My # 1 gal - Diva, our 4 year old Cavalier. We have another cav and an English Springer, too.

Took this shot of Diva back in September with my Canon A30 at max res. We went for a drive to "The Valley" and stopped for shots next to a corn field while the sun was starting to set. ...and sat her on the roof of the car so I could get where I needed to be.

She loves being photographed, so the posing is 100% her. She's super-easy to work with.

I submitted this image to a contest at photography.com and it was selected for publication in an upcoming book (due out this month, IIRC). Very cool being published...LOL

Her registered name is Diva Las Vegas, the image is called Sunset Diva and here she is:

Hi Duane

I like the image of Diva a lot. She is a real Diva. Smile. I have a question about the noise in the fur. Is it an artifact of the jpeg compression or is it from the camera?

Lou

Hey Duane,

Welcome aboard. Diva's shot is awesome. I just got a puppy this weekend. I hope that once we cure her of the mange, worms and other ailments that she is half as good to take a picture of.

-JM

Thanks guys.

Loop - that noise could be from either source. My camera is a 3.0 mp Canon A30...so it has it's limits for sure - totally point & shoot, and for that shot I used the standard setting for Portraits - not sure what Canon calibrates that for in my model camera. I did shoot the original as a .jpeg, so it could be from compression, too.

James - you're only a couple of weeks away from all kinda of fun there. I remember the day each of my dogs first arrived home - other than the usual 'accidents" and one fellow having worms, it was a treat for sure.

My second Cavalier hates the camera as she doesn't like the flash. Diva doesn't mind it...and my Springer is so easy going for me anything goes.

My dogs are a constant source of wonder and photographic opportunity to me. I've been considering doing a macro-map of my Springer's nose - the texture is very interesting...

Incidentally, looks like I'll be in your neck of the woods in February/March james - I love NY.

...and here are Diva's "mud-room mates", as it were.

As you saw above, Diva is the super model in the house.

Boca, the black and tan Cav below, well, she's our little Commando - always up in the windows, on top of furniture, sneaking around in the dark, etc.

Reno, our ESS (bottom), he's "Dad's guy". Pretty much lives for our walks, can't stand to be away from me and hates driving ( ). He's a very cool character - just kinda takes it all in. His registered name is "Reno's Great Train Robber".

Images only altered by cropping & resizing:

Duane

My only critique of these two last images is that I think you shoot not use the on board flash. The discolored eyes take away from the images you are trying to project. The first shot is great. The lighting is perfect. I think it is great that they are so willing to pose for you.

Lou

Thnaks Lou. The flash was my only real option hand-holding in the kitchen with the P&S. You're dead on, though.

Hopefully by January I'll have a new Nikon D50 to play with...then you'll see some real shots...

He Duane,

Getting a Nikon D50? Nice camera. The other area of profitability (as per our NWP Business thread) that I am trying to bring more in control is my instaiable desire for new equipment. I keep on fighting down the urge to purchase an EOS 5d. I keep hitting myself with the reality that the 20d does everything I need it to...

Once you purchase that D50 it seems so tempting to purchase the new model each time...particularly once you have acquired a boatload of glass.

-JM

Yeah - I used to be that way when I had my Canon EOS Elan IIe - fantastic camera - but when I went digital, I wasn't using it - sold the whole setup to a church in New Orleans for use in their wedding chapel.

Now, after reading about 1.2 million reviews, and actually holding the cameras in my hands, I'm left with the D50 - I'm a Canon guy at heart, but the D50 outperforms the D70 in low light (much less noise) and the Rebel XT just doesn't fit my large hand as well as the Nikon.

Luckily, both companies offer very good glass (for a price) and the aftermarket supports them with lots of goodies.

I am determined to make the one body purchase and stick with it for a while. It's the freakin' lenses and lighting that going to suck me in again...LOL

I have a bad feeling that when my Jeep sells (3rd vehicle), all the money's going to end up in photo equipment...it just never ends...LOL