I made this photograph about a block away from the Leica Store in the Meatpacking District. It’s probably my favorite photograph from this New York City trip. I like it so much that I have a framed silver gelatin print of this on my wall.

Elliott Erwitt is a famous photographer, mostly using black and white film. Among his many accomplishments is a series of humorous dog pictures on the street. I don’t claim to be at his caliber, but this picture reminded me of his work.

I shot three versions of this picture, slightly shifting my position to fine-tune the composition. I wanted to include the fire hydrant completely in frame to reference the dog. Luckily, the dog has a great expression and was looking at me. I may have made a sound to get his attention. I’m still not confident in rangefinder focusing, and I was ecstatic when I nailed the focus. The Leica M 246 is harder to use than the current auto-everything cameras. However, when the picture works, it’s all the more rewarding.

Blog readers, you’ll love my free monthly photography magazine. Signup for the free magazine to get articles and topics not discussed on the blog.