Oh hello there. This is Violet, a cute older dog of a friend of mine. I wanted to test out my new camera, so I went to the dog park with them, and another pup, Parsley.
Dog Park
Tag Archives: Dogs
50@50 Day 41: Dog Sitting
This is Lily in her favorite spot when she comes over to visit. We are dog sitting for a few days. She sits up on top of the couch, where most objects or beings normally don’t go, but for Lily, … Continue reading
Stoic
1/30sec 50mm f/2.5 ISO 100
Here sits Toby, one of the two guard dogs of the local Boat House on Middle Street. I walk by here quite often in hopes that one or both of these pups are out and about. They are very well-behaved dogs and very sociable. As I made my way back to my car, I planned on passing by here just in case they were out. When I came up to the store, Toby was sitting there, looking out into the street, just watching. It was pretty cool to see. I stopped and aimed my camera. My settings were a little off so my shutter speed was lower and I lost some crispness in the photo. I went with that and just added some grain to the image to give it more of a film feel. Toby didn’t even bat an eye. He sat there, as if he knew what was going on and was completely fine with it.
One thing I like about this shot, other than there being a dog in it, is the background. This is a pretty cool store with a lot of knick knacks for nautical lovers and it has the ambiance of a lodge. The old wooden floors, and the glass case with model ships in it, and the two front doors wide open. It really has a cool feel. So I would like to thank Toby for his patience and his nonchalant charisma.
Until tomorrow.
Just Some Playful Banter
1/500 50mm f/1.8 3200 ISO
Today I was very close to using some ducks as my photo. Yeah, I know, it seems like a common theme every day. It is just so easy to pick them as a subject because they are always in the lake. I sat outside for a few minutes just snapping shot after shot to see if I could get an action shot in there. I managed to find one and I was going to go with it, until I was getting ready for work and something happened.
For some reason I find it fun to blow short bursts of air into my dog’s face. She flinches a little bit, freezes, and then gives me a glare from the same position. If I continue to pester her, she eventually brings up her paw to her snout and wipes away my annoyance. This incident happened this very morning when I was leaving the bathroom, and that was when the idea popped in my head. I need to capture this on camera. It would be a test of my patience, my ability to hold the camera steady, and to work with an annoyed, but loving subject.
I quickly took out my camera and switched out my telephoto lens for my 50mm. I like using this lens because it is supposed to be the “real eye” lens. In choosing this lens I gave myself a bigger headache than I thought. You never realize how far away you need to be from your target with this lens until you have an energetic dog in your sights. I started off with a few attacks to her snout. I made a couple of ‘pff’ sounds. She started to flinch and then gave me the death stare. Then she started her growl and followed it up with some loud barks. Oh yeah, she hates me right now. I snapped a few shots while this was going on, only to find out I missed most of her body. I either shot a small radius around her eye, or around her collar, or around her back. My aim was horrible. Along with that I needed to get back further. If you have ever done this with your dog you know that to make these little bursts of air work, you need to be pretty close.
I am glad no one else was watching me do this because I looked ridiculous. The camera was in my right hand behind me, trying to aim with some weird sense of vision, while I was closer to Rogue, trying to get a reaction. The one small action I was looking for just wasn’t happening. It was like she knew what was going on and was just so annoyed by my incessant nagging that she decided to not do anything. I needed a new plan.
Rogue likes to give you her paw. You say, “Paw,” and she lifts it up and puts it in your hand. Nothing special in the dog world, but still always fun to see. Rogue can also give high fives. It’s a much more complex action, where instead of putting her paw on your hand at a low angle, she stretches up and hits your hand above her head. Very technical stuff here. I had my new action, but again I had the problem of distance. She won’t give “five” on command if you are standing too far away; you need to have your hand close enough for her to hit. Yet again, I found myself in a weird position trying to hold the camera behind me, with my body stretched out with my hand close enough…all the while trying to stay out of the shot. Those of you reading this might be thinking, “Get a tripod and use a remote.” I have a tripod, but no such remote. I wasn’t doing too much planning with this, and my time was running out. After a few takes I finally managed to capture her action, mostly in frame.
I’m sticking with this photo today because Rogue is awesome, and this was more for practicing being an action photographer. Next thing you know I’m going to be pissing off some goose just to get a few shots of it chasing me. I think I’ll stick with house hold pets for now. Have fun with your pets today and use them as your subjects. Give them the recognition they deserve.
Until tomorrow.
Dog’s Best Friend
My dog, Rogue.
This is Rogue. Rogue is a female purebred black lab. She loves swimming, playing fetch, being full of energy the entire day, sleeping, eating and looking pretty damn cute. Rogue is pretty easy to get along with and if you ever need someone to take a nap with, she will be there for you. This 75 pound dog does not know the meaning of lap dog, as she has added that to her resume. Sporting a bright red color, you can see her trotting down the street or sprinting in the back yard chasing anything that moves. She is loveable, smart, goofy, and she is pretty damn cute.
I never know why people choose a cat over a dog. Yeah, some say they can take care of themselves, they are cleaner and they are smaller, but what is the point of getting a pet if you don’t want to interact with it on a daily basis? A dog might require a bit more maintenance, their dinner menu can put you out of home, and they make a clean home a mess, but a dog has one thing a cat will never have—Awesome eyebrows. A dog can make so many expressions with their face, from the confused cocked-head look, to the “I am so sorry, I really didn’t mean to spread out the garbage” look, to the “stop denying me my pleasure and throw the damn ball” look. A dog lets you know when you did something great, even if it’s something small like coming home and walking through the door. Their dependency and their loyalty make these animals man’s best friend.
The love showed by dogs towards their owners is infectious. A true bond between dog and man is something to envy. You can never enter a relationship with someone who will have your back 100% of the time and always come to you when you call, because these furry four-legged friends don’t suffer the human condition. You can act like a fool, do something completely wrong, but in the end your barking buddy will always be there to tell you, “It’s ok, I still think you’re the best.”
To all you dog owners out there reading, give your dog a big kiss on the lips. To all you dog enthusiasts out there, give somebody else’s dog a big kiss on the lips. And to all you dog haters, give your cat a kiss on the lips (and then spread some rubbing alcohol over them after you get finished being mauled). Show your pup how much you care about him/her because that is a connection people dream of finding.
Until tomorrow.
