I Heart Faces ~ Furry Faces

This is Eddy. A seven year old Irish Wolfhound I had the joy of photographing this past summer. The most gentle giant, fun loving fella. He was so fun to take pictures of and in this image he was galloping around the beach like a horse and I am pretty sure he was smiling in this photo. He was quite comical!!

So it is Pets Wee over at I Heart Faces with a Furry Faces photo challenge and for me it has been faarrrr to long since I have entered a picture in one of their weekly photo challenges. I love this website for so many reasons. Whether you are a beginner, amateur or pro at photography this site provides for everyone. Stop on over and check out some awesome tutorials and other tips!
And be sure to see what other photographers have entered for this week's pet theme!

Meet Buddy

Meet Buddy.

You have to love those big ole' Bassett Hound ears! Oh sweet Buddy. My neighbors own him along with two Saint Bernard dogs. Buddy rules the farm though. Top dog for sure. I took pictures along with his "brothers" for his mom, who would be having a big surprise birthday planned by her husband this past Friday. And of course one of the surprises was a few pictures taken of her doggies.

I ordered her prints as standouts in 11 x 14 sizes. They turned out amazing! I can't wait to see these prints hanging up in their home.

First Glimpse....Erin and Cooper

First Glimpse.

Erin and Cooper. Or, Cooper and Erin. Either way, happy in so many ways.

Meet Eddy ~ Irish Wolfhound

Meet Eddy. The Irish Wolfhound. A gentle giant. And giant he is and oh so very calm and sweet natured. What a delight for me to photograph. I loved spending time with him and his owner. She loves him so and they have a strong bond; such best friends. We spent time bribing him to pose, to smile and of course his pictures show what a happy boy he is. Content with life. Game for anything. He is a patient to my husband's veterinary practice and well known for his obvious size and presence as well as his overall lovely demeanor.

Eddy, I loved learning about you and hear how your owner found you for her own. I laughed along as you galloped across the sandy beach, rolled in the water and gingerly walked on your leash through town. What a special friend you are.

First Glimpse....Eddy

First Glimpse.......Eddy

The breed? Irish Wolfhound. The gentle giant. His personality? 100% zest for life.

Amy Elisabeth Photography ~ Beginner's Photography Class

My very first ever beginner's photography class took place this past Saturday. Amazingly it went so well and I completely enjoyed myself being in the "hot seat" so to speak as the ....gasp....teacher! But I loved it and the gals that attended were great to work with and I saw quite a few light bulbs go off for them throughout the day. Which for me, felt awesome. I already know I would like to teach another class soon!

I had these yummy sugar cookies made up to look like old time cameras. A local bakery designed them for me and were a huge hit.

Our two adorable models were my daughter and niece who willingly smiled, giggled and had fun posing.

My beautiful niece! Growing up so fast!

Interestingly enough, this cute pooch, Hope, took over as leading model. She really worked the cameras! As she pointed butterflies and shadows, cameras snapped away at her.

Panting and drooling away, she was a hit amongst a row of photographers.

These are just a few of the pictures taken from our time practicing outside. Such a fun day! Weather was gorgeous. Laughs were heard. Aperture and shutter speed were explained. And everyone left the class no longer with their cameras on Auto Mode! Ahhh happy day!

I am planning another class for either later this summer or early fall. If you are at all interested in receiving further information on attending, please email me, dvmswife@aim.com.

Bella

"I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive." ~Gilda Radner

Jake ~ My Willing Subject

I have to admit some of my favorite subjects to photograph are dogs. They are so patient. Well usually. As long as they are not too shy about my camera. Some dogs are. My own dog is but I think that is because she has had her picture taken so many times she has developed a complex.

Lot's of times dogs are very willing to be photographed. And of course love, love being the center of attention. Dog treats usually help. It draws their attention solely to you and your camera. Having experience with dogs is a biggy. Nothing bothers a dog more than someone who is not familiar with being around dogs. They sense a newbie. They know a stranger to the canine world. Having the dog language down and understanding dog personalities and expressions truly makes photographing them very entertaining!

This makes my job behind my camera so much easier. Less stressful. Can I add so much fun?

This is Jake. He is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever. His human dad is currently building our stairway as part of our remodeling job we are having done to our home. So Jake sits patiently in either the back seat of his truck or yesterday was able to soak up some rays of sun and warmer temperatures all comfy in the bed of the truck.

I love his eyes and expression. So much patience. Completely content.

He didn't seem to mind me taking pictures of him either. I am pretty happy with how they turned out and think this handsome boy was a perfect model.

I recently acquired Adobe Lightroom 3. It is a wonderful and powerful editing tool for post processing your images. I have been playing around with it lately, navigating my way around and loving it so much. While I strive to get my pictures exposed properly, sharp and as I see them through my camera's viewfinder, a program such as Lightroom adds finishing touches and brilliance to final images I share here, my website and for my clients. Yes, I am a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to photography!

Sometime I will share my before and after pictures. Those straight out of the camera images and then show how they look after some final post processing.

For now, I hope you enjoy these images of Jake!

"Cats are intended to teach us that not everything in nature has a purpose." - Garrison Keillor

I Heart Faces ~ Pets!

I Heart Faces is having their weekly photo challenge and their theme this week is Pets! Being the animal lover I am, not to mention being married to a veterinarian, animals are one my favorite subjects. The cute pooch above is Charlie who is owned by one of the veterinarians who works for my husband. I love Charlie. Adorable as a puppy last year he has matured into such a handsome boy!
Be sure to check out more pet photos over at I Heart Faces!