Barkelona Day 2, Photo Shoot with Sasha

If you've read my previous posts about my day 2 photo shoots at Barkelona, you've met Taila, Pepa, Teo, Forca and now let me introduce Sasha. Sasha is a 4 month old Samoyed. After this photo session with her, I knew one of my goals when I got home was to try and find a setting similar to this so I could recreate this first photo of her with my dogs and my client's dogs.  I love the dirt path that leads to her and the canopy of trees framing her, and the sun coming through the trees above her. I believe I have found a location in Charlotte to recreate something similar this photo. Unfortunately it isn't super close to where I live (so I am on the hunt for a similar location closer) but I hope to get my dog Moose up to this location soon and once I do, I will post the photos and we can compare them. Eeeeee :)

Back to Sasha.

She was such a great model and if my memory serves me correctly, I believe I told the others in the group at the time, I knew these would be photos I would love. I'm having a difficult time editing this first one.  The setting is beautiful but it is requiring some photoshop trickery and I've not quite mastered it yet.  I'm sure I'll continue to play with this photo... I'm curious to see what I might do to it next time.  Again, if you've read my previous posts you know I was searching to create my style. These are getting closer to it, particularly the 2nd photo.

We changed locations and the lighting was gorgeous. In the next set of photos, Sasha was backlit but the setting sun. The photos I took during this time are quite different from the earlier ones of Sasha because of the lighting.  Which do you prefer?

I hope you've enjoyed these photos of Sasha.  We had one more set of dogs we photographed on day 2.  You'll meet Pruna and Boira in my next Barkelona blog post and there were a couple of photos from that session that I stood out to me too. :) Be sure to check back!

Project 52 Week 19: Patterns

This week we are continuing our study of lines and specifically patterns this week. In our workbook, this phrase in particular stood out to me: "The stronger the pattern, the stronger the expectation that the pattern will continue to repeat, and when it doesn't, that contrast has great visual mass and will captivate our attention." When I was in Spain, one of the photographers took several amazing photos of a dog standing in between some stone columns. That visual is exactly what comes to mind when I read about this exercise. I am hoping she will participate this week and use that photo (I may have hinted to her that she needs too!)  It is one of my favorite photos that anyone of us took in Spain. In our workbook for this week, one of the photos used as an example was taken in Africa on a safari. It was a landscape image with antelope and a Land Rover creating a pattern with eye being drawn to the antelope. My take on this week's assignment is similar since I couldn't find any stone columns and a dog that would hold a sit/stay for me. :(

Let me set the stage.

I was pet sitting with this cutie Millie and her canine sister Sadie. Millie was rescued as a puppy from a bad breeding situation and now 5 years later to say her life is better is an understatement. Just look at this yard AND her frequent guests that keep her (and me!) entertained.

I'd grabbed my camera before heading over to her house knowing that I was loosing light quickly. I wish I would've had my long lens but I didn't so I made do with my 24-70. I cranked up my ISO and was at f/8 to try and capture the entire scene in focus. To say Millie is a ball of energy is an understatement. If you sit down or crouch down (to take a photo), you need to know where Millie is because she will be on you in a heartbeat and loves to smother you in as many kisses as she can. She may hold the record for most kisses given in under a minute! I am not kidding!!  In low light at f/8 and a high ISO, if Millie moved at all, she wasn't going to be sharp. In the first image she isn't but I've included it because this was my first indication that something was going on....

This was mine and Millie's view last night. And yes, my view of Millie was pretty much of her hind end the entire time!

This is a blog circle so next up is Northeast PA Pet Photographer, Elaine Tweedy.  Be sure to click the link at the bottom of each post to see each photographer's interpretation on this week's assignment.

