Dog Photo Competition 4 2013 : Results

Judges Comment
as with most of the Dog Competitions, it's not easy to pick a favorite among so many wonderful and expert images, but this photo was an instant fave and among the top images from the beginning. the strong use of shadows and highlights make this a bold image ... the lines and framing are absolutely stellar, the intersection of the legs with the direction of the boards, all wonderful. superb job. congratulations! ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Thank you so much for this first place it means a lot to me. There were a lot of stunning photos in this competition. My name is Catherin Arsenault and I leave in Quebec city, Canada. This is Chivas the Greyhound of a friend of mine. He took this weird position and seemed to be comfortable on the couch. I was so lucky to have my camera with me. I took this picture with a Canon 40D and a 24-105 f/4L with natural light. Basic adjustments and B&W were made in Lightroom 5.
www.facebook.com/catherinarsenaultphotographe

Judges Comment
this is SO dog ... a good roll in the grass and what we have to assume is the golden light. although it works in black and white, i have to imagine that it would work quite successfully in color as well, in fact, maybe more so, since this this is no doubt some lovely soft light. great framing and post work. nicely done. ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Thank you for the Mark of Excellence pick! I am thrilled to have a picture of my beloved dog chosen. I thought briefly about keeping this a color portrait, but due to the fact that my dog is brown and the grasses he was rolling in were brown/golden as well, I thought maybe there wouldn't be enough contrast to really make the photo most flattering. That and I sat down to enter it into the Dog Photo Competition with only a handful of minutes left in the contest, so I didn't have much time to spend on it...but decided I loved it and would enter it for its simplicity and true dog behavior. This shot was captured completely off guard, I was actually photographing the beautiful golden grasses and turn around to see him laying there, basking in the sun perfectly... I almost didn't capture it due to being so in awe of where and how he was laying there, a great moment for sure. Captured with a Nikon D700 24/70mm lens in WA state. Thanks again!

Judges Comment
in spite of the stark minimalism of this image the viewer is drawn back again and again. wonderfully seen, captured and managed in post, this image delivers on so many fronts. beautifully done. thanks for sharing! ~ illona

Judges Comment
setting aside my bias for this absolutely adorable scruffy, this image plays wonderfully with simple shapes and angles that keeps the viewer moving through the image ... the corner of the nightstand, the light from the window on the wall. the white balance and tones are lovely. wonderfully done. ~ illona
Photographers Comment
I want to thank the judges for choosing one of my pictures for runner up. I love this shot. My cousin's little dog, Abby, isn't supposed to be on the bed, but who could chase her off with this sweet face? I shot this with my Nikon D600. I had been shooting the shadows on the pillow from the window blinds and then I saw that Abby had gotten up on the bed and had to capture her, too. It's always difficult to decide what to enter because the quality of entries is so high and the competition is fierce, which pushes me to always try to improve my work. I'm grateful.
www.redbubble.com/people/rainngirl/portfolio

Judges Comment
what a wonderful capture ... the spray of the water, the skew of the ball, and the direct eye contact all demonstrate for us the pure ecstasy of dog + water + ball. i have to wonder what this image would look like in color. ~ illona

Judges Comment
this is a great use of a wide angle, bringing emphasis on that wonderful eye. great management of white balance and depth of field. nicely done. ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Thank you!! I am so honored to be among these wonderful winners. This is very special to me, this is Looie, my Parson Russell Terrier. He passed away at the ripe old age of 15-1/2 last year. He was my best friend, my confident and shadow for all those years. I still miss him very much. He was a ham in front of my camera and my favorite subject. I am Claudia Robinson in Charleston, South Carolina and I'm an amateur photographer obsessed with this wonderful hobby since 1996. This was shot with a Canon 20D + Canon 15mm fisheye. Very little post was needed. Thank you again. I'm thrilled!
cnellphoto.com

Judges Comment
beautiful tones and depth of field, and a truly stunning subject. nicely done! ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Thank you so much. My passion is photography. This is my daughters dog, "Miss Violet Fur Pants". This is taken with my canon 5d mark II and the canon 70-200mm f2.8 lens IS II. Thanks again. An honor indeed. Great images in the contest.
charlotteballenger.com

Judges Comment
what an intriguing image. wonderful textures and sentiment. i love the second dog hiding behind the counter. ~ illona
Photographers Comment
This was taken with my Fujifilm X100s, iso 1000, 1/80s, f/2 On vacation in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico we had walked past this shop several times and the dog on the counter was always there. One afternoon,just before dusk, the light was a mixture of ambient light and the artificial lights in the store. The conversion to B&W with Nik software emphasize the orderliness of the shelves and the seemingly curious location of the dog(s).

Judges Comment
what a lovely, whimsical image. the shallow depth of field and beautiful golden light add to the whimsy of this photo. wonderfully done. ~ illona