Deep Thoughts

Dog Blog Post #751

Photography Assignment

• Our Daily Challenge - July 16, 2012 - "Backlight"
• Daily Dog Challenge "259. Deep In Thought - Take a photo of your dog thinking about something - food bowl, belly button lint, mystery of the universe, or whatever else might come to mind!"

The Plan

First thing that popped to mind was a shot of somebody looking out the west facing window at the later part of the day. This usually wouldn't be possible this time of year, as the sun typically is a blast furnace, but we're having a cool wave.

Weeee!

The Problems

Ok... but how to get somebody to look OUT the window. I have the boys well-trained. They look at cookies, and they look at me. Getting them to look in some nebulous direction? Not so much.

I kinda hoped somebody would walk down the sidewalk, but alas, no such luck.

I tried putting cookies on the windowsill and got drops of drool for my efforts, but not much in the way of pictures.

I pointed, I francially waved, I wasn't above begging... but it really wasn't happening. Especially for Henry, who was starting to look concerned about me.

The Solution

I did sort of get my original idea, when luck had Zachary just happening to look out the window...

"I can't bear to look at mom when she acts this way."

... and when I later saw the image on the computer, I was rather pleased with how the window screen rendered the flowers outside as an Impressionist painting. But at the time, on the camera LCD, it didn't look like much.

So, I kept pointing and cookie dropping, trying to improve on the shot with Zachary.

Meanwhile Henry, having come to the conclusion I was totally nuts,  decided he was just going to sit the whole thing out.

On the sofa.

In front of the window.

With bright sun behind him and the dark (shaded wall) between him and the window.

D'oh!

Since the camera's meter was tricked by the really bright sunlight (helped along by my stopping down the aperture to darken things up) I got darkness everywhere except along the brightest highlights on Henry's head.

Zachary, showing his highlights and definitely NOT thinking about belly button lint.

Photography really is all about light.

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

© 2012 BZ Training - All Rights Reserved