Throw Back Thursday!

Some photos from a few years ago. I was particularly proud of them at the time! Lol, Ike did not like the bubbles, at all .

Thanks for checking out this post!  

-Penny

Fairy Lights & Flower Crowns

Hey guys!

I LOVE wildflowers! They're one of my weaknesses, haha. I was so excited when my sister and I found several patches of these orange beauties! Of course we had to make a flower crown, it's a no brainer!

This is my absolute favorite photo! Took so many tries, lol. His smile is so contagious! 

One of the new things I've been trying out is fairy lights! I took a photo in December with them (which is at the bottom of this post), but never picked them up again until now. Lol, they can be a real pain sometimes, but it's so worth it!

It was such a beautiful day! So beautiful that the dogs decided they needed to go for a swim in the pond that's nearby. You don't know how happy they were to get all dirty! They always decide to do it right before we take pictures too, lol.

I love taking pictures in this pickup! The colors are awesome!

I'm so proud of this picture! Getting pictures of Tiger looking up is a challenge. He always has his eyes closed or he moves to fast for me to get the picture. 

I took this picture in December! It was one of the first times using fairy lights. It was also the first time I asked Ike to hold still while I put things on him. He is so patient! I'm sure he thought I was nuts, lol!

 

Thank you for checking out this post! Which photo is your favorite? 

Check out my Instagram HERE for regular posts!

-Penny

 

Sydney from Endeavors Of Ego!

Is this photo gorgeous or what???

Today I'm here with one of my good friends, Sydney! She runs an Instagram account named @endeavorsofego. It's pretty awesome, if you haven't followed yet, you definitely should! Ego is one of the most handsome border collies, and Sydney is such a fun person!

Let's get this thing rolling!

 

When did you begin your Instagram account and what do you enjoy most about it?

I started Instagram at the end of November last year. My favorite thing about it has been all of the friends I've made. I've been lucky enough to meet a few of them in person and it's amazing how we were able to form such a wonderful friendship through Instagram.

 

What advice would you give someone just beginning in photography?

Practice! I've only been at it for a few months, but one of my goals is to take photos at least a few days a week to practice using my camera and then edit them the other days to learn my software. YouTube and Google are also helpful tools, but nothing beats doing it yourself.

 

What editing software do you like to use?

I primarily use and prefer Lightroom. It was the first editing software I started with so I'm most comfortable with it. I just recently started using Photoshop, but I feel it's much more complicated and still have a lot to learn.

Where do you find inspiration?

Ego is my inspiration! I love capturing his expressions and emotions through my photography. I've struggled photographing other dogs and other objects because none of them are as inspiring to me as Ego. 

 

If you had to shoot only one photography niche for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Based on my previous answer I feel it's no surprise when I say portraits/animals, specifically Ego photos. That's already what I shoot 99.9% of the time so I wouldn't be too upset. 

 

What’s your favorite part(s) of the photoshoot process?

It would definitely be a toss up between the travelling and the editing. I love to hike and travel with Ego, it helps inspire me and I just enjoy seeing Ego happy to run outdoors. However I feel I express myself much more through my editing than my actual photos. I can put my own twist and edit fine details to be exactly how I envision. 

 

Are you partial to a specific subject/pose?

As stated before Ego is my favorite subject, but I really love when he stares directly into the camera. His eyes speak so deeply and I love when I capture that certain glimmer to them.

 

What is a photoshoot you’ve always wanted to have? 

If it happens, I would love to have a wedding shoot for myself and Ego. He's such a huge part of my life, it's only fitting that he be a part of all of my major life events. 

 

The tones in your photos are gorgeous! How did you find your distinctive editing style and what do you like about it?

I only recently discovered my own editing style through lots of trial and error and studying accounts and photographer that I admire. I didn't want to copy anyone, but rather establish a style and look uniquely to myself. I also wanted a style that would compliment Ego's looks and enhance them. Those two pieces put together are my favorite things about my style.