Project 52 - week 16: Try it in Black & White

For week 16 of Project 52, Try it in Black & White, I am in Spain!!!  I found out last year about a dog photography workshop called 'Barkelona' to be held just outside of Barcelona and I am here.  It is amazing - truly a pinch myself moment.   I don't have the words to describe how beautiful it is and literally as I'm typing this the church bells in the village of Olivella which is just below our villa have started to ring.  Today, it is my heaven. I am here with 14 other ladies from all over the world (America, England, Ireland and Australia) and the 3 instructors for the event:  Kaylee Greer of Dog Breath Photography,  (the color inspiration is for Kaylee and if this doesn't make sense, go to her page and read her bio), Charlotte of Charlotte Reeves Photography  and Nicole of Nicole Begley Photography.   A Barcelona based trainer Ingrid Ramon is staying here with us too AND she brought her dogs, Edna a rottie and Blat a yellow lab.  (Blat means wheat in Spanish.)   Ingrid has lined up all of the dogs that we'll be photographing over the next several days.  It's going to be a jammed packed, exciting, memorable time!

The village in Olivella is gorgeous.  The stone work, the old buildings, the wildflowers and the surrounding hills are a perfect setting for photographing.  We photographed 3 different sets of dogs last night.  One of the dogs we photographed was a puppy named Luc.  Since the theme for this week is try it in black & white, I thought Luc and his story would be appropriate for black & white photos.

Luc is a Galgo or Spanish Greyhound.  I learned about these dogs and the breed's history during my stay in Spain.  My heart broke when I learned more about these dogs' plight. For reasons I cannot understand, this breed originally brought to Spain by noblemen and held in high esteem, is now deemed worthless.  They are used for hunting hare each season and then as part of the tradition, they are killed after the hunt.  I couldn't bear to hear about their history and the torture they endure.

There are rescue groups across the world involved in improving the outlook for these dogs. We were fortunate and thrilled to meet Luc and his brother Ovi who were recently adopted. Yay for them!!

I didn't really get to know Luc but I believe this last photo probably sums him up.  Just look at those bright eyes, nun ears and silly grin!  Good for you Luc.  Enjoy your life sweet pup!

Next up in the blog circle is Little White Dog Pet Photography - Sioux Falls, SD   Be sure to click the link at the bottom of each post and you'll end up here when you are done.

PS  If you'd like to see these two images in color, look at my blog post dated 4/21/16!

Spanish Galgo

My next several blog posts will be from my time in Spain.  For those of you who might not know, I found out about a dog photography workshop last year that was going to be held just outside of Barcelona.  It was appropriately named 'Barkelona!' I have a lot of photos to share including (believe it or not) some that don't include dogs!  ha!  However, I feel like I need to start by sharing a story about two dogs Luc and Ovi that we met during our first photo shoot.

I'd not heard of this breed prior to this trip.  They are Galgos or Spanish Greyhounds.  Here is some information I found on them on vetstreet.com for anyone looking to learn more about the breed or considering adoption.  They have a serious, reserved temperament and can be shy in the presence of people they doesn’t know. They are  affectionate toward his family and gentle with young children.  In the home, they are quiet, but when they are hunting they turn into a lively, energetic dog.

A height of 24 to 27.5 inches gives him easy access to kitchen counters, so don’t leave food out where he can get to it. He will have no qualms about stealing it.  Give a Spanish Greyhound regular exercise to keep him conditioned. He’s an ace competitor in lure coursing, a sport that involves chasing a mechanically operated artificial lure.

Galgo Espanols respond well to positive reinforcement techniques, especially food rewards. If you are firm, fair, and provide the right motivation, they learn quickly and easily. If you don’t, well, this is a big dog that can do a lot of damage untrained and left to his own devices.  Looking for a dog with an easy-care coat? The Spanish Greyhound has you covered. Weekly brushing of his smooth, shorthaired coat (the majority of Galgos have a smooth coat) and regular nail trimming and ear cleaning are all he needs to stay clean and in good condition.  The Galgo Español loves his family and should live indoors with them, preferably with access to furniture or soft bedding.  I love this last part:  gotta love someone who recommends letting the dog on the furniture. :)

Unfortunately, most of these dogs in Spain are considered worthless and are treated horribly and tortured to death.  If you want to google them and read more about them, please proceed with caution. Their story is unfathomable.  Rescue groups from across the world have stepped in and are trying to change the plight of these dogs.

