get pushed #7 by summerfield

get pushed #7

my partner this week for the "get pushed" challenge is mel @emjay8 and she very easily found what's lacking in my albums: animals. when i told partner about this, he said, "do i have to pose for you again? but i'm not an animal; i'm a beast!" yah-di-ya-di-ya-dah.

so when we were going over to the racetrack, he swung us by the beaches where he guessed, and he guessed quite rightly, that there will be an abundance of dogs and if i use my zoom lens, then i needn't worry about getting near them.

so that's what i did, stayed as far back but couldn't get the right focus on this ever giddy animals. a nice middle-aged man was sunning his bulldog-ish type dog by the waters and i thought it'd do me no harm if i ask him to make him sit still while i take a few shots. surprise! when i got to about 10 yards of them, there were other people with dogs near him which i didn't see because of the slope of the sand and the road. but i was there to shoot dogs and shoot i did! this one along with another fierce-looking black dog were roughing it up and when this big shaggy dog passed by with its owner, they just started to play and sniff each other. and i just kept snapping away. although i had to put the camera away from my face once in a while to check that they were not really that close to me.

so, mel, here's the animal shot you wanted me to take.

-o0o-

we're in the stands at the racetrack as i post this, no fancy buffet dinner today as we're just here for partner to bet on a few races where a friend of his has horses racing.

if my little grandson darren was around, he'd be able to tell me what kind of dogs these are, as he's so in tune with such things.

nice summer day, perfect for going to the races. and the beaches!

there, now, summerfield, that wasn't too scary, was it?
@emjay8 - hi, mel. here's one playful doggie for you. thanks.
September 3rd, 2012  
Great capture of dogs! Your narrative cracks me up! Great job!
September 3rd, 2012  
@pamfromcalgary - thank you, pam. much appreciated.
September 3rd, 2012  
Your story telling is just the best:0) I take it you are slightly afraid of dogs; so is my grand daughter. This is a fabulous shot, the framing, their expressions and I just love the beach
September 3rd, 2012  
@claireuk - well, just slightly. it's just that everytime i see one, no matter how small i get sweaty and chilly and i just want to cower in a corner. :-) i got mauled by my uncle's very large german shepherd twice, when i was six and eight. both without provocation. the second time he was on a leash and he just got himself free and went for me. that's why i get leery of owners who say their dogs are harmless because my uncle swore it was the sweetest dog ever and they couldn't understand why that sucker was particularly not liking me. we even had a dog at the time and it was nice to every kid around but didn't like strangers and i was the one who was taking care of it. but my uncle's dog just didn't like my face. thank you, claire.
September 3rd, 2012  
Gret capture. Hmmm...now that I think about it I do not have to many if any animal shots in my project
September 3rd, 2012  
@summerfield Goodness that is pretty horrific, it is no wonder you are scared; I had a phobia of spiders for years but had hypnotherapy, which worked a treat, although it was a phobia not based on anything. Nothing in relation to your situation. This makes this shot all the more impressive. Well done that girl! ;0)
September 3rd, 2012  
Great job especially since your history with dogs is quite frightening! So, props for stepping through your fear and coming out with an nice shot. The detail and lighting work well. Great job!
September 3rd, 2012  
@bkbinthecity - thank you, brian. yes, must have dogs. or cats. or both! and the occasional frog. :-)
September 3rd, 2012  
@claireuk - thank you, claire. much appreciated.
September 3rd, 2012  
@tara11 - thank you, tara. i appreciate that.
September 3rd, 2012  
Beautiful capture, summerfield. That lighting makes this perfect! Love how dogs seem to become "friends" instantly! They move so quickly and aren't the easiest to capture. These seemed friendly enough ... but I know how you feel. One never knows who they will take a liking to. I am somewhat leery too when they aren't leashed.
September 4th, 2012  
Lovely. Great capture.
September 4th, 2012  
The black one is one big dog...Nice shot!!
September 4th, 2012  
@summerfield As I was looking back I did find one shot of a cat that I took while out for a walk
September 4th, 2012  
@karenann - thank you, KA. believe me, i was very nervous as peering through the eyepiece it really seemed they were right there in front of me. but i've learned long ago not to just bolt and run away because then they start to chase you.
September 4th, 2012  
@netkonnexion - thank you, damon.

@kyren167 - thank you, karen. yes, the black one is quite big.

@bkbinthecity - thank you, brian. well then good for you!
September 4th, 2012  
Mel
hey really cool! and super great considering your history with dogs! great idea to go to the beach to find them :) your partner sounds like a dag :) (if you dont know kiwi speak a dag is a bit like a joker :) )
September 4th, 2012  
Love this, beautiful lighting,tones composition and your story is fabulous =)
September 4th, 2012  
very cool shot
September 4th, 2012  
Cute dog capture!
September 4th, 2012  
i saw this shot and thought, WHAT? vikki is taking photos of dogs? what is going on? then read your narrative - brave woman, you are. wonderful capture. bet your heart was going a mile a minute. you caught them acting like DOGS! very natural, very neat shot.
September 4th, 2012  
@emjay8 - yes, partner is a dag, and sometimes a dawg, too! haha! i take it you like?

@tanja_1211 - thank you, tanja. i appreciate that.

@abhijit - thank you, ab.

@alia_801 - thank you, alia.
September 4th, 2012  
@catsmeowb - camille, i swear to you, i was sooooo nervous, especially that i was using a bigger lens and it looked like they were just inches of me. yaiks! but i think the owners can sense my fear because i had this expression in my face, like i was ready to pee in my pants look! hahaha! after i thought i've shot enough, i slowly back-walked to the steps up the road where partner was watching (we were illegally park so he had to watch out for the car. i had wanted him to pet the dogs for the shot but he couldn't come down to the shore. he had to remind me that if the dog/s come sniffing at me, just to stay still and not run. but it turned out okay and i got lotsa dog shots and a few good ones. i think i'll post one more then i can do a collage in the future. i had one that's really cute but a bit blurry, dog was running and it had a big rock in its mouth. it actually circled me for a while and i had just about died! then last night during our walk, we saw a black cat, i approached it and asked if i can take its picture, it meowed at me so i took it for a yes. and suddenly i have an inflamed sinus!
September 4th, 2012  
@catsmeowb - things we do for this get pushed challenge, eh? thank you, camille.
September 4th, 2012  
Great shot and story! Telephoto lenses come in handy some days. I like that the dogs are being dogs and interacting with each other. Very nice way to meet the challenge.
September 4th, 2012  
@beba8162 - thank you, roberta. much appreciated.
September 5th, 2012  
Good on you for doing this despire your fears! I cannot fathom life without dogs, but then I have never had a bad experience like you had to endure!
September 8th, 2012  
The things we do for a photo. Great capture.Beautiful dog. Great color, and detail
September 10th, 2012  
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