To SchHBabe - Page 1

Hey Yvette,

I was wondering, whats the make and model number of your camera? My Kodak Cx7330 takes pictures that look like a cheap dollar store camera, and I am DESPERATLY wanting to capture the TRUE Naya, which this camera I have just isn't doing.

You can email me privately if you want, instead.

blueskyek9@charter.net

THANKS SO MUCH!

Krista

Krista,

Speaking of cheap cameras... my camera is nothing special actually.  It's just a Kodak Easyshare that I picked up at Best Buy for about $350.  No fancy lenses or other gear.  It's several years old now, and only a 4 megapixel.  Even WalMart has a 10 megapixel now.  LOL.

To get a nice picture of Naya that will show her in the best light, you need the best "light" - which is soft and indirect.  Take her outside on a cloudy day, not when the sun is shining.  Full sun will cause the picture to have too much contrast, and the true colors of her pigment won't show because the shiny hairs will look washed out, and the hairs in shadow will be too dark. 

Set up Naya against a light colored, neutral background, like a lawn or grassy field.  Ideally you don't want anything in the background besides grass or else it will detract from the picture.  The picture that I have on Chaco's page right now was just a natural stack while he was out in the yard.  I snapped at least a dozen pictures at different angles and locations to get just one decent one.

Get yourself Photoshop or equivalent software, and use it prudently.  Photoshop can be a lifesaver if the picture you want is washed out, or too dark, but trying to "enhance" the dog is a no-no, and unless you're good at it, will set you up for mockery from the peanut gallery on this board.  My personal pet peeve is the enhanced orange color used on show dogs to make them look B&R instead of B&T.  Hint:  when the grass behind the dog is just as orange as the dog, that's a bad sign.  LOL.

Photoshop is also great for cutting out small, distracting junk in the background of the picture.  At our last club trial someone forgot a small plastic water bottle next to the jump.  The dogs all ignored it but it looked tacky in the pictures, so I photoshopped it out when processing the pictures from our club trial.  But that's about all I'm good for.  If the dog is not giving good attention while heeling, or using a high nose in tracking, or has a weak grip on the sleeve, I can't Photoshop that into perfection.  I'm not that good!  Ha!

I would suggest going to the local Electronics R Us store near you and looking at cameras, and then shop the internet for the best deal.  Especially if it's a pretty basic camera, you can likely get sweet deals on-line.

Have fun!  Send some pictures when you get your new camera!

Yvette

Thanks so much Yvette,

I was looking on Ebay, and the cheapest camera kit that looked like a good one was $800 USED! If I were paying that, I'd just get professional pictures done! Thanks for all of your help, and if you wanted to know, I was looking at a Nikon D40. I'm going to take some Naya pictures now, and let you know the results! THANKS AGAIN!!!!

Naya's Mom

Where in Michigan do you live?

Byron, Don. Lower Central. Why? I think you asked before, about people SchH training in my area, well no, Not one club around me, the closest one is about 40 minutes away, and I have heard that the people there are a bit too serious for some new-comers, so I decided not to go with them. Can I ask why you wanted to know? Not trying to be rude, just curious.

40 minutes away

lol, 40 minutes is nothing.  I'd love to only have a 40 minute drive!  Mine is an hour and a half without traffic to club practice.  :)

Rezkat,

Nope, 40 minutes is not bad, its the fact that I'm a newbie, and they don't want to deal with me is what turned me off

Naya

we're not going to name names, but if I have the same club, they are very hesitant on women too.