with condolences for the loss of his friend.
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Featured Comments from:
James Meeks: "645 Pro was one of my favorite apps, and when I got a new phone I discovered it no longer worked and wasn’t being updated. Sorry to lose such a talented and dog-loved individual."
