UC Mags Issue 39 | Page 23

Proper staging can be very important to make or break a photo and the first two photos here used staging to great value. Enjoying the Beauty of Autumn (submitted by Gwenne August, Alberta, Canada) This is a postcard picture. Great use of the surroundings to frame the Cavaliers. Photo is crisp and clear with the beautiful fall colours. Elijah (submitted by Shelly Fields, Gilbert, AZ, USA) OK I admit as soon as I received this photo I knew which dog it was and assume it was photographed to be used in an ad. The photographer used some clever props including the bottle of “Maker’s Mark” to stage this photo. It makes a change from the standard advertising photo which uses the same background and dog’s position for each and every dog, so kudos to the photographer and owner for being imaginative. Harvey (submitted by Philip Wayne Slaughter, USA) The colours in this photo worked. How better to show off the brilliant white of your Blenheim than to photograph it on a white surface? And though I would usually put a Blenheim (and the other covers) against a green background to bring out the colours the background colour worked here to bring out this pup’s colouring. 23 Gypsy (submitted by Jodi Menke) Mia (Sarah Bressler West, CA, USA) This photo of a black and tan with the toy in its mouth is so irresistible. The toy is almost bigger than the pup and the cocked head indicates the dog’s interest in what the photographer was doing. What a nice Christmas photo with the collar and pine boughs! It is a nicely framed and clear photo. My only criticism is regarding the colours of the background ; I think a brighter colour would have made the dog pop.