Maddie On Things

Photo Resource: Maddie On Things

Recently, I came across an article about Maddie the dog. This English Coonhound is participating in a project by her owner where they photograph her every day in unique positions. It's part of the thiswildidea.com project where he meets one person a day for 365 days.

The idea of this is to connect dogs and physics. The pictures are very creative as you can see below. Maddie has a great deal of patience and really enjoys posing.

Here are some of my favorite pictures so far:

Photo: © Theron Humphrey

Maddie on A Mailtruck @copy; Theron Humphrey

Maddie In The Parking Garage

Maddie On The Hurdles © Theron Humphrey

Maddie At The Park, Cody WY

Maddie On Tires, Missoula Montana © Theron Humphrey

Maddie And John Deere, Tioga, ND © Theron Humphrey

Maddie At The Railroad Crossing © Theron Humphrey

Maddie On A Swing, Wauneta, NE © Theron Humphrey

Maddie In Scenic Austin © Theron Humphrey

Maddie Visits Apple © Theron Humphrey

Maddie At The Golden Bridge © Theron Humphrey

And the most ubiquitous...

...Maddie Visits The FlatIron © Theron Humphrey

Want more Maddie? Visit the Tumbler blog. I have to give a special thanks to Theron Humphrey for letting me use his pictures for this post.

Let's Discuss!

Have you seen Maddie on things?

It's All Related!

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Pet Photography

Tails Inc. Photo Contest

Tails Inc. is having a cool photo contest where you can enter you dog in the following categories:

• Most Photogenic
• Cutest Sleeping
• Caught In The Act
• Most Adorable Baby
• Unlikeliest Couple
• Goofiest
• Sweetest Senior

This goes for any pet. One of the winners may be chosen for the May cover of Tails. All entries must be submitted by March 15th. You also need to be registered as a member of the website in order to end.

Good luck to all who participate. Have a great weekend.

Black Dog Syndrome

We all have our taste when it comes to the kind of dog we have in our home. Some of us want big dogs, others would like little dogs. Some of us like dogs with sleek dogs, others want a fluff ball. It seems like black dogs more than others are not adopted as much as other dogs. In Los Angeles, their animal service department had 27% of their total dog population being black dogs. That's a considerable number.

Wondering Why This Syndrome Exists

While there is no concrete proof, it seems that the reactions of animal shelter employees speak volumes. One person was thanked for adopting a black labrador instead of a yellow lab. While it was no surprise that this dog was adopted, many black dogs are euthanized each year.

There is more than one explanation of why this is so. Some people believe black dogs are similar to black cats. Black cats are notorious for symbolizing bad luck and many put black dogs in this category.

Another reason that people are hesitant to adopt black dogs is the fact that they don't photograph well because of their black coat. This is in fact, a myth. With the right setup for a photo, black dogs will take great photographs. It's all about how they are lit and how the shot is taken. The picture of Gigi on the right was taken by a professional photographer using a high resolution camera. Gigi stands out and you can see every facial expression and nuance. Very few dogs are 100% black. Most will have other colors blended in with their fur.

A third reason that many people find these dogs threatening because of their look. I've had two black dogs in my lifetime. I had Blackie, a black lab mix while I was in high school and Gigi, my Lhasa Poo, now. Both dogs have been well-behaved and loving. I think many people have bought black dogs (along with pit bulls) for their intimidation factor.

Lastly, I think it depends on where you live. Some areas, you won't find a black dog anywhere and others have plenty of black dogs. Black dogs will absorb more heat in the summer because the color of their coats will draw in the sun's rays moreso than lighter colored dogs.

Overcoming The Myth

In general, it's not always about looks when you bring a new dog into your family. If a black dog has a great temperament and personality, it wind up being the best dog a person could also own.

To help fight this myth, there are organizations out there to help these great dogs find a forever home. Some good ones are:

Black Dog Rescue Project
Black Pearl Dogs

Considering a black dog is a smart way to find a wonderful dog that may have fallen under the radar.

Let's Discuss!

Does the shelter in your area have a larger percentage of black dogs compared to other dogs?

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Fun Friday Photos

Photo by Konstable

Sometimes all you want before the weekend is a good laugh. Therefore, today's column will be about dog photos that make us laugh. I hope you all have a great weekend. Enjoy!

Photo Courtesy of Ted Papastefan

Photo by JoelTelling

Photo by Faster Panda Kill Kill

Photo by Alice Jamieson

Photo by Jon Olav

Photo by Super_man6694

Photo by Snuzzy

Photo by Rennett Stowe

Photo by David M.

