Photo Contest Win
A picture of Rocco and Harper won the August Photo Contest! Now Buckeye Bulldog Rescue will receive a $50 donation toward helping Bulldogs!
Rocco Turns 7
I never really understood social media. I mean, I just set up a Facebook account a couple months ago. My main reasons for starting Facebook, twitter, and instagram were to make money. To use as another way to market whatever business I was working on at the time. For fun I set up at twitter account for Rocco. I thought it would be a great way for me to display my personality publicly without worrying about being politically correct for business. I also thought that I could market my pet photography through him. Never in a million years did I think I would find closer friendships than I have with local people that I have known for years. Rocco celebrated a pinnacle birthday in our eyes. He turned 7 which is the same age that Rufus passed. My goals this year were to make sure that I did not have the same regrets with Rocco as I do with Rufus. Spending more time with him and making sure he feels special and loved. I found the true power of social media today as the entire world helped me make Rocco feel special.
It started with this blog post from a dear twitter friend a few weeks before Rocco’s birthday
Dog’s and their best friends (the furry kind)
It doesn’t seem odd if you are still friends with your college roommate, but for a dog to have a few besties, it’s sort of not normal right? W R O N G.Ā Please understand, I do know the dangers of online friendships. We went into this as a fun thing, and frankly that’s the best policy.I have a few besties that I truly call my real besties… Why dogs have best friends? For one, we can relate to each other. If we pewp on the floor, we don’t have to be ashamed. We all did it. Can you forgive your human friend for that? I don’t think so. Not likely they get a premium seat at dinner.Another thing is we are like minded, and we sometimes need support. Often our pawrents (parents, humans) do not understand why we do certain things, and it’s great to have someone to bounce oddities off of.
We also need to know how to work the treat/extra food/extra kisses/sleep in the big bed issues. So we gather and chat about it. Sometimes we meet up in person and play together.
Our bestie is there for us when we are sad, have an illness, need a prayer, need to reassure our pawrents/family that we will be ok. Finally for another rounded reason, we love each other, really we do…
We celebrate the births of babies/puppies/marriages, and sometimes the divorces. My Mommy was so deeply touched by the out-pouring of love for us when we had a little snafu this past summer that we know our best furry friends are the real deal.
Life is very short and for one small second if we can lift each other up, celebrate a birthday, pass a smile on to someone else, it’s what we live for.
I have a few besties, they are my Bulldog Posse’
My favorite hangout is Twitter. That is where you will find my best-friends. To start with, when I first came on the scene, my first and favorite furry bulldog was Falco. When he crossed over Rainbow bridge, I felt like a part of my family passed away. I cried for days. Falco was who I aspired to be. His little brother came along shortly, @HenryFordBD and he is quite the character.
So, this is why we do what we do, if we can give 1 minute of happiness back for all that we have received, we are more than happy to do it. It’s not strange, it’s the Twitter Family way.
Our friends on twitter are not just bulldogs, we have a turtle, a parrott, and several other breeds of dogs and cats that are just as special to us. We love the Vine videos, the pictures, the stories, all of it.
When the world is grey and somber, there is a wrinkle or two online that will perk up your day. Catch a video of a bulldog playing, or Rocco opening a package, maybe even HenryFord sitting with his baby sister teaching her the ropes of misbehaving. We share a common thread but I would like to think this is what is GOOD with the world.
So from us to you, thanks for being a bestie of the very best kind! I couldn’t name everyone because of length; but know you are special to us. We look forward to your posts each and everyday.
Here are Rocco’s videos enjoying his big day.
Here is a tone of pictures of all of Rocco’s friends from his party starting with Rocco showing off the great cards he got!
An great birthday message from a great friend.
Happy Birthday to my best friend Rocco
Dear Rocco:I just wanted to take a minute to say Happy Birthday and what your friendship means to me. When I joined the #StudClub, I knew as a member there were some big expectations. I mean we have to look good, smell good, attract the ladies, be kind, and be studly. What I didn’t know is the friendships that were formed.We were so impressed with the fact that your pawrents had a Rocco Camera to keep a close eye on your over active chair sitting. You guys seemed like our kind of people. Then we saw the wedding pictures. OMD who is so genuine that they have their Bulldog at their wedding? How truly impressive. You wore that Tux so studly!Ā After that, we knew, we needed to be friends.
A great memory that comes to mind weekly was the heckler that came on twitter saying we spoke bulldog ebonics. We gathered the #Studclub and responded to all his posts. We ran that Bully out of our territory!!!!
Another great one was the arrival of baby sister!!! I remembering sitting waiting for baby Harpsicle to come. I was secretly hoping they made a mistake and it was a boy. Just to get the look on your pawrents face. S U R P R I S E we’re going to need a new decor. We know that didn’t happen, but I was wishing it so.
