Puppies, Puppies and More Puppies

Oh My Gosh!  I had the best day on Monday!  A wonderful couple came over with their 7 Rat Terrier puppies.  These puppies were the greatest.  They were super cute and incredibly well behaved for 8 weeks old.  I just love puppies!  Their look, smell, the cute little sounds they make, their curiosity, everything!  Here are a couple of images from their session!  How can you not just fall in love with these little faces?

WOOF • WOOF • WEDNESDAY

WOOF • WOOF • WEDNESDAY

It is the last day in August.  School has started for everyone here on the coast.  Traffic is horrible in the mornings but that will iron itself out within the next week or so.  We are entering our true sunny summer here.  September and October are usually the best time for sunshine, sunsets, beautiful walks on the beach, or in our case chases and runs.  It is time to start thinking about your holiday cards.  Do you want to do photos, do you want to be serious or funny.  Beachy or cheesy.  Start thinking about what you want to do.

Have a great Labor Day weekend!  Drive safe!

Don't forget...DO NOT leave your pets in the car in the baking sun!  Take them with you or leave them at home!

WOOF • WOOF • WEDNESDAY

Woof • Woof • Wednesday

It had been a fun and buys past couple of days.  This past Saturday we were at the Peninsula Humane Societies 17th Annual Mutt Strutt.  We met so many pups and their peeps.  Really, all Gromit wanted to do was chase the Geese.  Poor guy!  Anyway, there were all sorts of vendors and we were one of them.  I brought and shared a couple dozen photographs printed and on canvas, along with some story books and accordion "brag" books.  We had a fabulous time.  There was a Fly Ball demonstration which was very cool to watch!  The weather was nice, a little windy, but sunny.  We even had a drawing and Gromit picked the winner....

We spoke with the winner the day she was announced.  We can't wait to meet her and her pup!

Remember, socializing is not only great for your doggie, it is great for you too!  Go out meet some new puppy peeps and enjoy your day!

WOOF • WOOF • WEDNESDAY

This evening my blog post is going to be much more personal.  I am still not sure if I should cry or jump up and down for joy.  Let me back up to Monday.  Monday I had to go in for a Colonoscopy.  This evening, at 6:30pm my Dr.  called...with both good news and, well, some not so great but really great news....I know - right, that makes no sense at all.  What he told me is that one of the polyps that had been removed during the procedure came back with pre-cancerous cells.  He told me that I was very lucky and that if I had waited even 6 more months that this could have easily turned into full blown invasive colon cancer.  Am I jumping up and down - yes....am I still shaking from the information - yes!  I do believe that things happen for a reason.  Don't put off those tests that you should have done, or in a lot of cases should have had done!!!  6 months is a long time and yet it is just a blink of an eye in the grand scheme of things.  I have to go back in December for a complete follow-up.  Am I still scared - YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT!  Am I relieved - YOU BETTER BELIEVE THAT TOO!  

WOOF • WOOF • WEDNESDAY

WOOF • WOOF • WEDNESDAY

I'm gonna toot my little horn here for just a minute - because I am really excited and surprised!

I was just notified by email that on August 10, 2012 at the Professional Photographers of California Conference and Expo's Awards Ceremony, I will be receiving an award.  WOW!  An award!  I could not believe the email and had to read it a couple of times to make sure that I was reading it correctly.

I gave them a call real quick to find out what it was for, and to let them know that I would not be able to attend.  I did find out that I will be receiving an award for my photograph "Dinner Is Server" which received a Judge's Choice Award in the Western District Print Competition held earlier this year.

Now to see what happens in PPA's International Print Competition.  The judging takes place August 12 - 15.  I have four images entered.

Print Competition is a really big thing for me.  It is scary as can be to put your images out there, to be judged, not against other photographers, but against a specific set of criteria.  One of which is the title.  You cannot enter an image as "Untitled".  That title has to help tell the whole story and in some cases can be the deciding factor as to whether or not you merit on that print.

This is only my second year entering into print competitions.  I had put if off and put it off and put it off even more.  I never thought I was good enough.  Now, I wish I would have entered images earlier.  It really is a learning experience, and as far as I am concerned, you can never learn enough!

Trixie Found Her Inner Puppy

Last weekend I met this wonderful young lady and her forever mom.  Trixie has been in her forever home for just two months when we did her photo session.  She is a race track rescue and is learning little by little how to be a dog.  She is the sweetest thing, with the biggest personality.  Here is one of my favorite images from our session.  Her concentration is intense!

WOOF - WOOF - WEDNESDAY

It's Woof - Woof - Wednesday

Today we are going to talk a little about cropping and the difference it can make in your images.  As we go out with our cameras and photograph what ever it is that we love to photograph (in my case, DOGS) there are times when you just have to take that picture, you don't have time to move in closer or changes lenses.  Sometimes you visually love what you see, but when you take a look at the photo, there is something that just doesn't work.

Here are a couple of images from a recent session which demonstrate how much of a difference cropping a photo can make.

In the top photo, the trees and the white blob in the upper right hand corner (sky) take away from the focal point of the image, which is Colby. 

In this next image, just cropping out the the trees and the sky brings your focus back to Colby.  It is all about him now, not necessarily his surroundings and that is what I had intended.

 Experiment with cropping and see what you can do and don't forget to have fun!