Week 34- Seeing triple

No, I didn't get more Malinois :-)  This is Dazzle in a layered collage showing some of his favorite positions on "his" couch.  Too bad he doesn't know how to relax :-)

I decided this week to try a collage like this and I'm pretty happy with the results!  I set the camera on a tripod on the coffee table so it wouldn't change positions.  Then sat in the recliner next to it and waited.  Dazzle was bored and restless and wanted to go play, but I kept telling him to get on the couch.  So this is his "Hmff. FINE! But I'm ready at any second if you change your mind mom" collage. The look on the left is "Did you change your mind yet?"  On the right is "Fine, I'll relax, but I'm NOT going to take a nap!"  and the center is "There is a BIRD in MY yard! If it comes closer, I'm going to have to bark and slam the window with my paw" LOL

After taking a few different poses, I picked 3 that didn't overlap much, layered them and used the eraser tool to expose the layer underneath.  It was kind of fun actually!

Still need to take a photo for the Facebook group and have an idea for that, but it can't happen till Friday. Sure hope it works out because if not, I won't have time this weekend to try something else.

Update: It didn't work out.  The pavement was too hot.
 

Week 33- weaves

Ok, so it's actually week 34 of the photography project, but I'm catching up on the post I missed for last week :-) 

Dazzle and I have been taking an Agility weaves class.  The purpose is to teach the dogs to speed up and to do the poles correctly regardless of what the handler is doing or how they have to enter the weave poles.  Dazzle loves to weave, so I don't know about adding speed!  Here is a video of him doing 12 poles in about 1 second!  And he was already tired and slowing down when I shot the video.  Don't blink, you'll miss the video!

VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV6qF7fvQho&feature=plcp

But he can still use help on difficult weave entries and not skipping out of the poles early (which he knows is even faster!) LOL

So for this week's photo, I wanted to incorporate the weaves and tried several different angles.  I then stood in the center of the poles and caught him exiting from over his back. I had to hold the camera in the air and just guess at where he was.

The photo I got was interesting, but not THE ONE, but it did give me the idea for the photo I ended up choosing for the Flickr group. It's a composite of the rapid shutter shots I got of a single run through the weaves.

You can really see how the poles he has completed swing back and forth.  Especially the second pole. He's so fast because he stays relatively straight and shoves the poles out of his way :-)

Here are a couple more I liked:

Not dog related, but we found a new gun range and it's only 15 minutes from us!  It's really big and anything smaller than 50 cal. is allowed. Went there on Sunday for an IDPA match and I think I did better than I have in past matches. I'm really looking forward to the advanced pistol training course this coming weekend.

Here are photos of the new range we will be frequenting. You can barely see the guy at the end of the low berm walking out to change his rifle target. The far berm in front of the trees is where the IDPA match was held. The blue target just off center is what we were shooting at. No idea what the distances are yet.

Long row of covered shooting stations. They also have a trap/skeet section with multiple stations that throw the clays and two big club houses.

Got to shoot an AR-15 for awhile. You can see the shell casing ejecting. Very little kick and easy to keep on target. Lots of fun!  It's semi auto, but it went through ammo like crazy. Because there is so little kick, it's easy to get multiple shots on target in rapid fire. 

Hubby shot it too

  
I haven't taken this week's photo yet. Guess I better get on that!

Week 32

I can't believe it's AUGUST already!  Where has this year gone? 

We finally got a lovely weather day- not a cloud to be seen in the beautiful blue sky- so I took Dazzle to the lake for his official 4th birthday photo.  He was a champ staying in place dispite the fact that the lawn guys were there running the evil weed wackers. LOL

The challenge this week in the Flickr group was "Expression".  I knew it would be fun because Dazzle is SO expressive!  I set up the white sheet back drop this morning and got several great photos.

Curious:

Hot:

Annoyed: (Bear was trying to get on the white sheet too)

Intense:

 Skeptical:

Dreaming of a game of fetch:

 Sleepy: (the hardest shot to get!)

This was my submission to the group:



As a reward for being a patient subject for portraits, I took him to the lake.

The water is so clear I got some cool shots of him swimming. I got video too, but it's not uploaded yet.

Videos

Here are a few quick clips I took recently.

The first is Dazzle being the "3rd wheel" in a game between two tolerant labradors at camp.
VIDEO: Dazzle playing with friends at camp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYVgR_7krrA


Next is Dazzle trying to undermine a pug and bury a corgi mix.  Turn up the volume because the commentary is hillarious!
VIDEO: Digging fun
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUTnQr8Z7QM


Lastly is a short video clip of him having fun leaping through the tall grass at the park.
VIDEO: Dazzle in tall grass
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN0kzZ6OAew

Week 30/31- Happy birthday Dazzle!

After a very busy mid July, I'm finally feeling caught up again.  The new job is going well and except for figuring out and creating the reports I need to submit to the treasurer each month, it has been going very smoothly.  And I think I have those reports figured out now too :-)

But week 30 went by in a blur!  One minute it was Monday, the next it was Saturday!  So I was in a bit of a panic Saturday night as to what to shoot for the weekly photography challenge.  I decided to revisit a shot I really liked from a "Film Noir" challenge earlier this year that I didn't end up using.  I knew I could shoot it in the basement at 1am (when I realised the week was almost over).  I think the re-do came out even better than the original! 

He looks like a Gargoyle, just imagine the wings. But it's titled "The Interrogation".

Dazzle turned 4 years old yesterday, on July 31st.  Where does the time go?!  I still need to take his 4 yr old pose, probably at the lake or maybe the park on a tree, but I did create this montage video showcasing the past 4 years.  We sure have done a LOT together!  I hope our journey has just begun!

VIDEO:  4 yrs old- photo montage video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTFEz-JPJlI

For week 31, I was ready and got his photo taken on Monday.  The Facebook group had a challenge of making your specific dog a breed and defining the breed standard. More of a creative writing challenge, but the photo should highlight something in the breed description.

The Dazzle- An overactive breed always ready to DO something and game to try anything. Versatile is an understatement. Very creative thinkers, often making their own games in which their wagging tail gives away how pleased they are with the outcome of their experiments. The Dazzle has a lean, well muscled body, beautiful and thick mahogany coat with a curly tail and eyes set in a deep black face that communicate just what the dog is thinking. They are also masters at body language and have been known to learn on their own to point at objects they want thrown. If that doesn’t get the message across, a well placed muzzle punch to the breast or groin may be used. Beware, the Dazzle is a fetching machine that will cause you to have almost constant “tennis elbow” even when using a Chuck-it and they can wear out the motor on a Go-Dog-Go machine in about 30 days. This dog is NOT for the beginner, apartment life or a sedate lifestyle.

A few weeks ago (before camp) I ordered Dazzle a new bed (lightweight air matress) for the folding crate I haul to agility practice.  It should have been here over a week ago, but I guess fate decided that Dazzle's birthday present had to be delivered ON his birthday! :-)  I think he likes it and my back will like it too!

Canine Whoopie Cushion: Once he kills the squeeker there is only a hole where the squeeker should be. He takes obvious pleasure in deliberately putting that hole against smooth surfaces like the floor, leather couch or the tub and squeezing the toy to make loud farty noises :-) Of course when he's using the rim or floor of the tub, I'm on the toilet! Note to self: make sure he can't do that when guests are visiting.