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Certified Assistance Dog "Karma"
Certified Assistance Dog "Karma"
Bear_Music


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Pet Portrait (Advanced Editing IV*)
Collection: Challenges
Camera: Nikon Coolpix 5700
Location: Harwich Port, MA, USA
Date: Mar 31, 2005
Aperture: f:5.6
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/60
Date Uploaded: Mar 31, 2005

 Karma is my "Hearing Dog", trained for 9 months by NEADS. She goes everywhere with me, including supermarkets, planes, & restaurants. The Herring River Marsh is her favorite place to frolic & gambol. She wears the "uniform" wherever she goes; the zipper pocket holds poop bags. She is, amazingly enough, trained to "do her business" on the command "Better go now!"

She also understands, besides the usual stuff, "Leave it!", "Be nice!", "UH HUH!" (as a warning to desist), "Go under!", "Go through!", and "Jump on!"

The picture was shot with the camera at just above ground level. Black dogs are HARD to shoot...

Dog selected out, sky selected out, sky combined with dog, inverted, made foreground selection; levels and hue/saturation applied to each separately and all featheerd together. Light USM. No neat image.

Statistics
Place: 20 out of 273
Avg (all users): 6.4346
Avg (commenters): 7.6842
Avg (participants): 6.3203
Avg (non-participants): 6.6047
Views since voting: 3903
Views during voting: 344
Votes: 214
Comments: 37
Favorites: 5 (view)

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AuthorThread
 09/11/2023 09:51:30 AM
Black dogs are sooo hard to shoot. I know, I have two. Karma is beautiful and i love her uniform.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/04/2014 08:40:49 PM
Beautiful Portrait! Love the look you got in her eyes!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/06/2011 04:16:50 PM
Great image of that super looking dog.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/05/2009 10:15:07 AM
Why, she is assless after all!
Greatly enjoyed the interview, Robert.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/04/2009 01:15:53 PM
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
For all those who commented on Karma's "missing ass", she's climbing out of a ditch, and she froze in mid-climb when some birds broke cover. It's by far the best shot I have ever had of her face, so I entered it despite the weird pose.

And by entering her in this 'weird' pose, you made her world-famous.
:-))
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 10/08/2006 02:09:38 AM
Hi Robert. Nice shot, but I'm really commenting to thank you for sharing this part of your life via photography. I always enjoy detailed comments where the photog explains what the shot means to him or her. :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 11/10/2005 07:56:50 PM
man - you have to love dogs !
difficult exposure - well done !
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/06/2005 12:54:37 AM
That's a great shot, Robert.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/31/2005 03:47:22 PM
I just read the thread about your dog and had to take a look! She is so beautiful! I can only imagine what a good friend she is to you. I have never had the opportunity to meet a "working dog" in person, but it always amazes me at the stories of how they take their jobs so seriosly. They are truley amazing animals!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/28/2005 03:19:59 AM
wow - great shot of a black dog - a very special one at that. Dogs are wonderful companions, and will do everything to please their humans.

You're obviously a very good photographer - maybe you could share with me how to take a good shot of a black dog and keep it from looking blue. I sure would appreciate any tips as I do a little pet photography on the side.

  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/05/2005 01:04:50 AM
" Black dogs are HARD to shoot... "

You can say that again... I agree with you. But its apparent not to be hard for you.. I really like how your dog stands out in this. I also want to say thank you for leaving your notes to your process of how you accomplished this. I have to say I would be proud to have a dog like that and I am sure you are, so that said your portrait is a honor to her and dogs like her.. Wow a very good and well done!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/02/2005 09:41:41 PM
Fessel, she's not actively climbing, she froze in place and "pointed" the birds basically. Very static pose.

Buddy, she's a rescued shelter animal, an abandoned dog. We assume sone German Shepherd in the mix because of the ears, but she's smallish at 55 lbs. She has an incredible herding instinct; in our local free run area she herds all the other dogs, it's funny to watch. So in that respect she behaves like a cattle dog yes...
 05/02/2005 06:59:33 PM
What a great shot! It looks as if you captured just how intelligent she is. Do you mind me asking what breed she is? I used to have a dog who was very similar to her, he was an Australian Cattle dog mix.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/22/2005 10:59:28 PM
Amazing exposure. The tones on the dog are great.

I do, however, notice some weirdness in this image. The pose is very unnatural, considering that he is "climbing out of a ditch". Also, I notice some editing done (cloning?) below the left leg, by his belly. Kinda weird looking. At first glance, it looks awesome, but then the pose and the entire image appears strange.

