Dog Photo Competition 2012 : Results

Competition Winner : First Prize
$1,711.50

Judges Comment
what an incredible capture. love the tail wrapping around the leg, and the framing of the dog by the trees. i keep coming back to this image, for its sense of gaiety and freedom, great tonal management, and sheer joy. it is such a memorable image, and for those reasons i simply have to choose this image as this competition's winner. ~ illona
Photographers Comment
My name is Elke Vogelsang. I called this picture "Yikes...a mouse!" and it shows my lovely Noodles jumping in our garden. She is such an energetic and funny character. I love her to bits. The picture was shot with a Canon EOS 7D and a 24-70mm/2.8 lens. Thank you very much for choosing my photos among all those wonderful pictures. It's a great honor.

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
wow, i love this SO many ways. beautiful tones and light, and great use of vignetting. the angled lines of the walkway along with the dog's prints lead us into and through the image. well done. definitely a memorable image. it was a very very tough call for first place. ~illona
Photographers Comment
My name is Luigi Cattozzo and I' m from Italy ( www.luigicattozzo.it ) The model is my dog Goldy, a rescue from a schelter golden/setter mix . It was a usually day, not a pre-built scene.

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
absolutely stunning. i love the fading hills/mountains and their intersecting lines. the silhouette of tree works wonderfully with the sitting dog, and the almost monochromatic feel of this image makes it even that much more powerful. well done. a most memorable image for sure. ~illona
Photographers Comment
Thank you, Illona! My dog and I were enjoying the view when I realized how glorious the light was and took this photo. Tracy Sutherland, Squamish, BC, Canada.

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
very very super cool! we've all seen shadow photos, but this one stands out ... that trees shadow is amazing, everything so well spaced and so balanced. and if you did any post work to help the shadows pop a bit, it's done very well, very naturally. the only thing i might do with this is bump up the contrast a wee bit, at least on the dog ... the shadows are perfect. wonderful image and sentiment ... and definitely a memorable photo. thank you for sharing! ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Bit late with my comment! but thanks for my mark of excellence. Heather Buckley http://www.heatherbuckley.co.uk
www.heatherbuckley.co.uk

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
instant fave! wonderful light and exposure, great framing ...there's nothing not to love about this image. extremely memorable and a definite fave. ~ illona

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
i'm not sure what it is about this image that reminds me of an old b&w film image. beautiful composition and contrast, and a darn cute dog, of course. well done. ~ illona
Photographers Comment
My name is Karin Newstrom (www.karinnewstrom.com) and this is my Scottie puppy, Henry. I took this image shortly after adopting him from a local rescue in Minneapolis, MN. On the way back to the car, we made a quick stop on this bench and he gazed perfectly into the last light of the day. The image was taken with a Nikon D700 and 24-70 2.8 lens. Thank you for the contest and taking time to write such wonderful comments!

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
a very interesting and evocative image ... love the cool tones and use of dof to help paint the story. definitely an image that is remembered. well done. ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Hi. My name is Maureen Jordan from adifferentbreedstudio.com. I am just starting my pet photography business. It is my Gertie's paws and Greta on the dock. Taken at Indian Lake in the Adirondacks. We have a cottage there where I happily spend days hiking and taking pictures. It was taken with a Nikon D90. Minimal post processing, I believe I used Lightroom's auto correct for exposure and cropped in a little on the left, but I really don't do much post processing work.

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
beautiful light and depth of field, as well as a great angle. well done! ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Oh my goodness, thank you for such a great honor! This photo was taken in my local park near the end of autumn (as sense by the bare branches). I gave the photo a bluish and rather yellowish tone so that it could display the colors of both my dog and the coldness of autumn. This was taken with my new Canon 7D :) Thank you again for this wonderful honor!!

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
love this image for its tones and light, as well as the artful use of dof. a real sense of anticipation for the imminent action about to take place. well done. ~ illona
Photographers Comment
I am so honored to be in this gallery! Such amazing talent in all these photos~ i am in awe and inspired. My name is Kelly Beal, kellybealphotography.com, and this photo was shot with a Canon 5D MKII with minimal post processing in Photoshop. I work at an amazing dog rescue, Luv-A-Bull Pitbull Rescue, in Eugene,Oregon. These little guys are just two of the many wonderful dogs we have at the sanctuary. I love dogs so much it hurts. Thank you Illona and I SHOT IT !!!

