High Contrast

Dog Blog Post #552: Is it really friday already???

Today's Daily Dog Challenge was

60. High Contrast - Take a high contrast photo of your dog today!

And wouldn't you know, the day dawned (and stayed) gray and gloomy, except for about 5 minutes in the late afternoon, when I was able to bang off a few shots of the sort-of sun coming through the blinds...

Preferred the shot of Zachary (above) but the sun was already going back into the gloom by then so I went the shot of Henry.

On a more... creative... side, we have

"Ghostly Bokeh"

The Christmas tree lights, in an unlit room, on a 1 second exposure, manual focus to create "pleasing" bokeh spots, twisting the zoom ring while trying to hold the camera steady during the exposure.

Best of about 20 tries.

Rather looks like a radiant bird to me. :)

-- Like the idea of a daily prompt? Click on Daily Dog Challenge and join us!

© 2011 BZ Training - All Rights Reserved

Old and New

Dog Blog Post #551: I think I somehow lost a day somewhere over the holidays, as my posting times crept later and later until I wrapped an entire day. Oh well. :)

Yesterday's Daily Dog Challenge is above...

Daily Dog Challenge "58. Memories - Take a photo that signifies a great memory you have with your dog this year."

... and the answer has to be "Hats". We worked sooooo hard on hats this year, and the moment when Henry finally decided that Hats weren't Evil was a sweet moment, indeed. :)

For comparison, see the shot below, under identical conditions, taken without my new Speedlight...

Henry's getting better about the flash bounced off the ceiling, but I don't like to use it more than once or twice per sitting. I have yet another lighting present to try, but the spot is filled with Christmas at the moment. :)

TODAY's Daily Dog Challenge was

59. Old or New - As we get ready to start a new year, show us what your dog prefers -- something old or something new.

... any guesses?

Yeah, no real surprises there, I know. :P

Extraneous shot of Henry, being happy...

And finally, we have "Freddie"...

... which pretty sums up the weather around here. Gray and gloomy.


-- Like the idea of a daily prompt? Click on Daily Dog Challenge and join us! © 2011 BZ Training - All Rights Reserved

Luscious Locks

Daily Dog Challenge "57. Selling It - Create a photo that could be used to advertise something. It can be real or silly!"

From the Canine Couture product line, we have…

Luscious Locks

For those Golden Moments.

BZ Dog Inc.

Dog Blog Post #550: -- Like the idea of a daily prompt? Click on Daily Dog Challenge and join us! © 2011 BZ Training - All Rights Reserved

Guarding Christmas Cookies

Dog Blog Post #549: Holidays really taking a bite out of time, but here is yesterday's Daily Dog Challenge

"56. Relaxation - Now that the hustle and bustle of the holidays are over, how are you and your dog relaxing?"

And the answer appears to be "Guarding the cookie jar filled with special Christmas cookies?"

This also works for:

Our Daily Challenge - Dec 20, 2011 - "Rope"
111 Pictures in 2011 - "#49. lock/key(s)"

Alas, it seems that Henry is "sensitive" to the chirps that the Speedlight makes when in remote mode. He nearly took out the (new) tripod with the camera trying to crawl into my lap.

Henry: "Ahhhhhh!!!! Save the Precious Puppy!!!"

(sigh)

I did finally figure out how to turn it off, but the "mood" was already broken for the shoot after exactly two pictures (see above)

(sigh)

Ah well, gives us something else to work on.

111 Pictures in 2011 - "#87. Square"

Ye Ol' Tradition of Bobbing for Cookies?
-or-
111 Pictures in 2011 - "#107.  In the Water"

That should complete 111 Pictures in 2011. In the end, I had to use a dozen or so shots from earlier in 2011, mostly take for The Daily Shoot, to complete the list. I had hoped to do the whole list with a dog, but ended up with 3 non-dog shots (Bicycle, Still Life, and Sunrise/Sunset.)

-- Like the idea of a daily prompt? Click on Daily Dog Challenge and join us!

© 2011 BZ Training - All Rights Reserved

Santa Cookies

Dog Blog Post #548: Uh oh - the boys snuck into the kitchen again, breaking out the sugar and spice to make Christmas Cookies for Santa.

The cookies must have been a hit, as Santa left them a cool new toy and me a snazzy Speedlight that enabled me to take the shots below by bouncing the light off the ceiling.

Cool!

Daily Dog Challenge #55. Enjoy the Day!

Share?

-- Like the idea of a daily prompt? Click on Daily Dog Challenge and join us!

© 2011 BZ Training - All Rights Reserved

Anticipation

Dog Blog Post #547:

Here's hoping all your boxes were filled with wonderful things! :)

Merry Christmas!

-- Like the idea of a daily prompt? Click on Daily Dog Challenge and join us!

© 2011 BZ Training - All Rights Reserved

Just Fur

Dog Blog Post #546: Daily Dog Challenge "53. Just Fur"

Any guesses which shots are Henry(s) and which are Zachary(s)? There is at least one of each dog. :)

And so sorry for not visiting, but we're having issues with the wi-fi, plus a sick kid, plus I don't want to be in the same room with sick kid (which is where the computer is since the wi-fi is acting up)... etc.

-- Like the idea of a daily prompt? Click on Daily Dog Challenge and join us!

© 2011 BZ Training - All Rights Reserved

The Plane!

Dog Blog Post #545: Too busy with Christmas to breathe, take pictures, post, comment, visit...

