The bad

Farewell, holiday haze. We spent the last several days binge eating and drinking, and then when we got home we spent 7 hours or so binge TV-watching. 8 episodes of Dexter Season 2, back to back to back to back. To back. I feel utterly gross.

I’m spending some time now trying to cross out items from my mile-long to-do list. There are so many details to take care of that I’m pretty much overwhelmed. I don’t know where to start, I can’t make up my mind, I want to push off final decisions for another day. I’ve learned that I’m really good at putting things off. So here I am, painfully oozing towards the finish line like some obese snail that’s run out of slime, but I’ll get there. It’s gonna be ugly, but I’ll get there.

So I’m going through all my photos for ones that will go into the portfolio (which will be ready as soon as I decide on a template…), and thought I’d post just some of the many, oh so many photos that don’t make the cut. While there are plenty – due to bad lighting, bad composition, blurriness, whatever – these are a few that particularly pain me because I feel the potential for really good photo was there, and I either couldn’t get my camera to work for me in time, or my eyes didn’t see what was directly in front of me.

Exhibit 1: Energetic dog doing what she loves

I crouched to the ground, threw a stick, Sadie ran for it, and before I could bring the camera up to my face, she was already back. I couldn’t focus in time. You can see how much she’s enjoying fetch. The stick is falling out of her mouth and she’s ready for more. I probably should have just thrown the stick while holding the camera to my face with the other arm (camera+lens is HEAVY though). Or, I could have thrown the stick farther. Or, I could have gotten her owner to stand behind me and throw the stick. I should have. Whatever method, this blurry shot was the only one I took. I wish I had tried again, but for some reason, I didn’t.
Lesson learned: Enlist owner’s assistance; Keep shooting.

Exhibit 2: Energetic dog is funny
Bob was chewing his squishy toy, and snorting, looking at me with those crazy eyes. He was clearly very happy with his toy, and I couldn’t stop laughing, which is a surefire way to get blurry photos.
Lesson learned: Keep up and don’t laugh. Not too hard anyway.

Exhibit 3: Cross-eyed cat tilts head

Looking at this photo I weep at what could’ve been. This is one of the very first shots I took of Tilly. I was still adjusting my camera and whatnot, and set the little shiny toy just there in preparation. Too soon! She immediately jumped onto the chair and performed a wonderful impersonation of her own bobblehead doll. All the cute exploded everywhere. And I wasn’t ready for it.
Lesson learned: Only entice pet with favorite toy after you’re prepared to shoot.

Exhibit 4: Black lab with sailboat
I look at this photo and I’m like, What. Did. I do. I’ve made a dead bush the main focus of the shot. Unlike the Sadie photo that I didn’t retake, I did retake this, 5 times, 5 slightly different angles. And the ridiculous bush was there each time. I was so excited to have a black lab, the water, and a little sailboat in the same frame that my mind just selectively cropped out the bush. I guess?! I also wish I had posed the dog some – have her sit on the sand and looking out towards that sailboat in the nearby distance, and shoot from the back. What a serene picture that would have made. Stupid #$@% bush.
Lesson learned: You want to be a pet photographer, not a dead bush photographer.