I enjoy putting storyboards together. Partly because it’s another creative outlet but also because I like to see how some of the images I’ve captured come together. This is simply a sample of a 10×20 but I really like the idea of featuring the 3 dogs on their own. This storyboard configuration would work well for a family and children or for a couple and then featuring some detail images on the side. Lots of possibilities.

Of course, we can turn things a few degrees changing it right up. No one says a 10×20 needs to be created or hung horizontally; vertical works quite nicely too, especially for those narrow spaces on certain walls. Don’t you love how that brilliant orange makes a statement?

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Photographs Never Forget!

Let the bells ring, the book I’ve been telling you about is hot off the presses! I was fortunate that one of my canine photos was chosen to be included in the 2010 Art Book Project. I see Sara Harley (the hardworking editor) got the press releases out to the media already. Here’s the scoop.

The Paws For Charity Art Book Project is a unique fundraiser that celebrates our love of pets, and raises funds for a human cause. The 2010 Art Book is a compilation of artwork and photography of dogs and cats from by 65 artists and photographers in 7 countries. All funds raised from the sale of these books are donated to The Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade, a registered charity with programs in over 50 countries. This charity also carries the Humane Charity Seal of Approval.

I’m proud to have been invited to make a submission and, even more proud to have had a photo chosen for this great cause. The book can be ordered in hard cover or soft cover but I recommend the hardcover. It makes a great gift whether for someone who loves dogs & cats, someone who appreciates fine art, or for someone who has had a struggle with cancer. I hope you’ll consider supporting the cause. Since this book is a fund raiser, I will be making reminder posts over the balance of 2010. Why not get yours today! You can see a preview of the 75 page coffee table book (the first 15 pages) when you visit the 2010 Art Book.

PS: On another paw-note … BOY oh boy have you people made it extremely difficult to narrow down to 5 finalists for our pet photo contest! We got a nice representation of both dogs and cats. I was near tears when I read some of the entries: we have some really heartwarming entries from people who have rescued their pets. As promised, I will have the finalists posted on Wednesday, later in the day, and then the voting can begin to choose a winner!

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

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

It’s been busy for me lately though I felt I really should post something. The photography season for me is beginning to wind down since I do most of my work outdoors. I definitely do photo shoots indoors but, without a studio, winter tends to be a slower season for me. I’m busy creating some client-requested storyboards and collages, preparing some orders for submission to the printer, and doing the final edits on my latest photo shoot.

You’ll see that I’ve posted a beautiful image of a translucent Amur Maple leaf. This one was taken last autumn because this year, no sooner did the leaves begin to really colour up then the deep freeze came along with temperatures well below zero. Any leaves that didn’t turn colour are now solidly frozen and will fall on the first day the mercury rises above zero and a bit of wind races through this northern prairie.

Though I love autumn so much, it’s also a time when certain life expires. On my recent trip to Edmonton, as I always do, I visited the cemetery where my mother is laid to rest. It was cold and lonely. Several years ago at this same time of year, my husband and I were coping with the imminent death of our dog Jasper to cancer. He had been diagnosed in October and died a few days before Christmas. Now our Springer Spaniel Maggie is in the same stages. The other two dogs really diagnosed her before we knew: they had been intently sniffing at her and lately, their intent on her has escalated. Dogs, unlike humans, don’t feel sorry for themselves. Even when Jasper was dying of cancer, the day before he had still been out wanting his daily runs and barking at the squirrels. Maggie is the same. She looks forward to her 2 or 3 runs each day, still tries to hunt, but when she comes in she rests quietly. She’s seeking our attention which is unusual for her so she senses things are not right within. The cancer is spreading rapidly. We’re making her days as normal and comfortable as possible, avoiding negative energy. But when she begins to suffer, it will be time for us to do the right thing and allow her quietly to make her way to canine winter.

“I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive.” ~Gilda Radner

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Diane is a lifestyle on-location photographer serving central and northern Alberta / BC. Visit Diane Schuller Photography to view her portfolio and for further information.

PLEASE NOTE: This was the original reward program. It has now been updated so there is more fairness to both the referral and the person referring. This one is now discontinued for the “new and improved version”!

Announcing the launch of my Referral Reward Program

As you may or may not know, almost all of my marketing is done by word of mouth. To keep prices down for my clients, I seldom spend money on advertisements. Instead, I would rather reward my clients for spreading my name around.

