Portrait of my best friend - meet Sasha !!

[Barry Johnston]

Hi Guys, here is my best friend !!

I took these on Saturday (14/07/07) while taking my dog, Sasha for a run. After chasing about 50 kangaroos and running for about an hour, I managed to grab these shots while she had a well earned rest. She had also just had a swim in a small dam nearby, that's why she is so dirty....

She's a Border Collie X 1/16 Blue Heeler.

Canon 1D MkII N - EF 135 f/2








I'll look forward to seeing images of your best friend/s as well !!

Barry.

[Michael Fontana]

Hi Barry

yes, Border collies are pretty sensitive dogs, I had one for a while as well, and was amazed, how good he was in moving cattle. He just had it in the blood.........

Does Sasha can bark, or does she's howling? I hat to learn Manuk, so was his name, to bark, as cows aren't impressed by a nonbarking dog! Usually Borders don't bark....

Your request: I haven't any digitalised shot from him, but some b&w-picts, only........sorry

[Nicolas Claris]

Originally Posted by Michael Fontana

Your request: I haven't any digitalised shot from him, but some b&w-picts, only........sorry

Well Michael, you know I'm a color lover, but for B&W dog… please post your pet !-)

[Michael Fontana]

Nicolas

hmm, I don't know, if they' re really suited for a forum as OPF; I developped the films, no SLR, at about 7'000 feets in a chocolate-box, and dried them in the barn ;-)

Photographically spoken, they' re really nothing special; I took' em just to remember. So, no digi-version of it.....
but I still remember him beeing a good friend, in snow and heat

[Nicolas Claris]

Originally Posted by Michael Fontana

..... but I still remember him beeing a good friend, in snow and heat

Yes Michael, I do understand this, I guess I know what you're talking about, these kind of sweet souvenirs can't be shared. Keep the good feels for you and please pardon me/forget my request.

Have a great night though…

[StuartRae]

Barry,

I have a soft spot for border collies, having had one in my teens (the 60s).

She has such a beautiful face that it's a shame not to see it. There's actually quite a lot of detail in there, even with a JPEG.

With your permission, I'll post a couple of versions using shadow enhancement plugins.

Regards,

Stuart

[Jessica Eldredge]

I too have a soft spot for border collies and I currently own one. I'll have to see if I can get some good images and post them.

[Andrew Rodney]

Beautiful dog. I have a border collie as well, she's 14 but hanging in there. But the beauty in the family is this white husky, wolf hybrid (Zia)

[Michael Fontana]

ah, Andrew

I see the source of the digitaldog
and the converted "his master's voice"-logo;-)

[Barry Johnston]

Of course Stuart, I'd like to see them.... many thanks.

Barry.

[Barry Johnston]

Hi Andrew,
I found it really difficult to photograph her, because of the intense black and white. It is hard to get any detail out of the dark bits around her eyes.
What a beautiful dog you have.... so nice and clean. My Sasha love to get dirty though, she loves swimming in the dams and also the sea. She is very protective of our family, and would go for anyone that threatened me or my wife. We have a giant kennel on wheels, which my wife drives around in which she never has to lock; nobody ever dares to come near it if she parks anywhere. She is a very smart dog as well and knows each of her toys by name. I think the only thing I'd like to change about her, is she is a bit temperamental (sp?), sometimes she sulks if she doesn't get her own way, for example if she wants to stay in the car, she get moody.

She is not a howler though, she mostly barks or has a very high pitched yelp, enough to shatter a window sometimes.... drives me nuts !! , but I love her to bits....

Barry.

[Ray West]

Hi Barry,

I found it really difficult to photograph her, because of the intense black and white.

Having previously owned gsd's, I find it a problem with our collie cross. Still, they all look the same ;-)

I guess this could be every dog's dream - sheep, field, tree, Bonnie.




Best wishes,

Ray

[StuartRae]

Hi Barry,

Here are my two versions.

The first uses the Shadow Illuminator plugin. Unfortunately it also brightens the background a bit.




The second one uses Light Machine in Virtual Studio mode, which allows me to put a spotlight on Sasha's face and preserve the background.




I'd be interested to hear what you think.

Regards,

Stuart

[Kathy Rappaport]

Beautiful dogs. All of them - I never really met an ugly dog, have you?

As to the image - I don't know her, but, unless my monitor is a bit off, her eyes are slightly red.

[StuartRae]

Hi Kathy,

The Shadow Illuminator version looks fine to me, but I agree that the Light Machine version has slightly red eyes.

Stuart

[Barry Johnston]

Hi Stuart,

Amazing what a good program can do, unfortunately, I don't have Lightbox. I never realized that there was so much detail still preserved in the dark areas around her eyes. I do however prefer the second version with the spotlight around her face, it is a really nice effect, but actually they are both great....

Hello Ray, your Bonnie certainly looks like she is in her element, that's for sure.... which part of Someset are you in, I lived in Weston Super Mare for a while, and still have family there. It's a really beautiful part of the world.....especially around Cheddar Gorge, and Bath.

Hi Kathy, I'm sure that Sasha will appreciate your compliment (I'll tell her), however, I'm not so sure about there not being an ugly dog out there...... I've seen plenty.... ;-)

Barry....

[Angelica Oung]

I have to say, I preferred the original with the dark, velvety eyes. The lightened version certainly pops more, but the original just looked more real to me.

[Barry Johnston]

Here is a B&W version, actually I like it a lot....

although I can hear your comments already about the highlights being burnt out a little.....

Have a look anyway.



Barry.

[StuartRae]

Barry,

Amazing what a good program can do, unfortunately, I don't have Lightbox.

Both of the programs I used are Photoshop plugins, which run quite happily in my copy of Photoshop Elements.

Stuart

[Georg R. Baumann]

Originally Posted by Kathy Rappaport

Beautiful dogs. All of them - I never really met an ugly dog, have you?

<grins> http://www.ugliestdogs.net/

[janet Smith]

Hi Georg

I was in need of a laugh today, and this has done the trick! thanks for posting this.....

[Barry Johnston]

It's got a cute smile though !!.... heh, heh.

[Kathy Rappaport]

Sorry, I don't think it's really a dog. But it is happy.

The eyes are the window to the soul; A photographer told me that when I first started. If you can adjust the redness - I like those first shots best.