 

What’s your favorite memory or something funny that happened in a shoot?

A memory that's always stuck with me was when I was photographing Ego on campus and a group of people came up and recognized him. Turns out a few of them were in my same class, but didn't recognize me only Ego! 

 

What do you like most about taking pictures?

I like that pictures are a physical representation of our imaginations. No one photographs the same and everyone interprets the art differently. I also love all of the weird positions and locations you can take amazing pictures. People definitely stare when I'm taking photos of Ego on my college campus. 

 

What inspired you to create an Instagram for Ego?

The only reason I created one was because I wanted a place to put all of my photos so I wasn't bombarding my facebook friends with photos of Ego (although I do that anyway). It made me ridiculously happy to see that so many other people started to appreciate Ego as much as I do. 

One of the most handsome Border Collies I've ever seen!

 

That's a wrap!

I hope you all enjoyed this interview as much as I did! Thank you Sydney for doing this interview with me! It's so fun doing interviews.

Seriously, go FOLLOW Ego on all his adventures on INSTAGRAM! Because you need a daily dose of Ego. But I mean, who wouldn't???

 

Sunset + Lights + Cute Sunglasses

Absolutely loved this shoot!  Check at the end for an adorable shot of Ike!

Hope you enjoyed these! 

Check out my Instagram HERE!

-Penny

Christian Jams

These are a few of my favorite christian pop/dubstep songs, they are super good, and the beats are incredible!

 

Worry by Blanca

Not Backing Down by Blanca (feat. Tedashii)

Today by Blanca

Goin Down by Group 1 Crew

The Difference by Group 1 Crew

Mr. & Mrs. (I Do This For You) by Group 1 Crew

Psalm 23 by Group 1 Crew

Dangerous by Group 1 Crew

Believer by Capital Kings

Live For The Drop by Capital Kings

Be A King by Capital Kings

Living For The Other Side by Capital Kings (feat. Royal Tailor)

-Penny

Recent Favorites!

The first photo I have taken while Ike is doing his "Paw Up" trick!

Mr. Tiger! 

This is my new favorite picture of the both of them.  

Loved this leftover confetti on the ground! 

Two Year Old Throw Back

Hello!

Since it's Thursday I thought it'd be great to do Throw Back Thursday, featuring a post I wrote two years ago. Yeah... I was extremely proud of these photos. Legit sprained my ankle getting that silhouette one, lol!

Here goes nothing! 

"This is our dog Cookie.  I was very happy with this photo because usually she is constantly moving and it's very hard to get a clear picture of her.

This is a friend's cat.  There was two cats in the tree and this picture was taken right before she pounced on the other one.

Another picture of a friend's cat.  I don't have any cats at my house so I really enjoy getting pictures of them when I go to her home.
If only that stick wasn't right in the middle of her face...  I still like it though, it looks like she is trying to hide behind it.
I am still trying to master taking pictures of black animals.  They are so hard sometimes!

A picture of a daddy long leg spider! I love these tiny guys.  This particular daddy long leg looked like a muffin with legs. 
I have an awesome memory of catching a hole jar of these with a friend of mine a long time ago.  It was so fun! They were everywhere in her flowerbed! 

So I tried to take some silhouette pictures with my dog the other night and this is the only one that turned out.  Hopefully I will have better luck next time!

I saw some of the cutest little mutts the other night!  We went to a friends house and their dog had some puppies so I got some pictures."

 

That's It!

I had these posted on my previous blog, Daughter Of The High King Of Kings (It's a mouthful, huh?) and have a ton of old photos there. Thanks for checking this out and I hope you have a beautiful day.

-Penny

March Favorites

- A few of my favorite photos from March 2017 -

I am so proud of this photo! Was super happy with the focus. Look at all those dew drops!

I took the dogs to one of our ponds to get muddy! They loved it.

Had a photoshoot with one of my best friends! This is one of my favorites of her.

Was trying out some different editing with this one. The goal was to make it look dreamy. I like how it turned out!

