Posted on May 14, 2011 in Animals, Pet Photography
GCH CH Casablanca’s Thrilling Seduction, “Beckham”, is currently the #1 AKC show dog in the country with 17 Best in Show wins this year! Yesterday Beckham won BIS at the Chester Valley Kennel Club show in Pennsylvania. Having had a black Cocker Spaniel when I was little, I’m very partial to this breed and Beckham is a gorgeous dog! Congratulations to Beckham and handler Mike Pitts.
Posted on May 13, 2011 in Animals, Black and White, Pet Photography
I’m not sure why, but often dog handlers will hold the dog as shown in this image – grasping the skin around the face/neck. I love to photograph Pointers with their unique muzzle that so defines the breed. This was a fun shot as the dog was underneath an outdoor tent and the sun was very bright in the background, creating a high key effect. Black and white seemed like the best processing choice.
Posted on May 12, 2011 in Animals, People, Pet Photography
It was a beautiful sunny day at the Bucks County Kennel Club Dog Show….until the Group judging began mid-afternoon. Then the sky filled with rain clouds….and rain! Steady rain that lasted for a couple hours. Instead of judging the dogs out in the grassy area of the ring, they held it underneath the tents so the dogs, handlers and judges could try to stay dry. Still, the dogs needed to be brought to the ring for judging and I thought this image of a girl carrying her Golden Retriever underneath the umbrella was just so cute. You can see the rain falling and the strain on her face as she tries to keep her dog dry and looking pretty for the judge!
Posted on May 11, 2011 in Animals, Pet Photography
The “pawparazzi” love Malachy (GCH CH PalaceGarden Malachy) who is currently the #2 dog in the country and the top toy dog! What a gorgeous Pekingese! You really do have to get low to the ground to photograph him straight on, like this man was doing. I couldn’t resist photographing the photographer in this instance! Interestingly, I spoke with this gentleman after he finished shooting and he had no idea that he had just photographed such a superstar! This image was taken on Saturday at the Bucks County Kennel Club Dog Show in Pennsylvania. Malachy won his breed as well as the Toy Group on Saturday. Congratulations little one (and also to owner David Fitzpatrick)!!
Posted on May 10, 2011 in Flowers, Lensbaby, Macro, Nature, Soft Focus, Spring
I don’t seem to have as many Bleeding Heart plants this year as I should. Maybe they were a casualty of the harsh winter…or the critters that frequently visit my yard munched on them to the point of no return. Regardless, I do have 3 or 4 Bleeding Hearts that are currently in bloom. Still one of my all-time favorites but their bloom time is just way too short. This image was taken with the Lensbaby Composer and Soft Focus Optic plus a little vignette in white along the edges to soften things even more.