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kimbalina โ Dock Patrol
Published: 2004-03-02 19:00:09 +0000 UTC; Views: 776; Favourites: 17; Downloads: 63
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Description
Still trying my hand at pet photography... this is still one of my best attempts at something pro looking, and I've been trying to figure what I did so I can repeat it. hahahahaAnyways, this is one of our dogs, Neko, on the dock at the cabin, with the ever-present tennis ball. Please give me your honest thoughts and comments on how to make it better!
Nikon FG
Velvia 50
tripod (in the water!)
f 5.6
1/30
50mm lens
CHEERS
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Comments: 26
Thanks so much! We think so too!
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It has been featured in my journal here ยป [link]
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WOW. I've been organizing my gallery and I found a comment you left on one of my photos a long, long time ago - it had basically no merit, so thank you for stopping by at the time and offering me some tips. What's obvious to me now, I completely missed then. XD
In any case, I found Neko here and I fell right in love with him because of this shot. The colors are so close to complementary - maybe repeat this idea on a similar day, so he looks just as orange, but against a bright blue background?
Love that dirty tennis ball. He itemizes the quintessential Golden here - which you can take any way you want. Maybe that's what you were looking for, or maybe you wanted more of his individuality in there. Either way, it's a technically sound photo.
As for improvements, perhaps next time you could lower the angle. That would make him look a bit more noble, and (I think) it would enlarge his paws so they don't look so small like they do here. Really, though, you could find people who'd pay for a shot like this. You're already "good enough"... the problem with art is we always know we could be better! Keep it up! I'll be checking out the rest of your gallery.
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Wow, great piece! The tennisball gives the photo so much feeling. 
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I love this photo! I tried taking pictures of my dog while he was playing with his toys. .. didn't come out too good
are you on your knees taking this shot while someone is calling his name (hence the reason why he's looking to the right?)
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I'm actually waist deep in water in this shot... I'm standing in the water, while Neko is laying on the dock with his ball. I think the camera was still on tripod (just most of it was underwater at the time!) and something interesting was happening off to the side. No one was calling him, but either a squirrel or bird was making interesting noises so he had to take a look.
This was one of the first times I was really truly estatic with a dog portrait shot of mine... I think it's the shallow DOF that I like so much... the blurred bg makes Neko stand out even more. (although people have told me that they would have liked to have the ball in focus as well... oh well, next time!)
Thanks for your comment!
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No problem
I think all photographs seem to have a nice story behind how it was photographed. . .did that make sense?
heheh you were in the water with the camera next to you? Were you a little 'prepared' for this shot?
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nice photo, it's definitely tricky to get pretty (or handsome) pet photos, I spent about 2 hours one night trying to get some nice shots of my cat (she doesn't live with us anymore) came out witha few. very tricky. as the first commentator noted, it's good that he's looking out of the frame. might look even more professional with more of the background stuff in the right of the frame, giving him something to look out into, it looks a bit tightly cropped like this, but nicely done nonetheless. also, if you get the chance to get a shot like this again (sounds like it was quite some work to get it though lol) you might try to get a deeper depth of field, if you can, having the dog about a third into the focussed area, and leaving more focussed area behind him to give the photo more depth. I dunno, just a thought.
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THanks so much for the detailed comment!! It's so nice to get feedback that I can use! Next time I can wrangle him into position I will give him more looking room so his nose isn't against the edge of frame.
Again, thanks so much!
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The only thing I could think of (and this is just my opinion) would be to have added a bit more of the pic to the right, so you get a sense of what the dog is looking at in the distance. Other than that, I think this is a beautiful shot. The colors and details are wonderful.
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Thanks! I really have to take more pics while I have him still like this, and try more framing options. Although for this particular shot I was up to my waist in water, with the tripod and so pulling back would have been a production to make sure I didn't fall over! ahahaha
I will try to remember more looking room next time I'm taking photos of him!
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You're welcome. It sounds like you went thru an ordeal to get this shot. I'd say it was worth the effort.
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The profile is fine, I just feel that by taking this shot vertically, it makes the scene feel a bit clausterphobic. I feel that taking this photo horizontally might have made it a bit more expressive as Neko would have had more space to look at/through and ponder. (If that makes any sense at all!)
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I just wonder with a horizontal shot that there would have been so much space around him, if I wanted to keep the paws in with the tennis ball. I'm finding it very challenging to get good hortizontal dog shots, and that is what most calendar companies want. *ggrrrrrr* But I guess when I'm out taking pictures I should really take one horizontal and one vert just because. Film's cheap, somwehat, and if I can get Neko to stay for a minute more, I might as well take the shot.
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Dogs are awesome. Haha, one of your best shots yet!
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I LOVE this shot! Partially because the dog looks a lot like my own, but it's a great photograph as well. The way the sharpness fades as the paws come towards the camera is great, the placement of the tennis ball and his legs is perfect (there's no way you can force a dog to do that, either, just lucky!) and I like the fact that he's looking away. I don't think the lack of the other eye is awkward at all. When I take pics of my own puppy, I prefer one side because both eyes are kinda crazy lookin'.
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I like how the contrasts shifts. And i dont mind he's looking off camera... there are other things in the world excepts cameras and tennis balls it seems
If i was to pic on something maybe it would be the colors of the wood and some of his fur. PS could bring them out more perhaps. Still very nice detail in his fur and the lightning on his head is spot on.
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This pic came out so well because of a few things: The dog isn't looking right at the camera. This pic woulda been spoilied if s/he were looking in the viewer's direction. For that type of pic, you woulda need to have a dog with a meaner temprament. This dog is a "all is right with the world" dog, happily guarding his dock with his trusted tennis ball. +fav!
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Thanks for the comment and the fave... I like the fact that he's looking off camera as well, but others have mentioned that it's awkward not seeing the other eye. To each their own! I'm off to check out your portfolio!
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Heh! Thanks 
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