Pet Photography Challenge
Unleashed Education is an online education platform for pet photographers, focused mainly on the craft of photography. They just launched their first-ever round of photography challenge and I am participating in it with an extremely talented group of pet photographers from all over the world! There are a total of 12 challenges in the course of six months, one challenge every two weeks. I’ll be sharing my image submissions and updating this blog post as I play along while sharing all the locations I’m photographing in, of course!
Challenge 01 / Colouriffic
Dog Model: Otto the West Highland White Terrier
Location: Bay Trail in Redwood Shores (behind Design Tech High School)
As soon as I learned the theme, I started thinking of all the potential places with colorful walls around me. I had some ideas but many of them are in high traffic areas and I don’t trust Otto off-leash without an assistant. Fortunately, during a walk with my daughter over the weekend, I saw this one area with lots of overgrown lavender bushes and thought it could work. I brought my camera and Otto back the following week and tested some shots out, I am happy with the final result even though I didn’t make top 10.
Behind-the-scene of the space I was photographing in…
My submission, untitled.
My image didn’t make the Top 10 for this round, but that’s okay! My goal is to keep learning and improve my craft, making top 10 would just be an added bonus! 😊
Challenge 02 / Get Down
Dog Model: Otto the West Highland White Terrier
Location: Wavecrest Trail in Half Moon Bay
I didn’t get a chance to take a behind-the-scenes shot for this challenge, I wish I asked my husband to film me! It would have looked quite silly with me “shuffling backwards” with the camera almost touching the ground while Otto followed along!
I like how the cracked line on the ground creates this leading line pointing to Otto and you can tell he is on the move. However, I wish he was groomed so I can see his eyes a bit better. I also had to do some retouching on his fur to make him look “cleaner” than he really was that day. We both got a bath after we got home 😅
“A Gopher’s Nightmare, Dun Dun Dunn”
Challenge 03 / Composition 101
Dog Model: Ollie the English Labrador Retriever
Location: Rodeo Beach in Mill Valley
The latest challenge in the Unleashed Challenges was Composition 101, themed around the compositional technique of centering. I tend to follow the rule of thirds when I compose images so I had to make a deliberate effort in centering my subject for this assignment.
I also wanted the background and other compositional elements to evoke a sense of symmetry since we were focused on centering so I placed Ollie in between two bodies of water. Even though this is not perfectly symmetrical, everything felt balanced to me and I decided to give it a shot!
My submission: untitled.
This image didn’t make the Top 10 for this round. Go and check out the awesome collection of pet photography that totally nailed the centering composition!
Challenge 04 / Dogscapes
Dog Model: Enzo the French Bulldog
Location: Mile Rock Beach in San Francisco
For Dogscapes, the brief is to showcase the dog with the surrounding landscape. I chose an image where Enzo the Frenchie is positioned on the rock piles of Mile Rock Beach, looking out to the setting sun while the waves are crashing behind him. I can almost smell the salty sea breeze and hear the roar of the ocean!
My submission: untitled. *No cairns were toppled over in the making of this image.
There were so many gorgeous submissions for this round of the challenge, I was blown away by all the Dogscapes as well as everyone’s craft! My photograph didn’t make Top 10, but please do take a look at these awe-inspiring images featuring alpine views, waterfalls, and bucolic rolling meadows! And King Arthur’s Stone!
For this challenge, our brief is to prop our subject matter onto something. I know all of us who photographs dogs are familiar with this way of shooting, since placing a dog on a log, rock, bench, your lap…etc. really helps them stay in place when being photographed. Plus, we don’t have to bend down as much so it’s easier on our bodies too!
When I read the brief, I just wrapped up my session with the amazing little Sage and knew I had the pawfect image! Not only am I in love with the colors of the sky, Sage, our star, also gave me a wonderful expression that is the perfect combination of naughty and adorable! 😜
“Don’t feed me after midnight and don’t get me wet.”
I am so happy when I found out I made Top 10 this round!!! 🥳 Guys, the people I am with are extremely talented and every time I make Top 10, it truly feels like a great honor!!! Doing my happy dance now!!! 💃
Challenge 06 / Soul Searcher
Dog Model: Theo the Miniature Pinscher Poodle mix
Location: Elizabeth Gamble Garden in Palo Alto
For this challenge, we need to pay special focus to the pup’s eyes, the window to our souls. The photo must be taken from above the pup, creating a puppy-eye dog kind of look. For the challenges, my goal is to create a new photograph for each round (and not resort to old photos I’ve taken) but this time was tough. Since my daughter’s daycare was closed for summer break, I was a full-time mom to a toddler for two weeks, which means the only time I had to do this was during her afternoon nap and I was limited to my house as the location.
Untitled.
I managed the above photo of Otto while my daughter napped but I wasn’t 100% confident. Is the crop too out-of-the-box? Is the background too boring? Although I love the fact that the wooden floor and Otto’s eye color match so well.
I decided to submit the below image since it is safer, in the sense that it fit the criteria: super sharp eyes with a nice background. I love Theo’s relaxed and curious expression with specks of yellow and blue flowers falling off around him!
Untitled.
In the end, my image of Theo didn’t make Top 10. There’s just so much room to learn and grow as a photographer and I look forward to continuing on with the challenges and grow as an artist!
Challenge 07 / City Slicker
Deadline: Friday, August 6th, 2021. I will update then!