This Country is Going to the Dogs, Every Saturday Night at Shawfield Stadium

I went to the dog track a few weeks ago, mainly for a night out with friends but also with the intention of practicing my sports photography on the track. By and large my pictures of the dogs were slightly out of focus (must do better) but the other patrons provided a wealth of material for any documentary photographer.

Apparently photography isn't allowed at Shawfield but no-one stopped me taking pictures. One 'helpful' guy ambled over to tell me that I shouldn't use flash when shooting the dogs 'cause they don't like it. What a useful piece of information, I thought. I had assumed that nothing could please a dumb animal more than firing an intense light into it's cornea as it runs past at speeds in excess of 40mph. So, crisis averted thanks to the obese man in the tracksuit.

Anyway, enough of that outburst. I found the punters to be a more interesting subject than the racing. The track itself could make a fortune if the management chose to promote it as a hen/stag night venue, or as a cheap night out for students. But it is one of the few business left in the world which doesn't have a website and clearly prefers to stay loyal to its regular customers. Dog racing is a marginal pursuit and as someone who had only been once before its like another world that I don't quite understand. I would like to continue to work on this project, perhaps taking behind-the-scenes photos or going back for another evening of covert photography. Either way, the results will be posted here.