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
beautiful image ... perfect done was a silhouette, highlighting the bond between dog and man, and at the same time capturing an inviting landscape. well done. ~ illona
Photographers Comment
This is such an honor, as this was my first photo entered into I Shot It. This photo was taken seven years ago with my very first digital camera, a non-SLR Olympus with manual settings that perished years ago. The brilliant sky was flawlessly mirrored in Utah's Great Salt Lake while my friend Neill and his dog Jack played on the beach. My name is Chris Holcomb. I have no home, I travel a lot for work, and I live out of my truck in the American West in between.

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
beautiful. i love the energy in this image, with all lines leading to the westie with his tail and head raised, one with his environment. nicely done. ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Hi, my name is Brittani Bowling (www.brittcroft.com) & I took this photograph of Bella the Westie in the fall of 2010. I was using a Nikon D80 & a 50mm f/1.8 at f/2. Bella was so naturally interested in her environment and was such a fun subject. This location was a beautiful community beach on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, and to this day this image remains one of my all-time favorites. Thank you for such an honor, it is truly exciting to be among so many fabulous photographers and images!

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
perfect shot. i always say that a really good shot works well large or small, and this one certainly answers that. great control of color and WB, light and shadow, lovely framing, and an absolutely wonderful momet captured. well done! ~illona

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
this is a very strong, evocative image, with simple lines and a wonderful embracing of shadows. well done. definitely a memorable image. ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Audrey Duann, used a Canon Powershot SD1000. The photo was taken in Orillia, Ontario about five years ago. Being part dachshund and quite small, Fritzel was thrilled that the cottage we rented had a long window that reached down to the floor. He spent the whole weekend perched on top of a foot stool contemplating the frozen lake.

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
beautiful setting and framing. well done. ~ illona
Photographers Comment
There’s nothing like a gorgeous winter day for exploring snowy trails on the Prairies; the misty fog & hoar frost that enveloped the landscape last month created a splendid backdrop for this shot of my chocolate girl, Zoey! Taken with my Nikon D700. Minimal processing done in LR3 & Photoshop. I am thankful for this blessing, & wish to thank Illona & the I Shot It judges for the recognition. Congrats to all! For God’s Glory ~ Lesley Bailey, Manitoba, Canada, www.happytailspetphotography.com

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
beautiful management of light and sun flare. well done! ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Thank you for choosing another one of my photos among so many great shots and the kind comment. My name is Candice Sedighan and the doggie model here is Champ, a 9 1/2 year old Golden Retriever. This was taken with my new Canon 5d classic, and I was very glad to capture this expression on Champ's face. Champ often loves to relax outside in the sun and sniff the fresh air and you can definitely see that in this shot.

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
love the low saturation and fog in this image, as well as the incredible framing and the feeling evoked by this image. masterfully done. ~ illona
Photographers Comment
My name is Holly Garner-Jackson and this was my dobie/shepherd mix Maggie Muggins. I shot this with a Sony Cybershot1 along the coast of Lubec, Maine. It was one of those surreal foggy days and I just glanced up to see Maggie cruising the ledge along the shore and took the shot. It is one of my all time favorite shots of Maggie. I call it "The Inner Wolf"

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
lovely tones and variety of textures ... and a great angle. well done. ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Hi. My name is Maureen Jordan from adifferentbreedstudio.com. I am just starting my pet photography business. This is my girl Gertie and was taken at Indian Lake in the Adirondacks. We have a little cottage there where I happily spend my days hiking and taking pictures. It was taken with a Nikon D90. Minimal post processing, I believe I used Lightroom's auto correct for exposure but I really do minimal post processing work.

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
absolutely stunning. i love how this image truly embraces the shadows. such an elegant neckline and pose, and just a subtle ray of light coming in. very well done. ~ illona
Photographers Comment
My name is Elke Vogelsang. The picture shows my dog Noodles sitting in front of a window to my backyard. I just love the light coming in from windows. This was shot with a Canon EOS 7D and one of my favourite lenses, a 50 mm/1.4. Thank you so much for choosing my picture.

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
this is one of those shots where you actually say "oh wow" out loud when it first comes across the screen. very dynamic capture, made even more powerful by the narrow dof and the sharp focus on the one eye. catchlights are perfect and the hint of the white of the eyes adds to the expression. overall tone of this image -- staying on the darker side -- leads to a very dramatic image. excellent job! ~ illona
Photographers Comment
KellyBealPhotography.com. Taken with the Canon 5D MKII and post processed in Photoshop. This sweet soul is just one of the many dogs at Luv-A-Bull Pit Bull Rescue in Eugene, Oregon. I am so honored to be in this gallery with 2 photos of shelter dogs! Sincerest congratulations to the winner and to the other photographers in this gallery~ your work is GORGEOUS!