Tried out some product photography. This is my custom leash from Sloppy Chops Co! Ike and Tiger are currently modeling for them. You should definitely check them out!

I love this shot! It was harsh sunlight so we found shade by an old grain truck. I was really happy with the colors. This is one of the modeling photos I took for Sloppy Chops Co!

Hope you enjoyed these!

Check out my main Instagram here.

I made an Instagram for all my other photography! Check it out here.

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Chavin from Koda_and_Rue!

Hey Guys!

 

Do you like dogs? How about photography? Maybe both? You said "Yes" to at least one of those, right? Good, then this post is for you! 

I'm here with an amazing friend of mine, Chavin, who runs an Instagram account named @Koda_and_Rue! Her photography is fantastic (Koda & Rue are two of the cutest dogs ever!) and is someone that inspires me on a daily basis.

 

Let's get started!

 

Chavin, what got you into photography?

I took a class in high school. The class was really horrible, I learned nothing except that I loved taking photos. I took it in college, but that was before digital and once they closed the darkrooms down I stopped photography completely. It was only last year I rediscovered my passion for it after getting my puppy, Ruca, and wanting to take better pictures of her.

Do you have an all time favorite lens? 

I do! It's the 70-200 f/2.8. Great for action shots! Although I would like to get the 135 f/2, I'm pretty sure I would fall in love with that lens.

 

If you had to shoot only one photography niche for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

Pets! I love working with dogs and they make the best subjects! Lots of opportunities for great action shots and silly faces. Plus they're pretty easy models, since they work for treats :)

What editing platform do you prefer?

I use Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.

 

Do you have a piece of advice someone has given you that has helped you?

I can't remember who told me this, but the best piece of advice I got was to shoot everyday. It really does make a difference. I think your eyes eventually just see everything as how a camera would see it if you shoot enough. 

 

What is your favorite location to shoot at?

This is a hard one! I live in Colorado and we're surrounded by amazing landscapes, but I can narrow it down to a couple of favorites. The most scenic place is definitely hikes up in the mountains, but I'm less relaxed with the dogs off leash there, just because of all the opportunities to chase wildlife and get lost. I put ecollars on the dogs for this reason, so it takes a lot more time in post production to remove those ugly collars. Better safe than sorry though! My go to place to shoot where I'm completely relaxed with the dogs off leash is three huge dog parks we have here in Denver. They're hundreds of acres, so we have plenty of room to run and explore. And they each have a very distinct landscape different from each other which makes for a lot of photo opportunities. 

 

Do you have any unusual things you like to carry in your camera bag and what is their purpose?

Not really. But since 90% of our shoots are on hikes, it's really more like a hiking bag. Small first aid kit, a knife, bear spray if I'm going way in the backcountry. I always have a Petqwerks bone with me in case I can't find a good stick to toss to get the dogs running, as well as treats and a squeaky toy. 

 

Are you partial to a specific subject/pose?

I'm pretty partial to shooting my Dogo Argentino, Ruca. She's white, so she's easy to photograph even in sunny days, whereas my Ridgebacks coloring makes the contrast too harsh in bright sun. Plus she's the happiest dog and that really comes through in photos. I can call her too me and she runs full throttle right at the camera. I get so many action shots of her!

 

What would advice would you give someone just beginning in photography?

Practice! Practice daily. It seriously makes all the difference in the world. Shoot until the camera feels like an extension of yourself and it almost becomes muscle memory to see things the way the camera sees it. Don't be afraid to get low to ground (especially if you're shooting animals). I pretty much lay on the ground to get most of my shots. And for editing, watch tutorials. There's a ton of great tutorial sites out there, you just have to devote the time to learning. 

 

What is your dream photoshoot? Include every detail!

Probably a hiking trip through Norway with Rue and another photographer, someone that could mentor me in the arts of landscape photography. I am captivated by the landscape up there, and I'm pretty sure I could get some epic shots of Rue standing on ice caps or under the northern lights. After that we'd head to New Zealand :)

 

What are any tips or what you do to get focused action shots. 

