This pair need to be adopted together. I think the photo illustrates why pretty well

I'm not on my main machine so I'm completely guessing on how it looks.

Jim,
I thought this was a family site. Gives special meaning to the term "joined at the hip".

We had two Rotties that came to us from New Orleans a few years back after Katrina and, like these two, they couldn't be separated. They were both 8 or 9 and the girl was the stronger of the two. When I tried to take her for a walk by herself, the boy just whined so I only walked them together.

Fortunately, the folks who adopted them took them both. Let's hope you have similar good fortune.

Jim

Hey Jim,

The shot looks very nice. I like your backdrop. The colors could probably be a bit richer in post-processing, but it really is a nice shot.

I am glad that you are still doing shelter events. I have one coming up next weekend.

James

Thanks guys.

Now that I have seen it on my main machine, it looks a little flat & washed out to me, but that's easy enough to correct.

I did shoots for three rescue groups that day and it was nice to get out and play with the dogs. They need all the socialization they can get.


I'm trying to figure out how to address an issue with one of the groups, but I think I'll get more replies in a separate post, so keep your eyes out.

I think it is a sweet shot. No biggie bumping the saturation. I'd really really would seriously lose that black vignette. It doesn't ad. Vignettes should be barely perceptible and look like a lighting effect, vs a PS frame

You know, the whole vignette thing is very interesting. I find that many other photographers hate the dark, more like a frame edges that I use on some portraits, but clients love them.

I've put up a plain edge, "normal" vignette, and the darker one like above as choices and the darker edged images win out every time in terms of client preference.

I think in the creative world, it is really impossible to say that anything should or should not be a certain way.

The same thing goes for composition. Whenever I present a "rule of thirds (ROT)" or other supposedly strong composition, the image notes almost always come back saying "please crop so 'fluffy' is in the center."

We all know (or at least think we know) that centered compositions are usually weaker than an ROT, Golden Mean, Diagonal, etc, but I'm finding that clients don't like them.
Who am I to argue with what sells?


Perhaps my clients just have no taste (wink wink, joke joke just in case one of my clients happens to read this )

When you are dealing with the public, you are not creating a work of art, but preserving a memory.

David, why wouldn't you want to create a work of art that also preserves a memory? I look back on stuff I did not long ago and what I did to it in photoshop and smack myself in the head!

I delete anything I wouldn't want people to show to everyone or hang on their walls. I *try* not to go overboard with PS(not that I don't sometimes)

Something was said to me when showing prints for PPA competition. It was "You CAN create a portrait for a customer that also can be a merit print. People may not understand the difference, but, they appreciate it".

Most of what I shoot is not merit print worthy. It lacks those special qualities from composition to lighting that could be better. I am working on it. My goal is to have the ability to have that sort of quality for every person I take money from.

Jim, its your vision. Its your work. You need to work it as you see fit. I am just giving an opinion on the PS edge.

I just don't think that one should assume that clients won't appreciate really good portraits, that could be considered art.

Thanks folks.

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I just don't think that one should assume that clients won't appreciate really good portraits, that could be considered art.

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That's just it, I'm not assuming. I've put the three versions side by side and asked dozens of clients and non-client dog people for their opinions and the darker edges win out by far.

It very well could be something in my presentation which is something I need to take a look at more closely.

Personally, I like a vignette that traces the overall shape of the subject and is much more subtle, but so far that treatment is in a distant second as far as client preferences go.