Mr. Zachary

Mr. Zachary

Dog Blog Post #2471

Zachary has never been a limber dog, so I fully intended for this to be a Henry Picture.

But we'd had the house open to enjoy the lovely spring day, and apparently the "Studio" had reached unacceptably high temperatures for the Precious Puppy and his Luscious Locks (75F?)

Hot Models are not Happy Models, and Henry was thus sent to go pant in the other room in front of his fan.

Thankfully, Zachary generously volunteered to take over, and lacking a Plan C (being a two-dog household) I took him up on it.

Here's Zachary, showing off his Contours, and doing a most admirable job of it, if I may say so.

Photography Assignment

Our Daily Challenge - March 30, 2018 - "Contours"

118 Pictures in 2018 - #55. Contours

The reflector has been turned around, black side out (anti-reflector!) to keep the flash (on the right) from bouncing off the fridge (on the left).

The flash has been dropped to half-height (20"?) to accentuate the shadows.

The backdrop is my trusty black stretch velvet fabric, doing what it does best.

I love pictures like this, and really wish I had more excuses to take them.

100x : 2018 - #30

Hot Henry

Zachary enjoying a pre-bedtime chew on his Lacrosse Ball

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© 2018 BZ Dogs - All Rights Reserved

Dinner Time

"Tick... tock... tick... tock..."

Dog Blog Post #2470

Guess what Time it is?

Photography Assignment

Daily Dog Challenge 2337. "Time"

Our Daily Challenge - March 27, 2018 - "Numbers"

118 Pictures in 2018 - #113. Geometric Shapes

Circles, Squares, and a green Triangle.

This is one of my many fabric backdrops, typically two yards cut from the bolt at the local fabric store. This one is quilting fabric: 100% cotton.

Alas, I rarely trot them out and I'm not exactly sure why, other than it's hard to get the lower-left corner lit correctly for the lighter-colored fabrics, like this one.

For this this shot, there is a speedlight sitting on the floor right behind Zachary's rump, at a 45 degree angle to the backdrop, pointing upward the same amount.

It came out a bit too bright there, and I'll try to remember to dial it back a bit the next time.

100x : 2018 - #29

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Rolling Henry's Way

Lucky Henry

Dog Blog Post #2469

Dog Cookies Outside Of... of the box and rolling Henry's way.

Yes, those really are Dog Cookies, which might be a bit Unexpected given their resemblance to a certain kid (and adult!) favorite.

These are "Classic Crèmes" by Three Dog Bakery (carob and peanut butter flavor) and were a huge hit with the boys.

(Usual disclaimer, just a happy customer, etc...)

Photography Assignment

Our Daily Challenge - March 25, 2018 - "Outside Of..."

Daily Dog Challenge 2335. "Unexpected"

Earlier This Week

Handsome Zachary

Love Zachary's soft look here. I see it often in Real Life, but he rarely shows it for the camera.

Dapper Zachary

Our Daily Challenge - March 21, 2018 - "All In The Mind"

Daily Dog Challenge 2331. "Like A Painting"

Goofy Goldens

That's my boys!

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Quality Control

Zachary: "Next"

Dog Blog Post #2468

I told the boys they could only have one Cookie each for dessert.

Leave it a Golden to pull out the scales and the large Cookies, and start weighing each one to find the biggest.

Photography Assignment

Our Daily Challenge - March 19, 2018 - "Measuring Tool(s)"

118 Pictures in 2018 - #45. Scale / Scales

Today

Henry: "Boo!"

Daily Dog Challenge 2328. "Get Around"

... in a circle, that is.

118 Pictures in 2018 - #54. "Experimental"

This is a 1 second exposure at f/7.1 ISO 100 with -3EV, with the flash at the end of the exposure time.

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© 2018 BZ Dogs - All Rights Reserved

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Irish Dogs?

Dog Blog Post #2467

When I read Rand's preamble to the topic, the boys immediately trotted off to the fridge to get some Guinness.

I'm not sure that's quite what he had in mind, but since there's a little bit of Irish Inside Of everyone - even a pair of Scottish Dogs - on St. Patrick's Day, I wasn't going to argue.