Having a fast lens is probably the most important aspect. Also having a really fast shutter speed, a fast memory card, and turning the focus mode to AF continuous single point focusing has worked the best for me. After that, it's just practice. 

 

What picture are you most proud of and why?

My new favorite picture is a shot of Rue leaping over a log. I've been trying to get a shot of her with all four feet off the ground forever, and I just happened to catch her at the perfect moment. I'm in love with that picture. 

 

I love this interview!  So much great information. I hope you enjoyed getting to know Chavin's thoughts and tips!

Follow her Instagram HERE! You won't regret it, I promise!

 

-Penny

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Instagram + Dog People = The Best

Leash & Collar by Sloppy Chops Co.

I. love. Instagram!

Now I know what you're thinking,

"Yeah, yeah, that's what every teenage girl says."

So maybe I should rephrase that,

I love the people that I have met there.

I love being able to share my photos with people who also share similar interests.

I love seeing everyone's different ideas and creativity.

I love being able to connect and encourage each other.

There's so many talented photographers that inspire so many, including me. 

One of the ways I've met a lot of amazing people is through dog model searches.  They're pretty awesome!

If you don't know what dog model searches are, basically the companies on Instagram that sell some form of dog accessories, and sometimes to get their product spread to a wider audience they host a contest. The winners of the contest are their dog models for a certain length of time (a term). Over the length of the term the models get a few free products to take pictures of, then you send the company pictures of their product on your dog(s)! That's just an idea of how the ones I've been involved in work, not every company is the same and many have different ways of running their model searches. 

The people I meet through dog model searches are some of my favorite kinds of people. Why, you ask? Because they're just as obsessed with their dog as I am with mine! Haha, just kidding. But really, they are amazing people that take gorgeous photos, are super supportive, creatively driven, and all around fun to talk to. 

Having a community around the things you enjoy is seriously one of the best things ever. Instagram definitely provides that and the connections you make are so valuable and worthwhile!

You should definitely try out Instagram for your photography if you don't already have one! 

-Penny

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Paper Flower Crown Shoot!

Hello!

Recently I made a paper flower crown for a photoshoot prop! I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I can't wait to make more!

Check out my Instagram!

-Penny

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Astrophotography Tips & Tricks!

Photographing stars is definitely something you should try out if you can, it's fun and just plain cool. Really anything night photography related is super fun and I love it! I did a lot of astrophotography this past summer and thought I'd share some things I've learned.

Some of the things you will need:

A tripod! Your tripod is your new best friend, always have it if you're doing long exposure stuff. 

A flashlight! Flashlights are fantastic, they can help you light paint, find something you dropped (Lol...totally have never done that.), and in general super handy to have.

A remote shutter release! This one isn't a must but it definitely helps eliminate blur. 

Basic Guidelines:

Have your aperture as wide as it can go, say F/2.8 or whatever your lowest is.

Have your shutter speed really slow, try a couple seconds and if the photo is too dark go longer!

On your ISO try starting out at 3200 and go from there! Depending on your situation you may need to lower it or bump it up. Keep in mind that the higher you go on ISO the more noise/grain you'll have!

Don't be afraid to try out different settings even if you like what you're currently getting, who knows, you might like it better!

Long exposure is the coolest thing ever!

When you're taking photos at night you're using long exposure, which is where your lens stays open for longer periods of time and in turn it soaks up light from everywhere. In example: the photo below was taken at a shutter speed of 15 seconds (long exposure), the longer I leave the lens open the brighter the photo will be. You really just have to experiment with it, too long of an exposure and your stars will begin to blur and become little dashes! When that happens they call it Star Trails, I've seen some really amazing photos using that technique! I haven't tried it out yet, but I'm hoping to this year.

Light pollution.

Light pollution is huge. Depending on what you're going for you can do all sorts of things with or without it. Ideally you want a place with no light pollution, light pollution meaning light coming from towns, cities, yard lights, the moon, etc. I'm not saying you can't shoot near light pollution, because you can definitely manipulate it to your advantage. It all depends on what you want the end photo to look like.

