I have no idea what happened to the settings on my camera. I was pushed for time so took this from a distance from a height and the light was very intense. However, I love the effect and will try to create it again. The dog was an added bonus I did not even know about until I downloaded the photo.
It is so annoying when you don't remember how you got a certain effect. It looks very painterly and like you might have spent some time in processing to get this lovely effect.