For Richard

[Marie Hass]

I foster English Cockers (then usually adopt them). I have had Nova (the blue roan in the front) (and another one that I recently lost) for 3 years. Nova is 9 years old. I just fostered the son of the Zelda (in the back) and he was successfully adopted. I then started fostering Zelda and decided to keep her. She is 11 years old and affected with Adult Onset Neuropathy. It is doubtful that anyone else would adopt her.



This picture will get some extra work later in Affinity Photo. I will try to heal out the black wire and other odd bits that annoy me.

Marie

[rpcrowe]

Great looking dogs... Fostering and working with rescue dogs is very rewarding. I am sure that it gives you a warm feeling to be able to help these wonderful creatures.

I can relate to keeping dogs because they have special needs that may not be catered to by their adopted owners. Either their conditions require a lot of work or their meds are quite expensive.

Sasha has a pre-seizure condition and her meds are fairly expensive. She is a rough coated Jack Russell Terrier...



We decided to keep Oliver because we felt that we deserved one dog that did not have special needs. He is relatively young (about 4 or 5), healthy and house trained. He is a Lasha Apso mix...



BTW: a bounced flash with a reflector diffuser will provide catchlights in a dog's eyes and make them look more alive. Any hotshoe flash will work with a white business size card taped to the rear of the flash tube (some flashes have the card built-in).

If you don't have a hotshoe flash, the Viltrox JY-610 II is a very reasonable choice that works quite well. Not much power but you would be shooting from up close. They are available for Canon, Nikon and other brands...

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odk...ash&_sacat=625

Use a universal diffuser reflector like this "shower cap" type...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-S...QAAOSw5dNWr5ii

This diffuser also works O.K. on regular size hotshoe flashes but, IMO the very best reflector diffuser for a standard hotshoe flash is the Joe Demb Flash Diffuser Professional. It's a bit pricey but it works great. I have been using the same unit for over ten years. So at about $4.20 a year and thousands of dog portraits, the pro-rated cost is quite low...

https://www.amazon.com/Demb-Flash-Di...h+diffuser+pro

Joe Demb also has a small reflector/diffuser (The Photojournalist FlipIt) for small flashes like the Viltrox-610 and the Canon 270EX. I shot this using the 270EX bounced and modified with the Photojournalist FlipIt. Using direct flash would have burned out the white foreground...



I shot this pup, whose rear legs are paralyzed using the Viltrox and shower cap diffuser. He was in a pen in very tight quarters. I could not have used a standard size hotshoe flash. I was able to shoot from up close without burning out his white coat. I still got catchlights in his eyes...



We cannot figure out what caused his rear legs to become paralyzed. He has had an MRI and a spinal tap with no indication of the problem. We have several vet specialists working on the problem. We suspect that it might be an auto immune reaction from a rabies shot...

[Marie Hass]

Thanks, Richard for that reminder. I could have used the flash throughout the day on other pictures.

Marie

[rpcrowe]

I tend to use flash just about all the time when I shoot dogs.

[pschlute]

Such cute dogs. my two boys say hello.

(any excuse to post a pic of my boys !)

[Marie Hass]

Peter, nice dogs, nice picture, nice background!

Marie

[rpcrowe]

well done