Winter Bliss
Our 5 year old Alaskan Malamute having a grand time running off leash after a snow storm.
Our 5 year old Alaskan Malamute having a grand time running off leash after a snow storm.
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Feb, 2014Views
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Awards
Fall Award 2020
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Superior Skill
Jaw Dropping
One Of A Kind
Exceptional Contrast
Emotions
Impressed
Happy
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken on a mild winter afternoon at one of our favorite places to dog sled and let our Alaskan Malamutes run free for a few hours.Time
As I recall, this day was pretty mild. The weather was on the warm side to be working our dogs too long. After a bit of harness work, I took our dogs off lead and let them enjoy the day. There was a good foot of snow on the ground and with the warm sun, the snowpack was getting soft. Easy for our dogs to get around, but we ended up using our snowshoes. Turns out to be quite a workout for my wife and I.Lighting
As most photographers know, shooting under a mid day sun can be a challenge. This day was no exception. I still consider myself an amateur and in the beginning, I had many settings wrong. As my skills improve, I have made adjustments to work with the natural lighting under the harshest of conditions. A snowy white landscape on a bright day has to be one of my hardest challenges of my photography to date.Equipment
In 2015, I was still using my Nikon D80. The D80 was my first step into the DSLR world after years of film. When I have a few days off, I enjoy spending time outside. On this day, I grabbed my camera and my Nikon 18-105mm and headed for the day.Inspiration
My days off are often hard to come by. I try and made the best of them when the weather is good. On this day, my wife and I took out our Alaskan Malamutes to get in some much needed relaxation. My oldest Mal, seen here in this picture, is Tye. He is 5 years old and still a very playful "old man". His half sister, Summer, is a year younger. Together, they work well as a team and the opportunity to capture a few photographs in such a natural setting is exhilarating! When Tye gets to playing, he ends up with an almost puppy personality. Adding snow and the chance to run free for a few hours is a photography dream and nightmare all rolled into one. To get just a few shots of our dogs having a great time is worth every minute.Editing
Normally, I don't have the expertise to do a lot of post processing to make the pictures look natural. In this case, because of the bright sun, I had overexposed the image. In the end, I did a little cropping and to darken the image. Some day I will delve deeper into the post editing world, but for now I'll stick with trying to nail the correct exposures and compositions.In my camera bag
With my first DSLR, I carried the usual items, spare batteries for the camera, a Speedlight, a mini tripod, a cable shutter release, and a few lenses. In the summer of 2015, I decided to get a little more serious with my photography and expand onto a hobby that I enjoyed. I purchased a D7200, an ultra wide angle lens, a portrait lens, a macro lens, and a bigger camera bag to fit it all in. From there, I added more Speedlights, umbrellas (to photograph our granddaughter), and too many gadgets to list here.Feedback
As I continue to improve my photography skills, I look back at my earlier photos and try to learn from my mistakes. On the shots where I only get once chance, I try to do the best that I can to "get the shot!" Photographing our dogs often turns out to be very rewarding. There is no staging of the shot and our dogs certainly won't sit still very long. Being quick with the camera and ready for anything is essential. Being patient and preparing also helps. Having settings ready before you venture out will save time in the critical seconds. There is nothing worse than getting ready to take that one chance at a great image only to learn that you left your lens cap on. Sad to say, I've done this a few times. The only advice I can give to beginning photographers is to work outside of their comfort zones. Venture into something new and enjoy the show!
