Diane Jarvis-Schuller

UPDATE: Today (Monday, April 12th) the tally shall be counted and a winner announced! Winner to be announced by 4:00 PM MDT.

Here are the finalists for your voting pleasure!

Let me tell you how EXTREMELY difficult this was, narrowing down to these finalists. You are about to see the finalists but I’ll warn you: there are more than originally planned. There were so very many worthy entries and my helper and I spent a great deal of time ‘discussing’ which would make the short list. I don’t know if I could do this again — I wanted many more of the entries included. Some of the ones that particularly hurt to leave out were ones that had such heartwarming stories about their rescued dog or cat. I have a huge soft spot for rescued pets and the people who rescue them. Oh boy, this was tough, and I have to thank Steve for all the time spent with me in selecting these finalists. Thanks Steve! So let’s get this show on the road!

VOTING RULES:

1. Voting is open beginning immediately until Midnight MDT on Sunday, April 11, 2010.  Make sure to tell your friends, family, neighbours, the postman, ANYONE to vote for your entry!  Post it to your own blog, your facebook status, or tweet about it … get the word out there!
2. Each person may only vote ONCE for their selection. No Anonymous votes are allowed and I will be monitoring IP addresses to be sure there is no hanky panky so please play fair I reserve the right to disqualify any entry due to suspicious activity.
3. HOW TO VOTE: Place your vote in the comments at the end of this post and PLEASE, to help me tally the votes, begin by using the number (#1, #6 or whatever) of your vote, before leaving any comments.
4. HOW TO GET TWO VOTES: There IS a way that each person can get Two (2) votes for your selection. Here’s how: Go to Diane’s Facebook page and become a follower. Once you become a follower, come back here and add an additional comment beginning with “FOLLOWER”. (If your blog ID is not the name you use on Facebook, please let me know your real name so I can confirm it.) If you are already a follower at Facebook, you are already eligible for this second vote — please use the “FOLLOWER” in your second vote.
5. The finalist with the most legitimate votes wins! So vote and send everyone you know over to vote for your entry as well! Good luck!

COPYRIGHT: Please note that these images are not to be copied, downloaded, or to be taken by screen shot. They are copyrighted and owned by the respective owners. Please respect their copyright — thank you.

Here are the finalists, in no particular order:

#1 – Max

“This is Max, my 6 yr old corgi.  Max has been a huge part of my life, helping me get involed in dog sports.  Because of him I have had the opportunity to learn and grow with him and to be a better owner/handler for him as well as my aussie.  He was also my entry into species appropriate diet and learning about more natural health care.” ~ Loved by Kirsten Sharninghouse

# 2 – C.C.

“C.C. was the kitten of a stray that was killed by some stray dogs. He was barely weened. He wouldn’t let me near him, so I started leaving milk, and soft food. He started sleeping in my chicken pen & eventually let me pet him. I took him in and have loved him ever since. My husband called him chicken cat while I was thinking of a name, so I just went with C.C., short for chicken cat.” ~ Loved by Susie Jones.

#3 – Carbo

“Here’s my “little man,” Carbo. He was the sweetest, most special dog. Head-on shots of Carbo show his fantastic flying nun ears and soft brown eyes, but this is my very favourite photo of him – soaking up the sun and breathing in the fresh & crisp winter air.” ~ Loved and remembered by Kelly James.

#4 – Galen

“This photo of Galen captures the very essence of his personality.  The snow sticking to him is from his zooming around and sticking his head in snow banks.  He can be so silly one minute but then he can look like a wise old soul the next, as in this picture.” ~ Loved by Christine Ravetta

#5 – Buster

“I chose this because it is such a sweet shot of Buster and he is the sweetest of dogs…when he isn’t destroying things.” ~ Loved by Toni Johnson

#6 – Morley

“I picked this photo, as it’s very recent and Morley looks very proud and majestic.” ~ Loved by Nathen Jantzen.

#7 – Sophie

“Sophie has been with me a long time now. I adopted her when I was single, and she was with me at times I felt very alone. Everyday she ran up to greet me at my car door when I came home from work. If I go for a walk, she follows me, howling the whole way, except when we’re headed in the direction of home. She has been with me through my marriage and birth of two sons. She curls up with me at night now because that’s when she can have me to herself again. I picked this close up image because it reminds me how close she sticks to me, and how dear she is to me. I love her so.” ~ Loved by Shelli Bond Pabis.

#8 – Sami and Bella

“Pick up Sticks” is Sami the Australian Shepherd and Bella the harlequin Great Dane. “The two dogs were playing with the one big stick. Sami decided it was hers..and thus defended it with snarls and growls and more..and big Bella (although 3 times the size of little Sami) – backed off and ran away. Those of us who were watching were having a good laugh. Somehow and eventually – Bella got the stick from Sami…at which point Sami spent a good 10 minutes leaping up in the air to simply get her teeth around it…which she eventually did..and the two of them trotted on together sharing that one big stick.”  Loved by Marcie Scudder.