Diane Schuller Photography referral program is my gift to you!  The greatest compliment is to see my clients again; just as much a compliment is a referral to friends, family, and co-workers.  Each time a new client books an appointment with your recommendation, it is accepted with my deepest appreciation so I’ll send a $25 gift card for you to enjoy during your next visit.  Gift cards are unlimited and transferrable; use them toward session fees, gifts for friends, and/or additional prints.

• Returning Clients Receive 25% off your portrait sessions.
• Your referral rewards will be credited after the person you referred has paid for and completed their session.

Book with a Friend and Save! (split the session fee). Plus receive a complimentary 5×7 each!!

Thank you for your support!

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Diane is an on-location lifestyle photographer capturing honest moments of you, your family, or your pets. Visit Diane Schuller Photography.

Kelly and Victoria at Design Ties are beginning a concept called Rewind Wednesday. The idea is to spend more time enjoying summer (away from the computer) therefore replaying a post from the archives on this day. I’ve decided to participate with their inaugural Rewind Wednesday.

TAKING PICTURES OF YOUR DOG / PET (from April 7, 2009)

Taking pictures of your dog, cat, or other pets are often similar to taking photos of your children. As promised here are a few simple, yet basic, aspects to keep in mind when taking pictures of your family dog(s). If there is interest, in future I can provide information to address more advanced approaches. These six tips will form a good base to get you started taking better snapshots of your family pet.

1. Have an assistant, whenever possible. If you have a friend or family member you can put them to work in playing with the dog or pup or by acting as a distraction with a toy, for instance. Squeaky toys are good for getting dogs to perk their ears at attention and for directing which direction the dog faces.
2. Turn off the flash and turn the beep feature off on your camera. Take your photos in a brightly lit room or outdoors so the flash is not necessary. Many animals become leary of cameras when the beep goes off every time the shutter is released. You don’t want your pet worried about the camera — you want him/her relaxed.
3. Forget about posing! Attempting to pose a dog, especially with the dog looking straight at the camera, most times is so lifeless and lacks personality. The best photos are those where you capture your dog (or your kids) at play, concentrating or showing curiosity over something, or even relaxing after a long run or playtime. As mentioned, if you have some toys or treats with you, you can toss it out to get the dog moving or playing. When you forget about posing and simply allow your pet to be itself, not only will you capture personality but you’ll also find you enjoy these the most because the real essence of your dog/pet is captured.
4. Turn your camera’s setting to continuous mode. Whether you have a point-and-shoot, a DSLR or a 35mm film camera, you will have that capability. This allows the camera to take a continuous stream of photos while keeping the shutter pressed, hopefully so you don’t miss some unexpected shots especially if your pet is moving.
5. Take lots and lots of pictures! Don’t worry so much about perfection. Be more concerned about capturing special moments. If you have a digital camera, you have the luxury of taking all kinds of shots without having to pay for developing/processing. Simply delete the rejects after downloading them to your computer and hang on to the good ones (be sure to get them printed).
6. Get down! This one is key. When you get down to the pet’s level (again, this is important for photos of children too) and preferably the closer the better, your images will immediately improve. If you have a DSLR, you can get even better results by attaching your zoom lens. This will allow you to be further away (out of their face), less intimidating, and to still capture those close up shots. Ideally, you want to nearly (or fully) fill the frame with your subject. You don’t want your subject to be a blob or dot in the frame.

The dog’s face fills the frame, concentrating on his eyes. He’s not looking directly at the camera (distracted) and the camera is not in his face because a zoom lens was used. The only thing done to this was to sharpen it slightly after downloading to the computer.

It doesn’t matter that this dog is not facing the camera — the image tells a story: she is hanging back while the other two are off hunting (typical of this dog). Taken down at the dog’s level and she nearly fills the frame.

Here the dog is captured playing in the snow (with snow flying). It doesn’t matter that the other dog’s head snuck in — it shows curiosity. Again, the dog mostly fills the frame.

Here’s a shot taken after the dog had sufficient time to play and wear off energy. He’s keeping still yet his attention is elsewhere (a distraction) and has that ‘posed’ look.

PhoDOGraphy: How to Get Great Pictures of Your Dog

How to Take Great Pet Pictures: Recipes for Outstanding Results with Any Camera

Copyright © 2009 Diane Schuller. All Rights Reserved. It is illegal to copy any part of this post or the photos without the written permission of the author. You may link to this page from your blog or website.

Diane is an on-location lifestyle photographer (dogs, pets, families, children) serving Grande Prairie & Northern Alberta/BC. Visit Diane Schuller Photography.