Yes, I know it's technically no longer St. Patrick's Day, but yesterday was Day Spa Day and their Modeling Contracts expressly forbid formal posing on Day Spa Day.

Note that is probably more for the Photographer's sanity (they come home exhausted AND wound up) than the boys' lack of desire to earn more treats.

Contrast this image with their Flower/Sunhat shot from a few days ago if you were confused by "Models vs. Dogs" comment then.

Clearly, they take their beer very seriously.

Even when it's in a can.

(Don't blame them, the store was completely out of bottles, and Guinness in a can is better than no Guinness at all - at least on St. Patrick's Day.)

Photography Assignment

Our Daily Challenge - March 17, 2018 - "Inside Of"

Daily Dog Challenge 2327. "Green"

118 Pictures in 2018 - #89, "Two of a Kind"

100x : 2018 - #25

Oh, Henry...

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© 2018 BZ Dogs - All Rights Reserved

TGIF

End of a long week

Wishful thinking, Henry. There's no Cookies in the coconut cups tonight.

End of a REALLY long week

I have NO idea what Zachary was thinking here. Probably hoping that darned hat didn't fall off. Again.

Dog Blog Post #2466

Some days you get models, some days you get dogs.

Today's shoot definitely went to the dogs.

What a pair of characters.

Photography Assignment

Daily Dog Challenge 2326. "Made It"

... to the end of the week (and the end of the shoot!)

118 Pictures in 2018 - #75. Sunhat

100x : 2018 - #24

Yesterday

"Roar!"

The boys playing their favorite game is a...

Daily Dog Challenge 2325. "Cheery"

... sight :)


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© 2018 BZ Dogs - All Rights Reserved

Looking Handsome

Handsome Henry

Henry with Hat

Henry without Hat

Handsome Zachary

Zachary with Hat

Zachary without Hat

Why a purple hat?

I have fedoras in red, blue, purple, and black (two!).

I like the way the boys look in the black fedora, but as the background is usually black I don't use it as often as I should.

The red is nice, but rather... loud... and needs the right kind of picture.

The blue is pretty hat, but for some reason either the hat or the boys look... off... in color when together.

Which leaves purple.

It shows up great (but not TOO great) against black and goes well with their coats.

Dog Blog Post #2465

Henry, looking Smart in his purple fedora, decked out in his winter coat, showing off an Abundance of fur on his legs, called feathers.

Golden Retrievers have feathers on the backs of their legs, on their belly, and creating that characteristic golden flag of a tail.

Despite my boys being closely related, their coats are surprisingly different.

Henry has the most luxurious fur. I don't call him Luscious Locks for nothing! His coat has some natural wave to it, giving him a bit of a rumpled or bed-head look.

Zachary's coat is almost completely straight, with a just few curls near the nape of his neck. His coat is thinner, his feathers generous but not luxurious, and he doesn't spawn dust bunnies in his wake like Henry does.

Our first golden, Beau, had a much deeper, richer color (see the small image near the top of the right column) which shone like true gold in the sunshine. He had the least amount of coat of the three, being very much wash and wear.

Photography Assignment

Daily Dog Challenge 2334. "Smart"

118 Pictures in 2018 - #48. "Abundance"

Our Daily Challenge - March 13, 2018 - "Birds of a Feather"

Bird Dog, that is.

With feathers. :)

100x : 2018 - #23

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© 2018 BZ Dogs - All Rights Reserved

Happy Birthday Zachary!

Henry: "Night Night Momma"

Dog Blog Post #2464

A Favorite Pastime: Sleeping. Definitely sleeping.

I tried my hand at quilting some years ago.

I found it quite relaxing - a pleasant way to spend an afternoon while watching football.

Well, many afternoons.

This isn't a hobby for the impatient, at least not at the pace I worked at.

Photography Assignment

Daily Dog Challenge 2332. "A Favorite Pastime"

Our Daily Challenge - March 12, 2018 - "Patch or Patched"


Photographer's Note: The boys posed themselves while I was setting up, and since the dog bed is a bit difficult to work with on hardwood floors with two very animated dogs on board (or they would have been had I tried to flip them around) I didn't argue the point.

