As much as I'm out photographing boats and harbors, and as many dogs as there are in those areas, you'd think I'd have more "dogs on boats" shots.
These are about all I have. A spaniel aboard a sailboat in South Carolina, a floppy-eared dog aboard a fishing boat in Newport, Oregon, and an alert little guy on board a fishing boat in Bellingham, Washington.
The spaniel was particularly challenging to shoot. A light-colored body, a light-colored background, and then a black head. What do you meter for? Expose for the body and the dog's head will be way too black and will have no detail. Expose for the dog's head, and the rest of the scene will be way too light and bright.
I exposed for the area just to the right of the dog's head. But the details still didn't show well in the final image. So I used a layer mask in Photoshop and brought out the details just in the dog's ears and face, especially the eye. Now I have something that's acceptable to me.
Will I ever do anything with these dog photos? Nope. They're just a reminder to me to look more closely for possible photo subjects as I wander around.
©Carol Leigh
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