#9 – Jesse

“Jesse is a service dog pup we raised for Pacific Assistance Dogs. His enthusiasm and energy resulted in him ultimately flunking out of advanced training, but his smarts and boldness meant that he’s gone on to train as a narcotics detection dog, specializing in cell phone detection work in the Florida prison system. We miss him!” ~ Missed by Andrea Pratt

#10 – Sebastien

“This is a photo of Sylvester. He’s not my cat. He belongs to my best friend and her son. My girlfriends son has an issue with self esteem. Sylvester is his confidant and the two are inseparable.  Who says cats can’t see into the heart and soul only has to look into those eyes …” ~ Admired by Monica de Moss

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So those are the finalists! I only wish we could have included even more. Thank you to EVERYONE who entered. This was such a difficult process and there are still at least a handful that easily could have been included. Every entry was so worthy. So get your vote in and spread the word. There are only a few days to vote and the one with the most votes wins the contest! Don’t forget if you become (or already are) a follower of Diane Schuller Photography at Facebook, follow the instructions how to place a second vote! Good luck everyone!

I’m pleased to announce that the entries for the Pet Photo Contest have been rolling in. Although a few people got their entry in right away, it slowed down drastically after that, so I was beginning to think I may have to post all the entries for the public voting. That’s not the case. Fortunately we have received many entries and now, after tonight’s deadline, we are going to have a tough time narrowing down to the 5 finalists. Just a reminder that, because I know so many of you, I have asked another photographer to help me narrow down the 5 finalists. Also, we are not necessarily concerned about the quality of the photo; we’re more concerned about the subject. So, I want to thank everyone who has entered so far and to those who will be submitting prior to tonight’s deadline. IMPORTANT: Since I am leaving early Thursday morning and will be out of town until late Monday night, the finalists will not be selected and posted here until next week (I’m shooting for Wednesday). Stay tuned!

With being out of town on the weekend and gearing up for this upcoming extra long weekend I’m getting ready for, I find myself rushing once again. When I return after the Easter weekend, I will respond to all your previous messages then.

May each of you enjoy a truly blessed and joyful Easter with your family or friends.

Easter spells out beauty, the rare beauty of new life. ~S.D. Gordon

I think of the garden after the rain;
And hope to my heart comes singing,
At morn the cherry-blooms will be white,
And the Easter bells be ringing! ~Edna Dean Proctor, “Easter Bells”

~~~
Diane is an on-location Custom Photographer. She takes great pleasure in photographing people, places, pets, and hobbies too!

Diane’s website || Diane’s photography page at Facebook

Here it is at long last. The pet contest I’ve been writing about but had to delay until today. Since many of you have waited so long, let’s jump right in and get started. Here’s the scoop.

ELIGIBILITY: Everyone, no matter where you are located. For this contest “pet” shall refer to a Dog, Cat, or Horse.

RULES:  Very few but these are the most important aspects …

1. The photo MUST have been taken by YOU. No photos taken by anyone other than you.
2. No photos of pets that are “dressed up” in clothing or accessories (collars or harnesses are allowed). If the article of clothing is for a specific purpose and is a necessity, such as booties on dogs in the snow or ice or a raincoat for a small or thin-haired dog in the rain, those will be allowed. (Reasoning for this rule: I strongly dislike when people dress dogs in clothing and accessories. Dogs do not like it and I consider it bordering on cruelty. It’s my contest and that’s my rule.)
3. One entry per person.
4. By submitting a photo for consideration indicates you certify that you adhere to all the rules and eligibility requirements.

HOW TO ENTER:  Send your photo to me by email [ dianeschuller @ gmail . com  -- remove spaces and please check the spelling before sending ]. You MUST include a subject line with the words, “PET CONTEST”. Any email without that subject header may end up in my spam folder and be deleted. Attach your photo to the email and be sure to include the following information in the body of your email: 1) Your name; 2) Your email; 3) where you are located in the world; 4) The name of your pet; 5) A brief (no more than 50 words) description of why you picked this particular photo or why this pet is so meaningful to you.

DEADLINE:  Send your photos with the required information beginning immediately. The contest closes Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 12:00 Midnight MDT. No late entries will be accepted.

SELECTION PROCESS: Once all entries have been received, 5 finalists will be selected. The 5 finalists will be posted on this blog within a few days (this will depend upon my workload at the time). Once the 5 finalists are posted, the public voting will commence. Full instructions on how to submit votes will be outlined with the posting of the finalists. So the winner will be selected by public voting process.

PRIZE:  The winning entry will receive their choice of one of two prizes. No cash prizes or cash equivalents.

1. Choice One: A custom on-location photo session with me for you and your pet. This includes a full creative session plus one 8×10 of your choice from the session. The session must be booked and held prior to October 1, 2010 and you must be in my service area (Grande Prairie & area, Peace region of Alberta or BC, Edmonton and area). Value: $ 150.
2. Choice Two:  Two books — Dr. Pitcairn’s New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats by Richard H. Pitcairn D.V.M. and Susan Hubble Pitcairn.  PLUS The Power of Positive Dog Training by Pat Miller. Value including shipping costs: $ 52.

That’s it. So now I am really excited to see your photos! Start sending them today. Tell your friends, relatives, and co-workers. Use the “email a friend” link (below and to the right). Spread the word. I’m expecting a wide variety of images from all over the cyber world.

Diane’s website ||  Diane’s Facebook photography page