Why avoid light pollution you ask? Well if you have a lot of light pollution you run the risk that it will wash out your stars. Because your lens is staying open for longer amounts of time it draws in a ton of light from all light sources, the longer it's open the brighter the light source gets, that means if the moon is out and you're on a long exposure more than likely the moon will be blown out and you won't have any stars. Try to shoot when the moon isn't full when doing astrophotography.

The photo below was taken facing a town, creating a glow on the horizon, it turned out great and the light pollution was faint enough that it didn't wash out the stars.

Patience is the name of the game.

Night photography is very time consuming, you have to have patience to get the shot you want. You might have to wait for the milky way to get to that particular spot you need it at, you might have to wait for it to get completely dark out, you'll be waiting on your lens to finish it's exposure, let's face it, you'll be waiting on a ton of things! But when you enjoy doing it, it's not bad at all. The time flies and before you know it, it's time to pack up and go home.

Experiment, experiment, experiment!

I can't stress this enough, experiment all the time! Try out a different ISO setting, try different aperture (the F/number), try different shutter speeds (long exposure), try light painting, try anything. Half the fun is playing with the light and trying out all the different possibilities!

That's all for now! 

Thank you so much for reading! I love night photography and hope you try it out!

-Penny 

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Sunset + Dogs + Adorable Model = Awesome Shoot

I took new pictures the other evening! It was so fun. I loved this shoot!

I absolutely love this wooly vest! Wish I had one in my size, lol.

Trying to find an editing style I like while using Photoshop, bare with me!

Fun posts going up the next few weeks! I'm pretty excited!

-Penny

Sunset Portrait

Some of my first portraits of the year! 

I'm pretty happy with how they turned out! I can't wait to do more, it was super fun. I'm happy to say Photoshop is getting easier. I'm liking it so far!

Check out my Instagram for regular posts!

-Penny

Expanding My Niche

A couple posts ago I listed some of the reasons why I think you should try out photography, in it I said that it's flexible to where you can try out multiple niches to find what you like most. Today I'm sharing with you my favorite niche and one I'm working towards!

A lot of dog photos, and then some!

My niche has mostly been animal photography, and by animal, I mean dogs, lots and lots of dogs (Definitely can't tell they're my favorite animal, right?). Dogs are so fun to photograph! I love it.

Portrait photography, the next adventure.

Although photographing dogs is my absolute favorite, the last few months I've started to take pictures of people! I've really liked it so far, just have to get more practice. I probably would've started taking pictures of people sooner but if I'm honest, it's kind of intimidating. After I've photographed people more I'll probably be laughing at how hesitant I'm being! I've been watching a lot of YouTube videos about portrait photography and they've given me a lot of good ideas/inspiration! I'll hopefully get to try out some of my ideas soon. Wish me luck!

What are some of your favorite things to photograph? Do you have a different niche you're wanting to try out?

-Penny

Photography Blogs & YouTube Channels You HAVE To Check Out

Hey guys!

Today I'd like to share with you my most visited photography blogs plus YouTube channels! They're great and I know you're going to love them as much as I do.

Click it Up a Notch

This is the first photography blog I had ever read when I first started. Courtney has fantastic tutorials and photos!

Clickin Moms

Okay now this is the real deal. By far my absolute favorite! Their tutorials are amazing and I love all the different photographers that post there! You have to check them out.

Cole's Classroom

I just found this site and I love it! They have great tutorials and have downloadable presets. Give them a look!

Highlight Your Wrinkles Photography

They have a great YouTube channel, a lot of behind the scenes of her photoshoots! I love behind the scenes videos, I think they're very helpful and give good insight on posing, angles, use of landscape/props, etc.

Phlearn

Whenever I have a question on how to do something Photoshop related, I go to them. They are fantastic at explaining things and have a tutorial for just about everything! 