The dog has been swallowed by the grass.

Message edited by author 2005-04-22 23:05:04.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/11/2005 12:50:59 AM
I loved the look on her face. I thought -now there's a dog that takes her/him job seriously. Wasn't sure of the sex at the time.

Yes our black cat Kilo is difficult to photograph also.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/11/2005 12:20:33 AM
Hey Robert: a lovely and impressive image. Congratulations on your top 20 finish.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/11/2005 12:17:11 AM
I saw you mentioned in a post that you were deaf...I thought you were kidding! I'm not deaf....but I always warn people that I am because I'm hearing impaired....had a hearing aid, but broke it to pieces a few years back and haven't been able to afford the kind I want (the little one that hardly shows) and unfortunately my insurance doesn't cover them.

Anyhow! Great looking dog and photo....I have two black ones (wiener dogs)..and you're right they are hard to photograph....I couldn't figure what I was doing wrong until an instructor explained how the camera works (gray, white, black) and how you change the camera settings to compensate. :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/11/2005 12:10:48 AM
For all those who commented on Karma's "missing ass", she's climbing out of a ditch, and she froze in mid-climb when some birds broke cover. It's by far the best shot I have ever had of her face, so I entered it despite the weird pose.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
04/10/2005 11:43:38 PM
Wow, does this guy have class. Good outdoor capture. Bumping up.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/10/2005 09:39:38 PM
There is an odd effect in this picture. The grass in the foreground makes the dog look like he has lost his hind quarters. Maybe that is just me, though. Now I'm not sure. Anyway, good looking dog.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/10/2005 06:16:48 PM
Going for the 10!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/10/2005 04:47:19 PM
Good environmental portrait. There is a strong sense of presence and pride with the stance and expression. The background grasses contrast nicely with the black of the fur and the orange 'jacket'. Only thing I dont like is the way the rear legs have disappeared in the grass and I dont know if there was a selection involved but there is a strong edge/contrast there that makes it look like the legs have been cut off or missing.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/09/2005 06:25:48 PM
That is such a fantastic shot. His head may be pointing away but he is looking right at the camera. Well done, great looking dog.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/09/2005 02:44:38 AM
Very nice and honorific composition. That beast knows what its doing! Colours are a little blend (background mostly) but doesn't drag away too much from the shot. Lighting could've been a little bit more dramatic (is this shoot 100% natural light?) Perharps a reflector could've helped some. Not sure i like the frame. It doesn't give the pic any "more". I believe the white is what throws me off. 6
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/08/2005 12:07:14 AM
nice job here. like it's name too...7
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/07/2005 11:29:37 PM
This is one incredibly good photo. How you ever managed to get that beautiful working dog to pose for you like that is beyond belief. The image is clear, crips and a definite eye grabber. THe collar and the NEADS logo are two other factors which draw your eyes to this beautiful animal.

Since I know what NEADS stands for, I have a good idea who took this picture, but that will not detract me from giving you a well deserved 10 :0) hehehehe. Good luck with the challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/07/2005 03:11:14 AM
nice detailed image
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/06/2005 06:29:16 PM
Nice colors, the only thing I notice is the top of Karma's ears look fuzzy, I can't quite put my finger on why
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/05/2005 09:32:58 PM
What a cool expression you've captured. He looks almost half human. Nice setting and a very beautiful dog. Well done!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/05/2005 11:16:15 AM
Seems like this dog really has a big personality and you've captured it!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/04/2005 10:33:32 PM
Nice colors, but she almost appears to have been cut and pasted into the environment. I'm sure she hasn't been, but I can see where people might think that. Beautiful animal.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/04/2005 08:10:56 PM
I love his expression but would like to see his back end too...6
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/04/2005 03:25:35 PM
Stunning shot. Love the color.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/04/2005 01:01:02 PM
Wonderful dog, but the whole photo (esp. the grass, both near and far, and other spots) looks wrong somehow... overprocessed, perhaps? A bit too much of the dog is covered by the grass, but I love the posture - very classic and regal.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/04/2005 10:30:19 AM
Love the expression on this pooch's face...adorable...I think he/she is actually grinning....
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/04/2005 01:56:36 AM
Great angle, great pet portrait. Composition is wonderful. Detail on the black fur is great and not easy to do. I might have added a touch more saturation to the colors, but really very nice.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/04/2005 01:50:52 AM
The pose is incredible. I like seeing a dog in a scenic setting. He looks very heroic. There is a slight fringing of cyan around the top of his head between the ears that is distracting, but all in all a terriffic photograph.
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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