It’s been way too long since my last post.  No excuses but we did take a five week cross country tour.  Five cities in five weeks … from Atlanta to Denver, then San Diego, Scottsdale, San Antonio and finally, Louisville KY.  We had five great shows & did a LOT of driving so I just wasn’t able to find much time for blogging.

But now we are home & it’s back to my normal routine … so here goes.  I think I’ll start with one of my favorite projects from our tour.

One of the services I offer to my clients is free photo shoots at the shows we attend.  Most of them are pretty straight forward … bring out the lights & backdrop … get the dog to sit facing the camera … make funny noises & click away.  This particular shoot was a little more complicated … three times over.  This shoot featured not one but two Bassett Hounds AND a Mastiff.  Oh my!

Amazingly, we got several great shots.  The funny noises got everyone’s attention & the rest was history.  Well, almost … one of the Bassetts was just a little too far off to the side so I moved him in closer to the center through the magic of photo editing.  This can be a very time consuming process but it is worth it.  And, after that, all that was left to do was get creative … a new background & a few filters to soften the overall look, as well as an intersting but subtle pattern in the center to balance things out.

I think the clock turned out great & I know my client is happy.

First, let’s remember what’s really important in for a clock photo of your pet.  The best photos feature your furry loved one facing the camera, from the front or turned slightly to the side in a 3/4 view.  It’s actually pretty simple … just about anything other than a view of your pet from the side.  That’s because four-legged animals, when viewed from the side, are quite wide … too wide to fit comfortably into one hour of a clock. 

The photo to the right is a wonderful example & one of my all-time favorites.  It’s perfect, actually!  The view is from the front, with a 3/4 turn of the body.  Notice how there seems to be a vertical line … the image of the boxer is taller than it is wide.  And, as an added bonus, the background is uncluttered & well suited to the color of the dog’s coat.  As you might have guessed, this photo was taken by a professional photographer.

So, what about photos taken by us mere mortals?  You know, the ones that have potential but aren’t perfect.  The ones where the pose is good but the background needs the old switcheroo. 

Here’s an ok photo that turned into a really lovely clock.  The view of this golden retriever puppy is from the front with a slight turn to the body … it’s really good.  The background is a little less than wonderful though.  The first thing that needed to be done was to get rid of all of those grout lines in the floor, then the date stamp & toy needed to be removed.  After that was done, the photo was perfect & made a really wonderful golden retriever clock.

What’s really fun to me about this clock was that my client was almost certain she didn’t have a good photo.  And that’s the point I’m trying to make with today’s post.  Just because your photo isn’t perfect, doesn’t mean it can’t become a great clock.  Send me what you’ve got so I can help you to find the gem in the rough.  Photo editing is part of the process in designing a clock … it’s what you are paying me to do.  So don’t worry about cluttered or messy or boring backgrounds. 

Ok, one more example.  I was thrilled when I saw this photo of a german shepherd.  I thought that this would be an easy one because the background of the photo is lovely … all that fabulous greenery.  And then my client told me she wanted a blue background.  Oh well, back to the drawing board.

This time, the task was a little more complicated.  I needed to completely change the background in order to do what my client requested.  This took a bit more time than the golden puppy clock, but it gave me lots of creative license.  I pulled the dog out of the photo & tried him against several different blue backgrounds till I came up with the right mix for my client.

The thing to remember from all of this is not to worry about the background of your photos.  I can fix a background 99% of the time.  What I can’t fix is a photo with the subject in a pose that is not suited for a clock … a side view.  So go grab your stash of photos of your pet & look for the ones that show him or her from the front.  Send me a few & I’ll help you pick the one that will work best for your clock.

Till next time …

Of course, I’m guessing that most folks who stumble upon my little blog will be more interested in what they see, than what they read.

That being said … how about a few clocks?  Today’s theme is AGILITY!

It always amazes me when I get a chance to watch dogs doing agility.  I think of my own two little Pugs & feel rather inadequate.  I just can’t imagine getting them to do what I see so many dogs doing so well.  The team work between dog & human is incredible. 

I feel lucky if I can get my two kids to actually sit when I tell them to.

Speaking of my kids, their names are Smooch & Buster.  They, as previously stated, do not do agility nor do they do much of anything other than keep us thoroughly amused & feeling loved.  It’s their job & they do it well.

Actually, I always tell folks that Pugs are a wonderful breed.  They will do anything in the world to make you happy … as long as it’s what they want to do.  I dare you to find a Pug-person who would disagree with that statement.

But here in today’s post, we have a Poodle, a Beagle & a Cocker Spaniel.  All three are obviously having the time of their lives.

Just look at the expression on these three faces … a combination of canine determination & utter exhilaration.  It just makes me want to go jump over something.  Of course, there’s no way I could do it like these three … Superman style with the front paws stretched out. 

Oh crud!  All this talk about jumping over things reminded me that, according to my most recent New Years resolution, I’m supposed to go exercise right about now.  Drat!

Till next time!

And now the fun part … I can finally share some of the projects I created for clients over the past few months.  I’ve been dying to show off some of my work, but didn’t want to spoil any surprises.  Now that all the gifts have been lovingly wrapped & hastily unwrapped, I can actually show off some of my favorites.

Sometimes a photo just sings to me … like this one. 

There’s just something about a dog on the beach that makes me smile. 

This is Cookie … a real beauty!

Isn’t she adorable with the wind blowing through her hair?

The canine version of a romance novel covergirl.

I swear … this is the happiest dog I have ever seen!

Looking at him, I just want to pack it in & move to California.

I even miss the Jersey Shore!

This is one of my favorite dog clocks of all time!

HAIRY (that’s really his name) On The Beach.

I guess I’m tired of winter already … there seems to be a real beach theme going here.

Ok, I’m going to wrap this post up.  I haven’t quite gotten the hang of inserting photos yet.  This whole blogging thing is a little out of my realm … hopefully it will get easier.

So, now it’s on to the new year!  We’ve got lots of exciting plans.  The first thing I need to do is to figure out how this darned blogging thing works.  Oh my!

Actually, the big change for this coming year is that I will no longer be going to shows as a lone wolf.  Eric & the Pugs will be joining me.  We’ll have to figure out how to rework the booth so everything will fit into the SUV … two Pugs & all their gear take up a LOT of room.  And, of course, we’ll have to keep our fingers crossed that Smooch & Buster will behave themselves while at the shows.  They are just a wee bit “high strung” … actually, they are a LOT high strung & they both seem to thing that the sun & moon revolve around them.  Wish us luck!  It should be interesting …

As for the other changes coming up, you’ll just have to check out future blog posts. 

So, speaking of future blog posts, I guess I should give you some idea of what to expect to see here.  I will most certainly be showing off lots of my work & giving advice on taking & selecting  photos for clocks, tables & pendants.  I’ll also be posting photos taken along the road.  We’re going to be doing lots of traveling & I’m pretty sure we’ll see some amazing things.  Other than that, who knows what will show up here. 

So, you’ll just have to check in from time to time to see what’s going on with The Clock Lady.  For now, I want to wish everyone, especially all of my wonderful clients, a very Merry Christmas!