Daily Dog Challenge: 52. Bokeh
Scavenge Challenge December 2011 - 15. Airplanes, helicopters, hot-air balloons...aircraft is the subject!
Our Daily Challenge - Dec 21, 2011: Transportation

I think this is a case of, "Try to do too many things at once, and you end up doing none of them well."

Kinda bummed about the bokeh - it really did show better on the camera's LCD.

Ah well, tomorrow is another (hopefully less busy) day.

-- Like the idea of a daily prompt? Click on Daily Dog Challenge and join us!

© 2011 BZ Training - All Rights Reserved

Curves

Dog Blog Post #544: As I don't feel like catching the creeping crud that the poor family member who sat here before me has, I will be brief.

Today's Daily Dog Challenge was...

51. Curved - Get close and show us a part of your dog that's curved.

... and with Christmas parties and all, my time for getting a picture was limited. So, I went with the first thing I saw -

Henry's tail.

... and now I'm outta here!

-- Like the idea of a daily prompt? Click on Daily Dog Challenge and join us!

© 2011 BZ Training - All Rights Reserved

Playtime

Dog Blog Post #543:

Daily Dog Challenge #50. Play Time -What does your dog do to have fun?"

-- Like the idea of a daily prompt? Click on Daily Dog Challenge and join us!

© 2011 BZ Training - All Rights Reserved

Traditions

Dog Blog Post #542: Today's Daily Dog Challenge...

49. Traditions - This time of year, most of us are celebrating some kind of tradition. Show us one of yours with your dog today!

... was most fitting for this time year. Alas, I didn't get what I was after. It wasn't the boy's fault - they were more than happy to cooperate - it was the dratted lighting issues. The yellow floor lamps clashed horribly with the blue northern light backlighting the Christmas tree, creating a lighting nightmare.

Oh well... perhaps I'll try again tomorrow, just for kicks.

You will note I trotted out the Evil Jingle Collar -- and what to my wondering eyes did appear, but a sweet Precious Puppy without any fear. He stuck out his neck as I slipped collar on, then posed there quite proudly, as though nothing was wrong.

And here's a couple more shots from yesterday's set. You'll recall that the boys didn't want the shoot to end, so I looked over my dwindling options for 111 Pictures in 2011, and pulled out "#58. Metal", which also went with Our Daily Challenge "Silver and Gold" (assuming you consider the boys to fulfill the "gold" part!)

The belt dates back to my high school days (one of those "why do I still have this" things) but I thought it looked rather regal around Zachary's neck. Best of all, you could actually SEE it despite his ruff. I might have to give this some thought and see if I can expand upon the idea somehow.

-- Like the idea of a daily prompt? Click on Daily Dog Challenge and join us!

© 2011 BZ Training - All Rights Reserved

Dances with Wolves

Dog Blog Post #541: Today's Daily Dog Challenge...

48. Magic - Whatever comes to mind when you think of magic and your dog

... plus...

Our Daily Challenge - Dec 16, 2011 - "Mystical Figure"
Artistic Temperament Scavenger Hunt - "#41. Shaman"

... kept me busy for several hours. Finding an outline of a wolf that I could print and then trace was the easy part, as a google search turned up a nice picture by Kristie Zurio, which was conveniently free for such usage so long as the above link and attribution was included.

A few bits of feathers, some shell buttons, a handful of turquoise colored beads, all held together with bits of tape and some thread... ta da!

Keeping the boys from not eating my fragile creation? Well, that was a bit harder.

I like to think of it as the boys getting in touch with the ancestors. :)

I once again hauled the floor lamp from the study to the kitchen, and while the lighting isn't optimal, it does make things a bit more tolerable. In this case, the floor lamp is sitting to the left and slightly in front of the big puffy pillow.

They were having so much fun they didn't want to stop (as in, they refused to budge from the pillow, even I after I had left the room) and so I humored them by setting up two additional setups for two other items on the 111 Pictures in 2011 list (going to be touch-n-go as to whether I finish in time) but as I haven't had time to pick a favorite shot, you will have to wait to see them.

I will say that one set tickled me enough that it might make an appearance for Wordless Wednesday, if nothing better comes along. :)

-- Like the idea of a daily prompt? Click on Daily Dog Challenge and join us!

© 2011 BZ Training - All Rights Reserved

Candid Canine

Dog Blog Post #540: Today's Daily Dog Challenge...

"47 Candid Camera - Capture a candid picture of your dog today!"

... would have been easy, if the boys and I were in the same places at the same times today.

But we weren't.

Nope, they were off to the day spa, leaving me no choice but to shoot after they returned - meaning indoors and after the sun had gone down.

Which would have been fine, had they left me alone and gone about their business so I could catch them unawares.

But they didn't.

Nope, they followed me around like Little Bo Peep's found sheep - complete with the wagging tails.

So I finally just had to wait until they crashed, snuck up on them, popped up the flash, stuck the camera around the corner, and quick took a picture.

Hunting jungle cats is probably easier.

Now, I hate to use a flash, I don't like the way it makes things look (not to mention the little blue spots one sees afterwards) and so I ended up turning this B&W.

Shooting indoors wasn't a problem for my Scavenge Challenge shot:

4. Show us how you navigate with any map, compass, chart or GPS system

Except Henry complained, feeling much maligned (for appearing to be sleeping on the job) and insisted I upload a shot showing that he, too, studied the map.

He says it just didn't take him as long to figure the route out as it took Zachary.

Hmmm....

-- Like the idea of a daily prompt? Click on Daily Dog Challenge and join us! © 2011 BZ Training - All Rights Reserved