My beautiful Julyan, a husky-chow-wolf mix breed.
My beautiful Julyan, a husky-chow-wolf mix breed.
Read less
Read less
Views
9372
Likes
Awards
Action Award
Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Top Shot Award 21
Legendary Award
Contest Finalist in My Favorite Pet Photo Contest
Featured
Contest Finalist in Animal Faces In Black And White Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Pets With Character Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Animals Are Beautiful Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Pet Friendly Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Dogs vs Cats Photo Contest
Runner Up in 1000 Dogs Photo Contest
People's Choice in Its A Pets Life Photo Contest
Great Shot
Superb Composition
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Superior Skill
Genius
Exceptional Contrast
Jaw Dropping
Love it
Virtuoso
Great Find
Top Ranks
Categories
Longshot
September 20, 2013
Congratulations on the People's Choice award Jess - you know I love this shot ~ Karen
MaryAnne306
May 19, 2014
We all know that look! Great capture and wonderful detail. Congratulations!
blueberrydragon
December 24, 2014
Love this in black & white great picture!Congrats on being a finalist!
jessicaeik
June 23, 2015
Thank you all. She passed away this May 24 at age 14, so this finalist win is bittersweet but appreciated very much. RIP Chulyin.
VHiggins
June 24, 2015
a ...beautiful Julyan! I know this one is very special to you! congratulations!
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
For 12 years, we lived in our log cabin 5000 feet up on Blizzard Ridge, an area running along Plott Balsam mountain, which lies in between Maggie Valley and Cherokee, NC. This shot was taken on our front deck overlooking the beautiful Southern Appalachian mountains of the Blue Ridge Parkway.Time
One foggy morning, I found my camera-shy wolf-dog under the frosted glass topped table on our deck. She was backed up against the railing and I instinctively knew I had a great photo op of her (at long last).Lighting
The combination of an overcast day and the frosted glass of the table provided beautiful filtered, even lighting, even at 11 a.m. It was a fortuitous discovery that I took advantage of many times thereafter.Equipment
I used my then-new D300 with the AF-S DX Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR. I wanted as much detail of her as possible, so set myself and my camera on the floor of the deck and used settings of 90 mm, f/16 and 1/30. I managed to get off several shots before she grew bored and moved.Inspiration
We love all our pets, but Julyan was special to me. We had bred her mother to another wolf-dog mix, so I was there with her from the very beginning and for the following 14 years, until she passed. She was very camera-shy her whole life, always ducking her head and her strikingly beautiful blue eyes away from the lens. As she grew older (she was 6 when I shot this), I got pretty persistent about getting a really good shot of her, and then when I did, it seemed the black and white conversion with a bit of a blue filter really showed her true self.Editing
Lightroom is my go-to standard now, but at the time I used Corel to convert to black and white.In my camera bag
I'm still loyal to my Nikon D300 and the Nikkor lenses. Mostly frequently I use the AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED. I find it a versatile lens for intimate landscapes, small wildlife and bird in flight captures, macros and of course, portraits. I even got some wonderful skateboarding pics with it! For walking around town, I use prime lenses, either the Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Lens or Nikon 50mm f/1.8G AF-S Nikkor FX Lens. I still find the AF-S DX Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR a very handy lens to use for travel. I also like my Manfrotto 494RC2 mini ball head tripod head on the Manfrotto MT293A3 tripod for its lightness, versatility and durability. For off camera flash, I use the Nikon SB600. Lately, I've been experimenting with the Fujifilm FinePix XP80 for underwater shots, trying to decide if I want to invest in DSLR underwater housing.Feedback
Get on the same level as your subject so you are square to it. If you have a camera-shy model and good lighting, I suggest turning off the AF-assist light, which might be making it run off or bother its eyes. Study and respect your subject. Don't force a shot. Always look for the light. Keep your camera close. Last but not least, remain open to experimentation with post processing. Don't be afraid to change your mind and learn. Initially, I wanted to capture her beautiful blue eyes and multi-colored coat, but those very things turned out to be but a disguise of her true half-wild nature that only black and white revealed.