Enter the Dragon

I have never entered a photo contest. Crazy right, since I take so many photos. But it never really occurs to me to actually enter anything, even when I see a contest I think a photo I've taken would be good for I just never commit to an entry. I was determined this year to not forget to enter a contest that Dogs in Canada has every year. If you don't enter you can't win right? Part of the problem is that I take so many photos and love so many of them that it's super hard for me to actually choose a photo to enter, and if the contest only allows one entry per person per category then I am even more at a loss. So this year with the categories in mind, I have submitted two photos and now leave the choosing up to the photo doGs at Dogs in Canada.

I only entered two categories because one was for old dogs and I don't have any photos really that would apply to that category since my dogs are all under 4 years old. However, the categories that they do have are not defined and without clear parameters it makes it even harder to choose photos. I finally did though and here are the photos I tossed into the ring:

Peaceful Moments - defining this one seems pretty simple but it can encompass a quite lot of different photo settings.  Most people who have been reading this blog for a while would be quite familiar with this photo since it sticks out in your brain once you've seen it. This is 4 month old Leeloo with 18 month old Raimi, lying together on my couch back in Calgary. I love the color, how soft the focus is and how utterly peaceful they are together. Leeloo is obviously feeling very safe and secure with this monstrous Boy by her side. 

Portraits in Nature - this category was much harder to define since to me a portrait is a posed shot but the word nature leads you to believe that the dog should be in nature and unaware of the photographer. I will admit, I do not like posed photographs. I pose the dogs for their 'group photos' and am never completely satisfied with the result because to me they don't look in those photos like they do when I capture them in unconscious moments. I'm not 100% certain this photo applies but I love the way Halo is highlighted by the sun, the detail in the shadows, the curve of her body to define her against the straight trunks of the trees but at the same time she seems like she is part of the forest, you can the interested expression on Halo's face, she is unaware I am there (well, she is but she isn't if you know what I mean) ... it is a portrait of a dog taking in a moment with nature. This is my very favorite kind of photograph and even if we don't come out of this contest with any prizes I know this is truly one of the very best photos I have ever taken of Halo.