Photo by Jennifer Cisney

Photo by juplife

Photo by Photon on Flicker

Photo by Martina Rathgens

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Truly Cool Ad Photography

Hi All,

I'm posting a short but sweet ad from Pedigree Dog Food where they use 1000 FPS (Frames Per Second). I learned about this post from one of my twitter friends @maddisondesigns. Although I don't post videos much, I loved this one too much to pass up. Happy Hump Day!


I'd love to hear what you think. Thanks for stopping in.

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Pet Photography

Pet Photography

Pets are very similar to kids. They have lots of joy and emotion but can get distracted at a moment's notice. Snapping a great picture of your pet is no small feat.

After taking many pictures of my dogs, talking to my friend Boaz, who is a photographer and doing research, I came up with these pet photography tips.

1. Try to avoid using a flash. When I try to snap a picture of Cookie indoors, she'll look at me once, and then she knows I want to take pictures, but after the first I get the cold shoulder . Flash also gives your pet the "greeneye " effect. So what are other options you have?
2. Take pictures outdoors. You can get some really stunning pictures on a sunny day when your pet is tune with nature. They are in their element and are more relaxed. There's nothing like seeing a Golden Retriever laying on the grass, a Bichon Frise frolicking in the sand or a Siberian Husky playing in the snow.
   
3. Use indirect light. You'll need sufficient light in the background to light the photo. An example would be by a window or if you have a skylight in your house, that may be a good source too. Also, If you take the lampshade off of a lamp and find a way to flood the light into the background, that may be a good way too. If you're outdoors, make sure the animal isn't directly in the sunlight.
4. Keep the background simple. Put a white sheet against the wall with pushpins to keep the focus on your animal. If you're outside, take a picture where there aren't many objects to distract the focus from your photography subject.
5. Have a favorite toy or bone handy. This was a tip from Boaz. It's a great way to grab your pets attention and snap them quickly.
6. Have your camera set as fast as possible. Make sure your camera isn't left on the time delay mode. Animals move so fast that you have to keep snapping several shots to get that one ideal shot.
7. If you're one of the camera dinosaurs that use film, get a high speed film such as 400 ISO or 800 ISO. Those are good ranges to snap pictures for animals. I must confess that as much I enjoy using my camera, I haven't been able to part with my film cameras as well. They offer you that element of surprise and a savvy photographer will be able to tell when that memorable moment was taken. Nine out of ten times, it has worked for me in the past.
8. Take your dog for a walk before taking its picture. Animals have excess energy and they will be calmer after a walk. It will help them focus, especially the high energy ones.
   
9. Catch them sleeping on the job. Animals have a look of contentment when they are asleep. If they are sleeping well, they won't care what you're doing and you'll be able to get a few good pictures in.
10. Snap a picture at their level. If you take a picture at the level of the animal, it brings them to life. It tends to capture their true essence. Get a low angle shot if you want to give the photo a majestic air.
    
11. Get Close up! The closer you get with your lens, the more the animal will be the focal point of the photo. You don't want to get too close because there is a chance the photo will lose sharpness and/or part of the animal will be cut out of the picture. Many portraits are done with a great closeup. Some even just get a shot of the animal's face and neck.
    
12. Get an action shot. Nothing is cooler than snapping a picture of your dog playing fetch or even gnawing on his bone. If you have a dog that's not the type to sit around, this may be a better way to go.
    
13. Enter a pet photo contest. This may be something for those of you are more advanced. Why do I say this? Well, if you enter a contest, usually the ones online will have a comment section. If you have a picture you want to share, entering a contest is a good way to find out if your picture is run of the mill or something extraordinary.
    
14. Share your photo on social media sites. I love Twitpic for showing photos. It's a great application for sharing photos and getting feedback.
15. Get your friend to snap a picture of you and your pet. If you are interacting with your pet in a low-key way where it's as if the camera doesn't exist, sometimes those pictures look better for which the animal is posing. You'll also have a unique photo of you and your pet.
    
16. Have patience!!! This is one of the most important things you need to take a worthy picture. If you don't rush yourself and just enjoy the time, waiting it out may be the best thing if all else fails.

Here are some websites that may be a good source for additional information:

Digital Photography School
Dog Arteest
You may want to check out Boaz's site as well since he does lots of photography. His site is about music and photography called Cougar Microbes

I hope that you all will find these tips helpful. If any of you have some of your own, feel free to jump in below in the comments area. Hope you all have a great day and thanks for stopping in.