Emmy Denton  


Sandy by Emmy Denton

June 2022 - Sandy

About the Image(s)

Lens: 26mm f1.8
Speed:1/40
Iso 250

Sandy gave me this look and I was lucky enough to have my iPhone in hand to capture it. I used the default camera software. I have cropped in extensively. Decreased the background contrast and added contrast, texture, de haze slightly and sharpened the dog.


This round’s discussion is now closed!
9 comments posted




Damon Williams   Damon Williams
Hi Emmy. Sandy seems to be a real character. You did a good job getting her eyes nice and sharp, as far as I can see, which really adds to "capturing the essence" of both man and beast. Catching these candid events is tough, and you have to use whatever is at your disposal. Good job on wielding your trusty camera phone.

As good as camera phones are, they're not perfect...which is comforting! I'm actually a little surprised to see what I think are some blown-out areas behind Sandy's left eye. Phones often/usually automatically HDR stuff for us, so this must have been extra challenging circumstances.

And this is just me, but I think I'd like to at least be able to see the entirety of Sandy's head. There's no rule about that, and photographers often crop portraits pretty dang tight, so that's just a personal preference. Anyway, keep shooting Sandy, and if you must ( ;) ) keep using your phone. Animal portraiture is a demanding, but rewarding, genre.
P.S. I probably have more photos of my corgi than any other single subject.   Posted: 06/11/2022 18:54:29
Emmy Denton   Emmy Denton
I have lots more dog photos to share so I'm glad you don't mind the subject. I saw the blown out spot and tried to darken it using iPhone tools. I did it as much as I could without making it look unreal. I think better light would have helped as there sun beaming in through a window. With candids though you can't ask a dog to sit still while you go up and adjust the shade. I wanted to draw attention to her eyes so I cropped the forehead much like you would do for a portrait. I could have cropped more but then I would be super close and there goes the expression. I've tried to take photos of dogs with my SLR but they do not like it at least I haven't found a way to get them to act natural and give me that personality look quickly.   Posted: 06/18/2022 20:28:35



Anne Sandler   Anne Sandler
Cute dog portrait. Yes, those eyes do tell what he's thinking. Well shot. My dog is black and very difficult to photograph. I didn't notice the blown out spot until I read Damon's review. I would suggest a different crop. One that shows more of his head. I'm wondering whether you were restricted because it was taken with a phone. Good image though.   Posted: 06/17/2022 20:20:54
Emmy Denton   Emmy Denton
Thank you   Posted: 06/18/2022 20:29:01



Dean Ginther   Dean Ginther
Emmy,
Good detail, texture, and I like that the dog is looking a bit to the left. The upper left background is a bit distracting; could be darkened a bit.   Posted: 06/18/2022 07:30:37
Emmy Denton   Emmy Denton
Thank you.   Posted: 06/18/2022 20:29:41



Fun picture. I find pet photos pretty challenging, as it is difficult (for me at least) to capture the personality of the pet. I think this photo certainly captures the personality. From the department of nit picking, I would probably edit out the furniture/stuff in the upper left corner. I'd leave it as a blank wall.   Posted: 06/19/2022 07:29:18
Emmy Denton   Emmy Denton
Thank you.   Posted: 06/21/2022 10:14:10
Emmy Denton   Emmy Denton
Thank you.   Posted: 06/21/2022 10:25:03