City Lights and Stars...of the Canine Variety
Tuesday, October 7, 2014 by Denise Subject MatterDogs of Manatee County | Downtown Bradenton | Furry Fairy Tale Ending | Mystery Mutt | Pet Photography
I wanted a dog to be a figure of stillness, calm and confident in a night time urban scene.
When photographing night/low-light scenes, the shutter, or eye, of the camera has to be open longer in order for enough light to reach the image sensor to capture the scene.
So, my canine star would need to be still for a while in order to be sharp while the moving lights, cars, people nearby would be blurred in impressionistic brushstrokes of deeply saturated colors.
Sounds exciting, but challenging right?
Fearless & Beautiful Miya - About the Model
I selected Miya specially for this night time shoot because I anticipated it would be exceptionally challenging. Miya's Mom, Margo explained in the model application how Miya was endlessly patient, loved everyone she met, and excelled in busy, noisy, and ever-changing-environments. She was pulled from Manatee County Animal Services by Animal Network in order to have major surgery on her femur and endure heart-worm treatment. Miya stayed with two foster families while undergoing treatment, and when she was available for adoption she and Margo were introduced and has been with Margo's family now for two years. Miya also helps socialize feral foster kittens, ensuring a new generation of dog-loving kitties joins the Manatee County community.
Perfect! I was confident Miya would excel in this role, and was eager to meet her.
The evening we chose all four of my weather apps on my phone foretold eminent rain, and not just any rain, but likely a thunderstorm. Eighty to ninety-five percent likely.Most Florida residents are now rolling their eyes or arching an eyebrow. I know, I know. Of course it never rained! It politely waited until after the photoshoot was done. Lucky for us.
The first location I picked worked well. It feels peaceful while still being an urban scene. I may have scheduled the start time a little bit too early. The sun was still meandering its way down.
We moved to a second location, just on the other side of the street, and was able to get a whole different ‘look’. No, those aren’t ghosts! I know, it’s October, but see this is what I mean that the camera has to be open much longer to capture all the light and record the scene. What ever ‘stays’ in place for more than a few seconds is visually recorded.
In case you’re wondering what that red metal thing is in the bottom right of the image: it’s a bike rack in the shape of a coffee cup! Pretty cool, and there’s a few others on Main Street too, a flip flop, a beer stein, and maybe more than that. I love functional public displays of art!
Miya was a star. She knew it too, but she was very humble. When we were done, she gave me a lick/kiss on my cheek and I melted.
Thank you Margo, Jim, and of course Miya!
Denise
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Manatee County: World Class Destination
Saturday, July 19, 2014 by Denise Subject MatterChinese Crested | Dogs of Manatee County | Downtown Bradenton | Pet Photography | Pets Are Family
There’s something about the Downtown Bradenton Bus Station that really captures my admiration. I’m not sure if its the bright colors, modern design, or practicality of it, perhaps all of the above, but it really draws me in. And I’m not the only one, it was recently recognized as one of the top #5 places in Bradenton to see art.
When I received Jinx’s model application with her gorgeous silver fur, I couldn’t help but mentally connect her with our vital winter residents who boost our local economy. So with this image, I wanted to honor all of the tourists that choose to spend their vacation where we have the privilege of living all year round. Do you ever stop to think about that? We live here, while others are lucky if they can come to visit. All in all their patronage provides for many families, in particular my own. So in choosing a beautiful local spot to highlight or symbolize our flow of visitors, I decided the Downtown Bradenton Bus Station was perfect.
Jinx’s Dad brought her early to the photo shoot because she’s very timid, and wanted to get her well-adjusted to her new surroundings. They adopted her only a month or so ago. I scheduled the shoot for an early Saturday morning to try and avoid the extreme summer heat as well as hoping the bus terminal wouldn’t be too crowded.
I was worried how the other people would react to us doing a pet photography shoot at the terminal, but it went better than expected. Of course people watched, but everyone kept their distance. What was really kind was that on two different occasions we had travelers warn us when it was time for the buses to arrive. I was usually in the spot where the buses would pull up, and plus the noise they created really made Jinx uncomfortable. Her Dad would take her for a walk when the buses were there, and it was reassuring for me to see her so happy during walk breaks with her Dad.
Getting set up for the photo shoot. I usually bring a towel because frequently I’m flat on the ground, laying on my belly when I shoot. I love getting shots from their point of view of the world.
Jinx has great expressions...she’s just gorgeous! She celebrated her 4th birthday the week of the shoot, and celebrated with a spa day so she was primped and polished! I love how the groomer left the fur longer on her feet. It made her look like she was wearing white boots.
I was a little unsure about putting the scarf on Jinx, I wasn’t sure if it would scare her or make her uncomfortable, but her Dad encouraged me. It had quite the opposite effect. It seemed to give her confidence, like a superhero cape! I had the song from West Side Story, 'I feel pretty!' playing in my head while watching her transform.
Below is the shot I’ll use for the calendar....LOVE! It has that extra connection through her expression alone, and the lighting on her face is yummy. You can see how great she feels.
Getting some loving inspiration from her Dad.
Those eyes...so cute. Jinx the Chinese Crested is a heartbreaker! That’s all I can say!
Thank you so much to Jinx and her loving family for allowing her to participate in the Dogs of Manatee County project and for giving their time! I really appreciate you!
Denise