Your parents didn’t even hesitate to agree to visit with us on our planned road trip, I was going to meet my best buddy and pal. How cool was that. We are like twins, we could share clothes. I am a 38×5.
It’s been a blast posting to you on twitter, sharing our fears, our hopes, our dreams and even a treat or two. When the world was upside down, you made it all seem so right. Each night Mom puts the Vine videos on and I watch you. I love watching you with Harper. You lead us to happiness and we have loved every single moment of it.
Your Mom is hawt (my dad says) Your Dad is cooler than cool (my Mom says) Harper is ADORABULL (We all say) and you my friend are the top dog.
When we got this idea to throw you a little party it was because a day without Rocco was a sad day, and we wanted to celebrate your life and birthday. My Mom mentioned it to a few people and they were all YEAH !!! LET’S DO IT!!! That doesn’t happen for just anyone dude, you areĀ SPECIAL ROCCO. You have touched our lives with your unnerwear stories, your bacon and egg demands, turtle dunking, Hummer riding, scooter patroling, and the fact that you rock any single thing you do!
We hope you enjoy your day with your awesome family, and a few laughs from your Twitter family too!
Tonight is all about you and our love for you!
Man hugs to you!!! Gunner
And here is some of the food that everyone brought to Rocco’s party.
The entire event made it into The Bulldog Daily News Here
A message the day after his party:
Rocco turned 7 with a slew of friends
We tried and tried to get the pictures straight. This isnt a good representation of all the peeps that came out for Rocco’s party.
Rocco one lucky dude, he had an UK time zone party, and EST party and something in between. Today he is having a human party and we are so thrilled for him.
He has set the bar high for birthday’s I must say. Mommy has already consulted the party planner to make sure we have one half as good as his.
All the planners in the world couldn’t have made his party any more special. It was so cool seeing all his friends come together.
No fights at the water bowl, no one lifted their leg or curled their lips. Only a couple of lipstick shots and one girly girl who shall remain nameless did a little hooch dance for the old bugger.
Awesome party, Birthday number 8 will be great for Rocco!!!!!!!!!!!
A truly humbling experience all together. The idea that Rocco and I have earned the pleasure to be friends with this group is beyond amazing much less the fact that they went to all this trouble for us and our family. It gives me a completely different perspective on life. I could never give enough Thanks to all those involved!!!
THANK YOU!!!
Your Opinion Needed:
Your Opinion Needed:
There seems to be a debate between Pet Photographers that volunteer their services for Rescues. Do you keep the leash in the photo or remove it? I always remove the leash during a normal session but keep it in for Rescues. The majority of photographers do this to show the potential adopters that the pups are leash trained / well behaved. You could also make the statement that if they are standing still for a photo without a leash that they would be well behaved also. It is so common to leave the leash in the they even make sleeves for the leashes that say ADOPT ME. What are you thoughts? Which makes the dog look more adoptable?
Tip #8- Photographing Pets with Phone (Put the past 7 together)
Put the past 7 tips together. Here is a great article on what we have covered.
http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2012/04/12/10-rules-of-photo-composition-and-why-they-work/
The best part is the ending “Break the Rules”. These are just guidelines and Photography is an art. Put your own spin on it throwing the guidelines aside. Ask your Peers, Family, and Friends to give you feedback. Find what works for you.
As always post your pics on my wall or just give up and hire Bryan Metzger Photo orĀ www.PurrfectPawtrait.comĀ for a full photo shoot!
Tip #7- Photographing Pets with New DSLR Camera
Tip #7- Photographing Pets with New DSLR Camera
So you made the decision to jump into a DSLR Camera but have no idea where to start. We have all been there. A friend of mine photographed my car and I couldn’t believe the results. I actually bought his DSLR camera from him. He turned me on to FroKnowsPhoto.com to learn how to use it. I watched every video and continue to watch every video that Jared (Fro) and Adam Lerner put out. He donates so much of his time to amateur photographers it’s not funny.
You want to get out of the automatic mode on your camera and move to manual. This way you can decide how the end image will look instead of allowing the camera to decide for you. You also want to set your camera to shoot in raw. This will help you correct images that you may have made an error on within editing software after your shoot.
Here are the vids that I would start with:
1. Get to know your camera and read your manual
http://froknowsphoto.com/nikon-d7000-setup-tutorial-part-1/
2. Understanding Manual Photography
3. Getting out of Auto Mode
4. Settings
http://froknowsphoto.com/assignment1/
5. Trail and Error Exposure Setting
6. Feeling the Image
7. Composition
8. Settings for Multiple Subjects
9. Freezing subjects that are moving
10. Flash
Try this out and post your pics on my wall or just give up and hire http://www.PurrfectPawtrait.com for a full photo shoot!
