Maggie and Other Worthy Dogs

I Hardly Knew You: Maggie, my favorite dog/subject, left her family and friends on December 24, 2013. Although I played a very tiny part in her life, she was delightfully quirky, the sort of spirit who could be be truly funny without even trying. I believe she was very much her own dog, self-confident, living life on her own terms. I wished I had known her longer, and that we had met when she was the witty, mischievous pup I knew she was. I likened her to a grand dame, a woman of years whose very presence would tell you that the world was not only her oyster, but her personal chew-toy, and she made absolutely sure you knew it.

I photograph dogs whenever I want to practice photographing sports. Their owners usually don't mind when you photograph them, since strangers who love dogs are not perceived as threats. And if you can find a beach where dogs can play off-leash, you'll have lots of opportunities to shoot some fast action.

Photo #1

Follow The Snout: As with people, try to photograph your subjects when they are facing into the light. In Photo #1, the dog is looking into the light. This Visla happens to be my favorite "dog in motion" photo for the simple reason that this pose could not possibly be duplicated in a static environment. Definitely, a dog in motion.

Photo #2

Color Contrast: I made this shot (Photo #2) because the red collar contrasted nicely against the blue water. The placement of the feet make this dog look almost dainty, even regal.

Photo #3

Two Eyes: In my opinion, this shot (Photo #3, and Photo #2) misses because the far eye is partially hidden from view. As with human subjects, avoid "cutting" into the eye.The dog's blue eyes add to the shot, but it's still a photo that only the dog's owner could really love.

Photo #4

Smile! I have to laugh when I see this image (Photo #4). Like my late boxer, this Bulldog shows off a jaw full of tiny teeth, and the tendency for the upper lip to get caught in canines. I don't like the missing catch light in the left eye. A low power, on-camera fill flash could have helped, had I carried one at the time.

I know that some day, another dog will come into my life, and fill the emptiness left by Jocko, the dog that would define my relationship with nearly every other animal that would cross my path. Until that time, I'll be content to enjoy other people's dogs as my parents loved their grandchildren: unconditional, unlimited, and eternal.

Bethlehem AD 2013 Part 2

My last post covered Bethlehem AD 2013, a living diorama of how life might have been in Bethlehem 2000 years ago. That assignment was something I had wanted to do, and as I mentioned, was shot entirely with a single Nikon D80 and a 20mm 2.8 prime lens. Working with a prime (fixed focal length, non-zoom) lens was something of a challenge, since I was constantly shuffling forward and backward to get the composition I wanted. I have concluded that 20mm (30mm equivalent in the APS-sized D80) wasn't wide enough for some of the close shots I tried to make. I probably would have complained if I had an 11mm 2.8 prime (something that doesn't actually exist), complaining that it wasn't long enough to minimize wide angle distortion. Gripe, gripe, gripe...

Name Chasing: Before submitting a community photo, I need to get the names of anybody who is easily recognized. Publishing the subject's name serves as "de facto" permission to use the photo. When an assignment is the result of a press release, there is usually somebody who can help you with the names, and in most cases, permission to publish can be assumed. There was no press release here, so I was on my own.

When I arrived, I found this family of "reenactors" getting to know the Camels. I knew that this would be a shot worth pursuing, as it would have smiling kids and unusual animals. I immediately started shooting, trying to get a shot I could submit. As soon as I noticed that Mom and Dad were around, I quickly introduced myself and promised to shoot a group shot of them immediately after I got my money shot, providing I could publish it. They were happy to corporate, so I continued to shoot, confident that I would get an image.

Just so that you know: Camels and children move quickly, so there are many "near misses" in this unedited sequence of shots, presented in the order they were taken. You could say that I selected the shot with the fewest flaws, rather than the one shot that would win me a Pulitzer.

The Money Shot: The submitted shot wasn't perfect by any means, but had some important visuals going for it. First, the camel's head was in profile and easily separated from the background. Second, there camel looks like he is smiling, even though I am sure he isn't. And thirdly, all three faces are easily recognized. Dad (on the left) was cut off a bit and the camel's position makes the image a little heavy on the left, the the detail in the son's smiles help to salvage an otherwise awful composition.

Time was running out, and the family had to take their places in the town. I quickly ushered them over to a bench where I had Mom and  Dad sit which the children gathered around them.

Once arranged, I made a single shot, adjusted my exposure, and made a second. Before I let them go, I got their names, from left to right, so any and all could be properly identified when the selection process was concluded. Because I had the time, I used the built-in in the Commander Mode, providing a weak fill light. The main light was a remote SB-800 initially set to +2/3 stops. The original was a little underexposed, but correctable in post production. ISO setting was 200, shutter at 1/125 second, aperture at 5.6.

Camels Are Funny: I have it on best authority that camels like baby carrots, and next year I'll surely have some in my camera bag. These animals were both curious and gentle, walking about on pillowed feet. Quick too. This one managed to pull my press pass right off its lanyard, and I'd have lost it if a handler hadn't come over to pull it from the camel's mouth. 

When I look back that the images and the whole experience, I concluded that mysterious smile was actually a warning of mischief yet to come.