This is an ad I was asked to design for dog news. They asked me to make it have impact, be different from all the others and not be busy. It needs a bit of polishing, but, this is what I came up with

Julie,
very nice: simple, elegant with the focus (literally) on the dog and the handler.

Your choice of type is excellent and that's a great photo that works both in color and B&W.

They should love it. Hope you're getting paid .

Jim

very well done

to really draw attention to a b&w ad, one could try a red collar on the dog and a red belt on the handler-everything else in B&W. just thinking out loud

John,
spot color is a great idea creatively. Only "problem" is that Dog News charges $250 per B&W page non-preferred pages non-bleed. Full bleed is another $100 and one additional PMS color is $125. That quickly gets you into the realm of a full-color ad which starts at $600/page.

When folks come to us asking for advice for Dog News, we recommend B&W (they have traditionally printed B&W pages better than 4-color) but, if they are prepared to pay for a full-color, full-bleed ad, we try to talk them into B&W, full-bleed with spot color because it really does stand out from the other advertising.

Jim

Julie - very nice ad (but I liked the shot when you first posted it) and quite out of the ordinary for Dog News. Very eye-catching. I like everything about it.

Thanks everyone. The clients just loved it. I thumbed through Dog News and Showsite and yeah, definitely not normal. The handlers are artists, and long time dog people. Their art is a bit abstract and very beautiful. I figured something a little out there would work for them

John, I have to admit to the red collar and belt making me giggle. The clients would flip out if I put a red collar on their specials bitch. It could be a neat idea in a portrait of a pet, but, show photography is something completely different. It is as different as my equestrian photography

People always say "Oh, you are so lucky when you get a show dog, they are trained". Which, is true. They are much easier to get to sit still. BUT, the clients are very very particular on every single bit of the photo. One foot wrong, a head tilt not just right, the head shot in a way it looks too small or too big, an ear flicked wrong. All rejected. Pet dogs are a bigger struggle to get to be still, but, all they have to do is look cute with a good expression

The show leads in whippets should be near invisible around the neck. My white and white collared whippets all wear very thin white cotton leads. If had a little more cash, they'd have white kangaroo leads with some pretty beads on the leash. Someday....

Definitely an eye catcher. And with any advertising that is exactly what is needed. Lovely!

Julie, thanks so much for the feedback, I am learning so much from you and Jim about show photography. So far, all my pet work as been with "pets" but I am learning so I can be prepared for the day when I do a "show dog".

My next purchase is for some backdrops, I have the black and white, now I would like to get an ole master brown, a gray and maybe a blue. I may even try my hand at making my own-pre made ones in 20 ft lengths are a bit pricey.

Hey Julie,

Very very nice work on this cover. How did this initially come about?

James

The handler needed photos with her special, and, asked me if I would trade handling for photos. Then they asked if I would design and ad and it sorta went from there. It has worked out great so far because I don't have the cash for handling.