This is so exciting. Yesterday afternoon I received an email from Kari over at Mod-Dog advising me that my dog & pet photography is being featured at Snap. I have two posts sitting at the starting gate reading to roll out but simply had to delay the starting pistol for those two posts to insert this news

This screenshot cuts off the rest of the web page but the important part is there — one of my dear models from last year! Thanks Kari over at Mod-Dog for this feature at Snap! Check them out

Diane is an on-location lifestyle pet/dog photographer based from Grande Prairie serving all of Alberta and northern BC. Visit Diane Schuller Photography.

Also @dianeschuller on Twitter.

We had an emergency last night, having to take one of our dogs in to the vet clinic. Thankfully, she’s going to be okay. (Yes, that’s our Pearl cooling down in her kiddy pool.)

Meet Pearl. She didn’t have an ideal beginning to her life. You know those fairy tales we read to our children about how life hands you lemons but ends up happily ever-after? Well Pearl is a poster child for that kind of fairy tale. I’m so glad she ended up at our home. With all her problems most people would have had her euthanized long ago, or worse — she could have been mistreated by those who didn’t understand her issues or perhaps also tossed around from foster home to foster home. I admire every one of you out there who adopts a dog from a rescue organization or animal shelter. Thank you for being kind to them. Enjoy your weekend with your loyal four-legged friend.

Remember what Tom T. Hall said in his famous song about watermellon wine: “Old dogs they care about you, even when you make mistakes…”

After your watermelon wine weekend, tell me how your dog (or any pet) enriches your days.

Diane is a lifestyle and pet portrait photographer based from Grande Prairie, Alberta. Visit Diane Schuller Photography.

I’m thrilled to announce that my website is being featured today by Macromutt! which is run by Four Legged Media and regularly features a canine photographer.

{The screen shot only clips the top part so to see the feature, simply pay a visit to Macromutt. Today we’re on the front page.}

I’m being included in their directory of Dog Photographers. If you aren’t in my province, or live in the USA, please check out their growing directory of pet photographers in your area. Also, if you’re an editor or publisher anywhere in cyberworld looking for images for your book, magazine, or special project please check out my website. Macromutt also has a dog shopping blog, Barkability, and it’s different from some of those mass consumerism sites. They support canine related fund raising projects, have some environmentally friendly options, and an array of other unique products.

Check them out and if you don’t get to Macromutt today (Saturday), after today you will find me by clicking on “Canada” where I’ll be listed.

PS: Since I’m having so many problems with this new template (my apologies to those who are having a problem leaving a comment), I am working behind-the-scenes to replace this template with a more reliable one. No address change with this, it’s purely mechanical.

Diane is a lifestyle photographer serving Grande Prairie & Northern Alberta, specializing in pets & livestock. Visit Diane Schuller Photography.

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

May 13, 2009

Hythe, Alberta

Hythe Area Photographer Captures Animal-Human Bond

Some clients slobber; some kick; some have bad breath, pass gas, or want to hide in a corner.

That’s all part of the job for Diane Schuller who specializes in pet and livestock photography. “It’s important to understand how animals behave and react, and to have a solid knowledge of animals’ body language,” says Schuller.

Schuller who lives NW of Hythe is an on-location lifestyle photographer serving all of Alberta and Northern B.C. Her forte in photographing animals does not exclude their human counterparts, though Schuller admits her lifetime being around animals adds to her suitability for photographing animals – everything from domestic pets to livestock and farmyard animals. She prides herself on providing quality images from a session that never includes placing pets or people in unnatural, uncomfortable poses and no saying, “cheese!”

In 2008 Schuller took on her first paying photography assignments although prior to then she had her photographs published in national magazines, primarily accompanying articles she wrote for the publications. This spring Schuller began the process of building her photography business and on May 11, 2009 launched her official photography website, Diane Schuller Photography [www.dianeschuller.com].

Schuller’s website has a clean, modern, user-friendly design. The website includes Diane’s portfolio presented in large format in a series of galleries, together with information about the photography sessions, her involvement with animals, and what to expect in an on-location creative session.

During 2009 Schuller is offering a special introductory rate in Grande Prairie and surrounding areas to build her client base and portfolio. Schuller plans some recession buster specials over the summer and offers her services to animal-related non-profit organizations for their fund-raising endeavours, with details on her website.

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Contact: Diane Schuller

Phone: 780-3 5 6 – 2 3 5 5

Email: dianeschuller @ gmail.com

Website: www.dianeschuller.com