I cut an X into card stock and after I made the cuts, I rolled the center pieces to get them to curl. If I do this again, I think I would put it in a frame to make it more stiff and less effected by the slightest breeze.
I had a heck of a time getting the camera to focus on Dazzle and not the paper- even when I would press and hold the shutter and then move the frame into position. Which has worked in the past, so I'm not sure why the camera was SO adamant about focusing closer. I even tried to move the frame into position really fast (after holding the shutter) which worked a couple times. But trying to get the framing correct, focus right and not have the frame blow over in the slight wind all while capturing Dazzle looking the right direction was too much. :-)
As a result, I ended up layering a photo of the cut paper "frame" I was holding over a photo I took without the frame held up. Which meant both were in focus and I think I like that better anyway. I guess everything happens for a reason :-)
While at the lake for the above photo, I spotted a small playground and let Dazzle play a bit. For the following shot, I started on the ground and put Dazzle in a stay while I set his ball at the top of the slide. I knew he could run up the slide, but just wanted to double check. He had no problem and got up in about 2 strides.
So then I put him on a stay, took his ball and myself to the top (not an easy task with bad knees and on equipment sized for little kids!) and then told him to "get it" (the ball). After he got it the first time, I used distance/directional control to get him re-set for the next shot so that I didn't have to get myself in and out of the equipment again :-) His advanced training skills come in handy! Because Dazzle was moving so fast, even with the camera on continuous, I only got 3 or 4 frames per run. So this series is a mix from both runs. (Click on the photo to make it larger)
In the Working Dogs Facebook group, the challenge was "warning sign". I had already done the "if you break in" shot I posted for last week, so I went for a different shot. The goal I had in mind was to make it look like he was defending the yard. But since he normally wags his tail and wiggles his body at me when I'm outside the fence, I had to improvise.
I pulled out his favorite tug toy and beat it with a whip. As you can see, he was NOT pleased about that! A short burst of shots and I had what I needed. And as soon as I stopped beating his toy he went back to wiggly body language begging me to get back in the yard to throw he ball. :-)
I changed up the sign a bit (changed "xing" to "on duty" and fixed the silhouette). Then put a few photos together. In these out of sequence photos he was going for and biting the fence in frustration, but it looks like he could be snarling and barking.
This lone tree caught my eye when I was on my way to Columbus for a weekend seminar. I didn't get any photos during the seminar, but did get some I liked of this tree (without even getting out of my vehicle).
The dust behind the tree in the photo above was from a farmer plowing the field. It was quite windy, so the dust dissapeared fast. When I first saw the tree, it was enveloped in the dust and looked eerie. But of course I couldn't get in position and get the camera out in time to get that shot. The one below was taken only about 1 minute after the one above. The farmer had moved on to another part of the field and the dust was gone.
Future forest? All these seeds are from a single Maple tree in the neighbor's yard. I don't think it would take long for a forest to sprout up if we stopped mowing the lawn.
When leaving the lake after taking the paper frame and playground slide photos, I spotted two wild turkeys ahead. I stopped well away from them and got the camera ready. I tried to creep up on them in my vehicle, but they weren't going for that and walked into the woods.
I had some time to kill before a haircut appointment and there was no traffic, so I waited for them to come back out. They moved along in the woods in the direction I had come from, but eventually they did move back out into the open. This shot was from so far away I wasn't even sure what I got till after I got home and could crop and enlarge it.
The seminar I attended this past weekend at Posidog was presented by Shade Whitesel and it was great! She is a motivating and positive teacher with a wealth of knowledge. I got tips to improve Dazzle's heeling, front position and broad jump performance. I have already been trying them out :-)