Tip #6- Photographing Pets with Any Camera or Phone (Rule of Thirds)
Tip #6- Photographing Pets with Any Camera or Phone (Rule of Thirds)
The Rule of Thirds is defined as a guideline which applies to the process of composing visual images such as designs, films, paintings, and photographs.The guideline proposes that an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines, and that important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections. Proponents of the technique claim that aligning a subject with these points creates more tension, energy and interest in the image.
Instead of centering your subject in the frame try using the rule of thirds like my examples.
Try this out and post your pics on my wall or just give up and hire Bryan Metzger Photo or http://www.PurrfectPawtrait.com for a full photo shoot! Please like and share these tips if you enjoy them and I’ll make sure I keep them coming.
Tip #5- Photographing Pets with Any Camera or Phone (Props)
Props can be a great way to add interest into your image. Many of my files that include a prop receive the most praise. Remember not to get carried away and to keep the focus on your subject. We’ve all seen the cheesy uses of props in many senior portraits.
In the first image the focus is Rocco but he laying next to his favorite ball. Adding the ball as the prop helps tell a story. Look at how destroyed the ball is. What did Rocco do to it, How did Rocco get it, How long did it take Rocco to do that.
Mirrors can be a great addition to any photo shoot. Try focus on the reflection in the mirror as opposed to your subject.
Bubbles can be your best and worse enemy in a photo shoot. Save them for the end of the shoot and you might get some cool shots. If not, who cares, BUBBLES ARE FUN!
Try this out and post your successful pics on my wall or even senior portrait fails that I mentioned above. You can always just give up and hire Bryan Metzger Photo orwww.PurrfectPawtrait.comĀ for a full photo shoot! Please like and share these tips if you enjoy them and I’ll make sure I keep them coming.
Tip #4- Photographing Pets with Any Camera or Phone (Composition)
Tip #4- Photographing Pets with Any Camera or Phone (Composition)
When you are looking through your camera and focused on your subject carefully make sure to keep what you want in the frame. Try not to cut off feet, paws, or hands.
In the first picture, when I look at it, I remember exactly how Rocco’s foot was stretched straight out and clinched at the knee. When someone else looks at the photoĀ they don’t have that memory and therefore, the photo, is not as appealing to them. I caught my mistake after taking the first one and backed up some to make sure I got all of Rocco in the second picture. Unfortunately his leg was not in the same position. In subsequent photos I moved a little closer in order to fill the frame more of Rocco.
This doesn’t mean that you should never have a hand or foot in the frame or maybe just one hand and not the other. It just means try not to cut the hand off in an awkward way only showing part of it.
Try this out and post your pics on my wall or just give up and hireĀ www.PurrfectPawtrait.comĀ for a full photo shoot! Please like and share these tips if you enjoy them and I’ll make sure I keep them coming.
Tip #3- Photographing Pets with Any Camera or Phone (Fill Frame)
Tip #3- Photographing Pets with Any Camera or Phone (Fill Frame)
This relates to yesterdays post regarding backgrounds. If you have a poor background and you can not “compose” (change your angle to remove distracting objects) to avoid it try filling the frame with your subject. The “frame” meaning what you see when looking through the camera. This will remove the background all together and make sure that your model is the primary focus.
I took several shots of the same scene as the second picture. All showed the love between Rocco and Gabe. This one has less activity, meaning you can’t see them hugging or the time they are spending together in the park because there is no background. This was the “winner” in my set because it makes you think more about it. All of those items are implied even though it just shows their eyes. It makes you wonder where they are at or what they are doing. You can tell that they are close because they are literally “close”. It still gives me the warm fuzzies every time I look at it.
Try filling the frame and post your pics on my wall or just give up and hire http://www.PurrfectPawtrait.com for a full photo shoot! Please like and share these tips if you enjoy them and I’ll make sure I keep them coming.
Tip #2- Photographing Pets with Any Camera or Phone (Background)
Be mindful of your background they can cause distractions from your primary subject. The first picture I used simple fabric as well as some props laying around the house to create a complimentary background as well as cover up any unattractive objects like light switches, furniture, etc.
The second image goes a little deeper and isĀ not noticeable. The drawing behind Rocco shows only one eye and compliments the one eye that you can see of Rocco. Naturally I call this photo “The One Eye Love”.
The third image came about when I found Rocco’s viking hat on Etsy. We were driving past these church doors one day and felt that they matched the look of his hat, we had to stop.
Next time you are preparing to snap your next masterpiece look past your subject and make sure there are not any distractions. Furniture, clutter, trash cans, grills, signs, or a telephone pole in the background that looks like it is growing out of your subjects head.
Try this out and post your pics on my wall or just give up and hireĀ www.PurrfectPawtrait.comĀ for a full photo shoot! Please like and share these tips if you enjoy them and I’ll make sure I keep them coming.
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Bryan Metzger 