Posted on December 21, 2010 in Animals, People, Pet Photography
Often your best photo is not necessarily your ‘best’ photo! Huh? Let me explain. I always try and create a pleasing composition, with good lighting, an interesting subject, etc., etc., etc. But, as will happen, I often miss “THE” shot that I was so hoping would be wonderful. That doesn’t mean, however, that the image I did come home with isn’t pleasing and meaningful to me. Take this blog image for example. I love it. It shows the relationship between dog and owner……my favorite type of image. Is it a good quality image? Not so much. The original shot out of the camera is below. It’s soft and has distracting elements in the foreground. The image was taken indoors, without a flash, at ISO 800, f/2.8. I decided to crop out the unwanted area and focus on what was important – the dog looking at the owner and the owner about to kiss the dog on the nose. I also applied a painting layer to further soften the look. There is nothing sharp about this image….either in photo quality or in feeling. It’s all about soft hugs and puppy love. Is this the ‘best’ image I’ve ever taken, no! Is it one of the best as far as generating a warm, fuzzy feeling? Yes!
Posted on December 20, 2010 in Animals, Pet Photography
This is Buster, a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, who won Best in Show at the Lehigh Valley Kennel Club Dog Show on Saturday in Allentown, Pa. Buster is now the #14 dog in the country with eleven Best in Show wins. It’s been so much fun this year going to shows and seeing all of the top dogs in competition. It’s amazing how much traveling these dogs, their owners and handlers do in the course of a year….even in the course of a weekend for that matter! On Saturday they can be in Texas and on Sunday in Pennsylvania! Think of the frequent flyer miles these dogs are racking up! 🙂 Congratulations Buster!
Posted on December 19, 2010 in Animals, Pet Photography
Well this is a rarity…a dog that actually LIKES to wear a Santa hat! Most pets freeze in place, won’t lift their heads, or shake until the darn old hat falls off! Then they give you that look that says, ‘What makes you think I should be wearing THAT???” Well, this guy was the exact opposite! He sported a warm green jacket and his festive hat for hours and looked so darn cute! Ya gotta love a dog that gets in the spirit of the season….happily!
Posted on December 17, 2010 in Animals, Black and White, People, Pet Photography
These two cutie-pies had a comfy lap to snuggle on while watching the Group and Best in Show judging at the Valley Forge Kennel Club Dog Show earlier this year. I am forever amazed at how well all of the dogs interact with one another at a dog show. There can be 2,000+ dogs in one location and I have rarely seen any ‘incidents’ … all seem to respect one another and enjoy each other’s company. There is lots of sniffing and curiosity for sure, but usually they are all having fun and saying ‘woof’ to their pals. After all, the dogs travel from show to show throughout the year and get to know many of the dogs they compete against. It’s like one big happy furry family!
Posted on December 16, 2010 in Animals, Pet Photography
When the litter of kittens was born, each was named after a character in a Harry Potter book. This beautiful cat was obviously the star of the litter as he was named after Harry himself. When he moved to his new home, his owner decided that “Hairy” Potter was a more appropriate name because … uh … well, just LOOK at him! He’s hairy for sure! I’m told he will sit and pose like this all day long…a pet photographer’s dream!