Caption: "I'm helping, right?"

Wilf in the strawberry patch

[WPRESTO]

Tralee with a silly-happy face during a walk last week.

[pepperberry farm]

Stormy Grace

[paulh]

An early Spring day at the dogpark:

[dstar]

Dana my little lady Dana

[WPRESTO]

A terrier looking happy to be doing what it's human wants.

[scratchpaddy]

An early Spring day at the dogpark:

On one hand, I wish my local park had some water like that. I know my dog would love it.

On the other hand, I'm glad it doesn't, because she's a mud-seeking missile.



Why is it always the white ones?

[WPRESTO]

I little hard to make out what's happening here, but sometimes on a hot summer day when we come to a bare sandy spot, Tralee will scratch off some of the surface then lie down and roll on her back, back and forth and back and forth. That's what she's up to.

[timb64]

Why is it always the white ones?

The black ones are as bad!It just shows up differently

[WPRESTO]

This Aussie is one that talks all the time through an agility run, as if it wants to be sure everyone knows that it just cleared an obstacle. There are other dogs, other breeds that similarly bark and bark and bark all through the seconds of a run.

[Benz3ne]

This Aussie is one that talks all the time through an agility run, as if it wants to be sure everyone knows that it just cleared an obstacle. There are other dogs, other breeds that similarly bark and bark and bark all through the seconds of a run.

A couple of the dogs at the agility class I take mine to are noisy little troopers. Although they're very much amateurs, they all have a great time. My younger one will often just wait at the start despite me calling her, taking a minute to 'buffer' before setting off - we often say that all she hears is white noise, or the internet dial-up tone.
Our older one will sometimes stop and bark for treats at my other half if she goes 'too many' obstacles without reward!

I keep saying I need to take my camera down there as I'm sure I'll come back with at least a couple of decent shots, but I do need to improve on my skills first in less than adequate lighting!

[WPRESTO]

A couple of the dogs at the agility class I take mine to are noisy little troopers. Although they're very much amateurs, they all have a great time. My younger one will often just wait at the start despite me calling her, taking a minute to 'buffer' before setting off - we often say that all she hears is white noise, or the internet dial-up tone.
Our older one will sometimes stop and bark for treats at my other half if she goes 'too many' obstacles without reward!

I keep saying I need to take my camera down there as I'm sure I'll come back with at least a couple of decent shots, but I do need to improve on my skills first in less than adequate lighting!

Advice and warnings:
1) Lighting at all interior venues where Tralee runs is just plain awful.
2) The dogs are moving much faster than you think, you must use the fastest possible shutter speed - 1/1000 is no more than adequate.
3) It follows that high ISO is a necessity, 1600 at least, 6400 is better. Because of this and the speed of the dogs, expect a lot of images with blur and the messiness of very high ISO. Just look at the lousy IQ and blur of the images I posted just above.

4) The dogs are farther away than you think. For most of a run, a 70~200mm f2.8 zoom or 200mm f2.8 prime is needed;
5) If you do not have such a lens, concentrate on the obstacles closest to your position.
6) CAF is inadequate to follow a dog that is coming toward you (you wouldn't be photographing a dog that's moving away = a butt shot, except maybe for Corgis which have cute rear ends). Best plan: set the camera to manual focus and high-speed multiple exposure, prefocus on an obstacle and trip the shutter as the dog approaches, or for the exit from a tunnel trip as soon as a nose appears.Only use CAF for a dog moving right-left of your position.

7) OUTDOOR VENUES ARE VASTLY BETTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHY! NEVER leave the camera behind if you are going to an outdoor meet.

One last thought: Some border collies move at about 70% of the speed of light. Forget them as a photo-subject at indoor meets.

[Benz3ne]

Advice and warnings:
1) Lighting at all interior venues where Tralee runs is just plain awful.
2) The dogs are moving much faster than you think, you must use the fastest possible shutter speed - 1/1000 is no more than adequate.
3) It follows that high ISO is a necessity, 1600 at least, 6400 is better. Because of this and the speed of the dogs, expect a lot of images with blur and the messiness of very high ISO. Just look at the lousy IQ and blur of the images I posted just above.

4) The dogs are farther away than you think. For most of a run, a 70~200mm f2.8 zoom or 200mm f2.8 prime is needed;
5) If you do not have such a lens, concentrate on the obstacles closest to your position.
6) CAF is inadequate to follow a dog that is coming toward you (you wouldn't be photographing a dog that's moving away = a butt shot, except maybe for Corgis which have cute rear ends). Best plan: set the camera to manual focus and high-speed multiple exposure, prefocus on an obstacle and trip the shutter as the dog approaches, or for the exit from a tunnel trip as soon as a nose appears.Only use CAF for a dog moving right-left of your position.

7) OUTDOOR VENUES ARE VASTLY BETTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHY! NEVER leave the camera behind if you are going to an outdoor meet.

One last thought: Some border collies move at about 70% of the speed of light. Forget them as a photo-subject at indoor meets.

Thank you for this! To address a couple of points;
1. Fully agree - it's fluorescent tubes in the venue we practice in.
2. Agreed - practice photos with my two dogs have resulted in many a blurred photo. However, some of the dogs are considerably more sedentary than others.
3. Good to know and great advice, thank you.
4. The venue we practice in is a Scouts hall. It's not large and doesn't feature full-sized equipment so that aspect is on my side. That being said, it'd likely be the 55-300mm PLM I would use, and rely on high ISO as per point 3. For an idea of size, it'll fit 8 dogs plus their owners (total 10 or so persons) width ways across the hall on chairs, and length is approximately 2-2.5x width.
5. Agreed, and thank you - worthwhile knowing if I were to visit a larger venue at any point.
6. I've heard a lot about value of focusing on obstacles and snapping the dog as they cross them. Catch in focus sort of crossed my mind, but I wouldn't have known about the inadequacy with dogs moving towards the camera for it. This point will probably be my largest learning curve.
7. I cannot wait to visit an outdoor venue! If/when the opportunity arises, I WILL be prepared!

Yes, Collies tend to be rapid. There's an insanely fit, working Cocker spaniel in the group we visit and he has a habit of completing the course in record times but leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. No doubt he'd be a tough cookie to get decent pictures of! Thanks again, this is very much appreciated.

[Jan178]

Just fooling around with Elvis, old body and high ISO

18-55mm WR on K-200d
ISO1600 1/1600s f/5,6

[IMG][/IMG]

[WPRESTO]

Annabelle knows she's more agile than any dog, and feels no need to prove it. She's also is a little put out that she must put up with faux leopard skin.