I probably should have, as it put the quilt (the principle prop) on the far side of the flash.

I'd actually planned to shoot them individually, where I could have had them facing the camera with the quilt wrapping around them and spread out on either side.

Oh well, they prefer being together anyway.

And the Birthday Boy (on the left) is 10 years old today. He'd like you to think he's a Mature Dog, but he's still a puppy at heart.

100x : 2018 - #22

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In The Lead

Henry, leading the way!

... but Zachary has the ball.

The lead and the ball!

Dog Blog Post #2463

Photography Assignment

Our Daily Challenge - March 11, 2018 - "Along The Way"

The Boys

It's a terrible picture (lighting, focus, color...) but I like it anyway.

Yesterday

Henry with a purple hat

Henry in the dark

Friday

Sweet Zachary

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Daring Dog

Daring Dog Zachary

Dog Blog Post #2462

In The Center of the picture is Zachary, doing his best Indiana Jones.

Or is it Crocodile Dundee?

I'm drawing a blank for any other like-character minted in the past 10-20 years, which is sad. Both those series - one infinitely better than the other - were from the 80's.

Perhaps I just need to go to the movies more often.

Either that, or the boys are going to have to switch to tights and a cape.

Daring Dog Zachary: "I am NOT wearing tights!"

Photography Assignment

Daily Dog Challenge 2318. "In The Center"

100x : 2018 - #21

Homebody Henry

Henry really is a Homebody.

The sort of dog who is excited to go for a walk... for about a mile... and after that just wants to go home.

Family, food, fan... not necessarily in that order.

And naps.

Plenty of naps.


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© 2018 BZ Dogs - All Rights Reserved

Cookie Brigade

Cookies to the Rescue

Dog Blog Post #2461

Hurray! Cookie reinforcements have arrived!

Photography Assignment

Our Daily Challenge - March 7, 2018 - "Things are Looking Up"

Daily Dog Challenge 2317. "Watch Your Focus"

In many ways a reprisal of yesterday's shoot, taken with a single flash and only a couple inches separating Henry and his beloved Cookies.

2018 Weekly Alphabet Challenge - J is for Job

118 Pictures in 2018 - #39. "Strong Smelling"

The boys get lots of little Cookies during shoots; small, non-greasy, non-crumbly, low calorie, pleasant (to humans) smelling Cookies (my favorite is Pumpkin and Sweet Potatoes) which they happily work for and hoover up when the opportunity presents.

AFTER the shoot is over, and everything is put away, the boys each get two of the Cookies shown above.

They are greasy, crumbly, and much more... fragrant... especially the Salmon variety.

This is the boys favorite non-specialty Cookie, and a shoot isn't officially over until they have received them.

I was saddened to hear the company who makes them was recently bought up by one of the big names in the food industry. Fingers-crossed that they don't ruin them.

Plan B

Plan C

Henry must think I'm positively nuts.

Aside: Henry sure has big paws! I don't usually shoot from this angle. Now I know why.

I actually liked Plan B best of the trio, being less static and having more depth, but I just couldn't get past that huge paw to pick it as the shot-for-the-day.

Plan C had too much interference from his ear to paw, not to mention that rather uppity whisker.

Once again, Zachary got off easy - running through his tricks for exactly the same treats as Henry had to work for.

Why did Zachary get off so easy?

Because I was tired of kneeling on the hardwood floor! I usually use a remote and leave the camera on a short stack of books. Today required a much more personal touch.

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© 2018 BZ Dogs - All Rights Reserved

Special Delivery

Special Delivery

Dog Blog Post #2460

Photography Assignment

Daily Dog Challenge 2316. "Small"

Well, THAT didn't work - but I uploaded it anyway to show I at least tried. :)

In fact, I had so many problems with the flashes that I gave up before I even got to the part of making Henry and the figures on the same level.

Or playing with distances to try to get more even focus.

