Sunday Stills - Going To The Dogs

I had fun with this challenge. Of course. How could you not, taking pictures of Hank on a warm, sunny winter afternoon :-). 

I played around with my aperture settings to determine how much of Hank and his background was in focus.  This one, just his face, with the setting sun glancing through his tail.

If you are careful how you place yourself and your subject, I think you can break the rule of keeping the sun at your back.  I think it looks nice on Hank's back :-).  He's a little shadowed, but I still love this picture.

I also have learned to bracket my shots when I'm shooting in manual mode, especially in harder light situations.  What the camera wants to read and do (in an auto mode) and what I want to do are often two completely different shots.  Since I'm still learning to use my manual settings, I'll set my shutter speed down a bit lower than I think and then click, bump it up one, click, bump it up one, click, bump it up one...and sometimes take 5 different shots that way.

Click, bump it up one...

Click. 

The slower shutter speed of the first shot is brighter.  The one bump faster shutter speed of the second shot gives better detail and less wash out.  Which do you like best?

The sun spot is probably not a great element and Hank is pretty shadowed, but it doesn't bother me.  The  happy look on Hank's face makes this a keeper.  Take the shots that speak to you even if they're not quite "right".

For more Sunday Stills...