Posted on January 1, 2011 in Animals, Black and White, People, Pet Photography
As we begin a new year, we tend to look back, remembering the blessings and sorrows of the past 12 months. On this first day of January, let’s take a few moments to be thankful for all that we have been given and for all of those who have blessed our lives, including our beloved pets, especially those who we have had to say goodbye to this past year. Best wishes to each of you for a happy & healthy new year!
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 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 15, 2010 in Animals, Black and White, People, Pet Photography
…safe & secure in my master’s arms……so comfy and so happy!
Posted on December 1, 2010 in People, Topaz
“Cotton” and “Candy”….now there are 2 words that don’t go together! If something is cotton, should you really be thinking about eating it? And so it is for me and cotton candy….I’ve never really acquired a taste for it. I can see where the name came from as it does look like a giant cotton ball in a bag or on a stick. But the taste and texture just don’t appeal to me. Not so for this darling little girl that I photographed at the Valley Forge Kennel Club Dog Show. She was riding high on her dad’s shoulders and was munching away on a bag of pink cotton candy while she watched all of the adorable dogs. This image was processed using two Topaz Adjust presets – sketch color and simplify – plus various tweaks in between.