You've probably seen this photo circulating the internet as a meme. It all started here - my pug - in the tulip fields of Woodburn, Oregon, at the Wooden Shoe T...
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You've probably seen this photo circulating the internet as a meme. It all started here - my pug - in the tulip fields of Woodburn, Oregon, at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm, on a late Saturday afternoon. Wallace had just had cancer surgery - but you'd never know from this photo. I love that in his big enthusiasm he managed to get all four feet off the ground at the same time!
This photo won the 2012 Travel + Leisure magazine photo contest - I won the grand prize - a $26,000 vacation to South Korea. The value of our trip *just* exceeds the cost of Wallace's myriad surgeries in the last four years. He'll be seven on Groundhog's Day - and he has cancer, and just had his first ever seizure recently. You'd never know - he's the happiest, snortiest, sweetest pug in the world. And I will always have this photo!
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This photo won the 2012 Travel + Leisure magazine photo contest - I won the grand prize - a $26,000 vacation to South Korea. The value of our trip *just* exceeds the cost of Wallace's myriad surgeries in the last four years. He'll be seven on Groundhog's Day - and he has cancer, and just had his first ever seizure recently. You'd never know - he's the happiest, snortiest, sweetest pug in the world. And I will always have this photo!
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Awards
Top Shot Award
Winner in Happy Pups Photo Challenge
Featured
Winner in Colors Galore! Photo Challenge
Contest Finalist in Bright And Colorful Photo Contest
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
All Star
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Superior Skill
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Goozedesigns
April 08, 2016
Amazing capture, the bright colors and clear cleanliness is great in this photo.
edandaniphone
April 11, 2016
Very cool image capturing a spirit reborn in a heavenly spot. Awesome. :)
naturisk
May 03, 2016
I hope you win all the more, and thanks for sharing the joy! I also hope your dog stays free of any more problems.
TravelBugDove
June 19, 2016
This is so precious! Makes me smile :) Beautiful colors too! Congratulations & well deserved!
mackenziestronach
September 02, 2016
Thank you for entering my photo challenge Colors Galore! I just fell in love with the little dogs face running through the very colorful tulips! He seems like he's excited that spring is finally here!
Randyone
September 19, 2016
OMG, amazing photo! If only the world is as cheerful and colorful as this picture...
iluv2shoot
June 04, 2017
I had already liked and awarded this photo some time ago, and I still love to view it! Such a perfect capture it is :)
fotosnapper
August 17, 2017
Great action shot of Wallace! I don't see this photograph for sale on your gallery; was that intentional?
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Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival in Woodburn, Oregon, in the spring of 2012. About a 45 minute drive outside the city of Portland it's a whole other world of farmland and small towns. This annual festival draws people from all over the Pacific Northwest.Time
This was at the end of an overcast day. The light was even and lovely, the colors were popping, and the crowds had largely left. The best time to shoot in a busy location like this is the end of the day or very early in the morning, and I'm not a morning person.Lighting
The light was already diffused and soft, so all I needed was a pop of fill to bring out Wallace's features. I love the even tones of an overcast day!Equipment
This was shot with my old work horse of a Nikon D300, and my 50mm 1.4 Nikon lens which is my go-to lens for practically everything. It's fast, it's sharp, it's light. It was supplemented with an SB800.Inspiration
Wallace had just had surgery to remove several cancerous tumors. (If you look closely, you can see one of his front legs is still shaved from the IV.) I had shot at the Tulip Festival many, many times, but had never gotten around to bringing either of my dogs there for portraits. It struck me as incredibly important to document Wallace on a "good day" somewhere beautiful. He has cancer again, but I will always have this photo.Editing
As I was shooting with my 50mm lens, and shooting continuously, I had Wallace in a wide-range of distances from the camera. This photo was cropped square, and some adjustments to levels were made. I always hate that bright yellow tulip right next to Wallace - but over the years I have "photoshopped" it out many different ways and it never looks right.In my camera bag
Nikon D800, Nikon 50mm 1.4, Nikon 20mm 2.8, a macro lens (an old Pentax/Asahi 50mm 1.4 manual on a Nikon converter), a Nikon 80-400, an SB900 flash, spare batteries, tripod mounts, lens cleaning cloths, a Snickers bar, water, and lots of memory cards. And usually my iPhone, too.Feedback
Keep shooting, and when you think you have "it" shoot some more. This was a moving subject, not just his body and his distance from me, but his feet and facial expressions were different from frame to frame. I had him run to me several times down this row of tulips, me calling for him with treats, and I just kept shooting the whole time he was running, every time. When I got home I had a lot of files to sort through - but it gave me a really great selection to choose from when it came to pose, distance, expression, etc. I'd rather have to sort through 100 similar images for The One than have to pick between a few "meh" options.