During our first photo session, we photographed Luc and Ovi, two puppies that were rescued when their pregnant mother was taken to a shelter.  They were all puppy and they will live out their lives knowing what human love and affection is.  Yay for Luc and Ovi!!  Did I mention that they were puppies??  That has something to do with the fact that I'm only posting photos of Luc! :) :)

#barkelona

Project 52: Week 15: Exploring Color Contrast

This week for our Project 52 challenge, we are exploring color contrast. Just as last week, I like this challenge. I like exploring colors and thinking about colors as I am photographing my subjects and as I'm editing my photos. In doing some additional research on color contrast, I ran across this statement from the about.com site: "Colors don't have to be direct opposites or have a set amount of separation to be considered contrasting or complementary." It also goes on to say, "The more transitional colors separating two colors, the greater the contrast. For example, magenta and orange is not as high contrast a pair as magenta and yellow or magenta and green. Colors that are directly opposite from one another are said to clash — although this clashing or high contrast is not necessarily a bad thing. Some of these high contrast, complementary, clashing colors are quite pleasing." When I initially looked at the challenge, I assumed each color would only have one contrasting color because I thought that contrasting colors had to be exact opposites such as green/magenta or purple/yellow. However I learned that a single color can have several contrasting colors. This is yet another reason why I love doing these weekly challenges. I learn new stuff all the time and it isn't just about my camera and composition.  AND all of this learning once again makes me wish I would've taken up photography earlier in life! :)

The images that I chose don't have the greatest amount of contrast but given the green backgrounds, there is definitely some contrast with the first image having the most since it is a green background and as close as I could get to a magenta dog!

Next up in the blog circle is Pet Love Photography, serving Greater Cincinnati and the San Francisco Bay Area. Click the link at the bottom of each post and you'll end up right back here.  Be sure to check back next week too as I hope to have some really exciting, out of this world photos to post!!! :) :) :)

Project 52 - week 14 - Consider your Color Palette

This week's assignment, consider your color palette is one that I love because it is completely about developing your style as a photographer.  This is something I think about but I haven't quite figured out how to capture what I would consider to be my color palette when I am shooting.  When I look at other photographer's photos, I am drawn to images that are monochromatic.  I like images that are calming and soothing but I struggle with creating those types of images depending upon where I am shooting and the subject. The first photo posted below nails this for me and I want to continue to strive to create images like this.

On Saturday 4/2, I attended an event called Paws in the Park in Pineville NC.  It is a fundraiser to bring awareness to Black Dog Syndrome which is centered around black dogs being the last to get adopted from shelters and the first to be euthanized.  There were tons of people and their dogs at the event.  I had a booth, my camera and 3 friends to help.  I took photos and I posted them on an online gallery for people to view and purchase if they were interested. If you'd like to look at the photos, here is a link to the gallery.  I know I won't do this type of event many more times.  It was a lot of work but at this point in time of my photography career, the experience for me was invaluable AND I had a blast!!

In thinking about the 'Consider your Color Palette' challenge for this week, it's easy for me to choose the photos because I was in the same location for 4 hours on Saturday snapping photos of dogs. The colors are similar although it is interesting to me because the weather changed so much during the day, the tone of the colors in the photos did too.  Below are several that I took on Saturday.

What I can't figure out and I would love anyone's input on this, how do you create a style or a color palette in your gallery of photos when you are photographing different dogs in different locations when the colors aren't the same?  I know a lot of the work can be done in post processing but how do you try and take photos that have the same color palette?  That is another composition challenge I've yet to figure out but I'm having a lot of fun experimenting.

Click here to go to I Got the Shot Photography, Northeastern PA Pet Photographer's page and see her take on the Project 52 - week 14 - Consider your Color Palette challenge.  Be sure to click the link at the end of each post and you'll end up right back here!