I hope you check these out! Comment below your favorite blogs and/or YouTube channels!

-Penny

Sarah from My English Shadow!

Hello Everybody!

Other photographer's insight can be pretty beneficial and fun, I'm excited to say I'm interviewing the lovely Sarah from MyEnglishShadow today! Keep reading to get a glimpse of her thoughts and advice. 

• Sarah, What got you into photography?

"I remember my true passion for photography beginning in 4th grade when I got my first pet, a spunky rabbit I named Clover. I spent hours and hours over the next few years following her around trying to get the perfect shot. (With a point and shoot camera, of course). And it really just took off from there, wherever I went I was always taking pictures of animals and nature."

• What do you like most about taking pictures?

"Capturing moments exactly as I see them. I've done a lot of drawing and painting in the past and was always frustrated at not being able to recreate as realistically as I saw it. Photography allows me to capture things just as stunningly as I see them."

• Do you have a favorite lens?

"Definitely the 60mm. Love the bokeh and short depth of field it creates."

• Do you have a piece of advice someone has given you that has helped you?

"Learn about light and how it works - essentially how to make it work for you in different situations!"

• Canon or Nikon?

"I don't know if I could make that choice right now. This is actually something I've been debating as I am finally in the market for a camera for myself. I've been using my brother's dslrs for years - Nikon & Sony. And before that I used a Canon. All have pros and cons. I think it depends on what you are looking for and what you will be shooting."

• What editing platform do you prefer?

"Definitely Lightroom. I also like to use Photoshop on occasion to take some photos further with editing."

• What advice would you give someone just beginning in photography?

"Take as many photos as you can. Of different subjects, angles, lighting. Find tutorials online. Try it all. Find what you like and what works for you!"

• Describe your editing style.

"I prefer to edit photos minimally, just adjusting shadows and brightness mostly but occasionally I go further. I like to make them feel light and warm. Sometimes I'll add in sun or a flare to help achieve that feeling."

• If you had to shoot only one photography niche for the rest of your life, (landscape, portraits, animals, fashion, etc.) what would it be and why?

"Animals! They have always been a favorite to photograph. I love trying to capture their personality and quirks. Landscape and nature would be a close second but it doesn't give me the same feeling as when I capture the perfect photo of an animal!"

• Do you have any unusual things you like to carry in your camera bag and what is their purpose?

"I usually just carry the camera, lenses that I know I want to use, and a cleaning kit. But occasionally I'll throw a ball in, helps to get multiple dogs looking at me at the same time. Although a stick works well too if I forget the ball!"

• Are you partial to a specific subject/pose?

"My fluffy partner in crime, Xena is the subject I am most partial to. My favorite pose of her is a head tilt with a bit of tongue out. She took to modeling so easily and will tilt her head on cue - it's become our go to pose! I think it's my favorite because it really captures her sweet nature."

• What is your dream photoshoot? Include every detail!

"I always dream about a field full of flowers at sunrise to shoot Xena and Orion in. But my actual dream photoshoot would be of a stunning Friesian or Lusitano horse at sunrise in a field of purple flowers with mountains in the distance and maybe a stream nearby..."

I enjoyed learning Sarah's favorite things about photography, it gave me some new ideas, I hope it gives you ideas as well!

 

Be sure to follow her on Instagram for gorgeous photos!

 

-Penny

Photoshop, the next venture.

I've started learning photoshop...again! I tried to learn it last summer, but kinda failed in the sense that I got frustrated, busy, and altogether uninterested in learning it. 

The last week I've been a bit unhappy with the way my editing was looking.  All the things I'm wanting to do, I can't with Lightroom, so I started watching YouTube videos on Photoshop!

I actually didn't think that Photoshop came with the plan I have, so when I logged in and saw it there I was so happy! It made my day, lol.

The past couple days I've been watching videos and writing a lot of notes. I edited my first picture with it today. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Can't wait to learn more and start using it!

Check out my Instagram for regular posts and updates!

-Penny