Once I put everything away, it occurred to me that I probably should have switched to controlling the flashes manually, instead of having the camera doing it.

I think the proximity of the LEGO figures was throwing the camera's control of the flashes off.

I've never tried using the flashes in manual - something new I'll have to try... someday.

FWIW: There's a flash 4-5' away diagonally behind and to the left, lighting the figures, and the second flash in its usual spot "lighting" (or not) Henry.

Alas, I couldn't get that flash to fire properly in this setup. Fresh batteries, and then swapping flashes, didn't help - which should have been a Big Red Flag.

Unfortunately, by then I could feel myself growing frustrated.

Since the boys modeling contracts clearly state they only pose for Happy Photographers, we called it a day.

Happy Photographers have Happy Models, and Happy Models make for good pictures.

Anything else is pointless.

Zachary was REALLY happy, since all he had to do was run through his favorite tricks.

Since he performs them with such enthusiasm, it was a great way to end things.

In the spotlight

See... the flash was working just fine.

Yesterday

Hello Down There

Henry...

Our Daily Challenge - March 5, 2018 - "On The Floor"

What else would you expect to find there?

No, I didn't set out to take a shadow puppets picture, but as I was moving around Henry, trying NOT to get the in shot, I thought... why not?

And then spent even longer trying to get a fun, but reasonable, shadow. :)

Daily Dog Challenge 2315. "From Above"


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© 2018 BZ Dogs - All Rights Reserved

Road Closed

Road Repair Crew

Dog Blog Post #2459

Uh oh... looks like my route is closed for repairs.

Good thing they've got a crew working on it.

Hmm...

Photography Assignment

Our Daily Challenge - March 4, 2018 - "Route 66"

Truth in Advertising: We had some trees removed this week, including a large Bradford Pear that was just right of the boys.

We pulled up the bricks so the tree service could use their stump grinder on a particularly prominent root, as well.

Daily Dog Challenge 2314. "Yellow"

Rats - on the little iPhone screen, under the glare of the great outdoors, I didn't realize their yellow hardhats had washed out.

(sigh)

Yesterday

New look for an old side yard

After an almost completely dry February (a few tenths of an inch of rain, at most) we've heartily welcomed March's early rains.

Alas, we'll need another seven storms like the one that just went through just to hit average, and odds aren't on our side at the moment.

Our Daily Challenge - March 3, 2018 - "In Like A Lion, Out Like A Lamb"

Daily Dog Challenge 2313. "Airy"

Earlier this week we had four roof-height fruit trees removed from the border next to the house here, a large Bradford Pear removed just right of where Zachary is standing (in back) and a smaller pear removed from the top of the hill just back of that - all planted by the previous owner.

All were either diseased or hopelessly shaded out.

Obviously, our side-yard is now MUCH more open and airy than it was before!

I'll miss the big Bradford Pear, as it was quite lovely in its prime, but the rest had long ago outgrown their welcome.

118 Pictures in 2018 - #14. Open and Airy

(Everything is relative, after all)

2018 Weekly Alphabet Challenge - I is for Isolated

Poor Zachary - he hates wet weather and is hanging back, alone, in hopes I'll quickly return to the backyard and then back into the house.

He didn't have to wait long.

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© 2018 BZ Dogs - All Rights Reserved

Mobile Weather Unit

Mobile Weather Unit #2

Dog Blog Post #2458

Mobile Weather Unit #2 (MWU-2, code named "Henry") reported that the rain had recently stopped and it was cool and windy.

(Raw data = dry, cool, rumpled fur with wet paws)

Mobile Weather Unit #1 (MWU-1, code named "Zachary") deployed successfully but returned to base before minimum data gathering period had elapsed.

MWU-1 is a bit temperamental, disliking inclement weather and tending to self-recall as soon as mandatory bio-maintenance procedures are completed.

Photography Assignment

Our Daily Challenge - March 1, 2018 - "Start of Spring or Autumn"

Daily Dog Challenge 2311. "Weather"

Why the funny face? Because I called his name while he was grazing on that clump of grass.

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© 2018 BZ Dogs - All Rights Reserved