Portal to the Unknown

Dog Blog Post #796

Photography Assignment

Daily Dog Challenge "305. Once In A Blue Moon"…

… I decide to try to get a shot of the boys catching cookies.

It never goes well, which is probably why I don't try very often.

Our Daily Challenge - Aug 31, 2012 - "Portal to the Unknown"

It won't be unknown for long for that cookie.

Before and After

Scavenge Challenge September 2012 - "25. Post-processing - a single photo represented in two ways ("before" and "after"). Paired images must be posted as a side-by-side diptych so that the comparison may be easily seen, using graphics tools only to improve an image (the operative word in that sentence is "improve," as opposed to "go to extremes"). Enriching color, increasing or decreasing contrast, pulling up heavy shadows or reducing overblown highlights..."

The top half of the diptych, above, is straight out of the camera, shot RAW. The bottom is the same as the picture at the top of this post.

The biggest issue I deal with on a daily basis is drool, and cloning it away takes more time than any other activity. There is definitely a knack to it, as you can't always find fur just the right color, length, and direction for a straight clone and have to know when to switch to a semi-transparent clone to try to blend in the slobbers.

In addition to that, this photo also been cropped, run through the auto Levels and Curves that Aperture provides, selectively highlighted on Henry's muzzle and chin, cloned out the white of the pillow by his ear (right) and lamp stand (above it), blended slightly in that area with the polarizer, draped in a heavy vignette to try to separate him from a background that is pretty much the same color as he is, and finally sharpened.

Whew!

And no, I don't normally do that much, but then I usually shoot against backdrops so I don't have to find the dog in the picture!

Also Rans

The Solution

Don't try this assignment again until the next blue moon?

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

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