Meet Bubbles. He was at the Bigwag party on Saturday. He might not be a dog, but that doesn’t stop him from walking on a leash like one!
I’ve gotten several emails lately asking how I process my photos. Sometimes I edit a photo a lot, and other times I only do a couple of things to it. I’m a big fan of sharpening certain parts of the photo, usually eyes. Here I tried to keep the emphasis on Bubble’s head, while keeping the background blurred using a layer mask with gaussian blur. I sometimes use actions or a combination of actions, but usually it’s my own editing.
(click to enlarge)
A crop up of the little guy’s head…
I think it’s all about experimenting to get the look you are going for!
Bigwag Dog Bakery had a fabulous birthday party last Saturday to celebrate 3 years in business. There were goody bags, games & prizes, vendor booths, and of course tons of dogs. The dogs enjoyed “pupcakes” while their humans lunched on burgers and hot dogs. The weather was nice and the turnout was great! I think everyone at the party had a good time. I was lucky enough to photograph the event. I met dogs in all shapes and sizes. Here are just a few of my favorites of my favorites! Click here to see the whole gallery.
If you were at the party and would like to order prints of your dog, enter the coupon code BIGWAG at checkout for 25% off your entire order. Also, I am offering Bigwag customers 25% off a photo session with me!
There was a turtle at the party named Bubbles!
This is Lucy, a rescued pug. She is a regular Bigwag customer. I got a few photos of her in an outfit her mom had made for her. I tried to process these with a vintage feel, just for fun. I’m not sure when the song was written…in the 60’s maybe?
the pupcakes” I mentioned
If you’ve never visited Bigwag, click the image below to see why you should. Not only do they bake their own dog treats, they also sell leashes, toys, beds, doggie clothing, and more!
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Thanks Cary and Erin for having me to your party!
I still have a lot to learn about studio work, but I’m getting there. I got a new white backdrop today. Oliver was more than willing to roll around on it!
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems concerning matters such as existence, knowledge, truth, beauty, law, justice, validity, mind, and language. The word is of Greek origin: philosophía, “love of wisdom.”
I wonder what Jonah could possibly be thinking so hard about. He looks very deep in thought. Could Jonah be pondering his own existence while gazing out the window?
Probably not.
I bet he saw a bird.
I love snail mail. I think it’s fun to check the mailbox and find something other than bills! Sometimes I sort through my mail at the mailbox and only take out the good stuff. Then Neill comes along and checks it only to find bills, credit card offers, and pizza coupons. Sorry Neill! 
I like getting birthday cards, holiday cards, and lately “congrats on your new marriage” cards. I LOVE email and facebook for instant gratification, but there is something really neat about getting a handwritten note in the mail. Both of my grandmothers send me notes in the mail, and every now and then I get something from my dad in CO. I like seeing my loved one’s handwriting on paper telling me they are proud of me and that they love me. I even have a special box where I save meaningful mail.
So what is my point? Snail mail is cool!!! We should all send more snail mail to the people we love. Emails can be deleted so easily, but handwritten notes can be kept forever! I was inspired to write about snail mail because of some notecards a client of mine recently ordered. Amy wanted all three of her pets and their names to be included on the front. I have the coolest clients. Her personalized cards make her snail mail even more special because the recipient gets to see her fur-babies along with reading her note. I made up a few designs for Amy and here is the one she chose.
My former office hired me to photograph a building they designed. It’s an indoor riding arena with a barn and stables. There is an apartment above the stables where the trainer/caretaker lives. I can’t tell you how bad I wanted to photograph the horses instead of the building!
Cool rain chains instead of traditional downspouts.
Indoor riding arena.
Stables. See the horse on the bottom left? I pet her. :)
I loved this detail on the metal railing that wrapped around the screened in porch.
I promised more of Maggie’s “urban” downtown photos and here they are! I had so much fun editing these. Most of the time I meet my clients at a park, which makes perfect sense. Dogs do hang out at parks, where they play in the grass under tall trees, so lot of pictures with grass and trees suits dogs pretty well. Photographing Maggie downtown was a nice change of scene. Her photos turned out a little more modern and edgy. There is such a variety of amazing backdrops downtown as opposed to the usual greenery at a park. I hope you enjoy these images as much as I enjoyed making them!
I love this next photo. Can you believe some people think dogs don’t smile?!!
I’m hoping a future client might want to take their dog downtown for some photos. In fact, I want to take a client there sooo bad that I’m offering 25% off the session fee for anyone who books a downtown shoot during July! I know it’s really hot outside, but 6:30 in the evening really isn’t that bad for a walk around the square. Email me to schedule your session!
Neill and I took our girl Maggie downtown this evening for some photos. We found all sorts of fun colors and textures. I’ll post more soon!
I’ve been playing around on The Pioneer Woman’s blog tonight. I like her because she writes in a way that is easy to understand, and she has a good sense of humor. I was inspired to try some new editing techniques after poking around on her blog, so I experimented on this photo of my dad’s dog Lily. I’m pretty pleased with the way it turned out. Sometimes I get lost in Photoshop, then realize an hour has gone by since I looked up from the computer or blinked. I guess it’s true what they say – Time flies when you’re having fun!
So you can see them larger…
Whatdya think? I’d love to know. :)
