Labradoodle & Goldendoodle Forum
7 Doodle Photos that WON'T Make the 2017 Doodle Calendars
How can it be? How can any cute doodle NOT be worthy of a Doodle Calendar? They are all soooo cute!
I agree!!!
Doodles are all adorable. Even on a bad hair day, they are still cute.
But that doesn't mean all photographs of doodles are equally beautiful. And when it comes to our annual Doodle Calendars, it's the whole photograph that counts...doodle and all.
Many of you are looking forward to our annual calendar photo submission time. That's coming soon...Sept 1st. The time where DK members send me their best doodle photos and I choose the best (a.k.a. my favorites) of the best to use in our 2017 Doodle Calendars.
To help you as you choose which photos to submit I've compiled 7 photos that would never make the cut--and why. A few are actually quality photos in many ways, but won't work for our calendars.
1) Below is my labradoodle Rosco at around 5-6 months. Probably one of his first experiences with a sprinkler. So a fond memory for me. But it's a terrible photo. 1) It's far too dark and dreary. 2) I can't really see Rosco's face. 3) It's blurry not focused. 4) The sprinkler is kind of distracting. 5) There is way too much background and not enough doodle.
2) This photo is special because my dogs are rarely allowed on the couch. So this is proof there is an exception to every rule. He had just had a bath so he was super clean. But it's a terrible calendar photo. He looks drunk, you can barely see his eyes, his head is blurry because he'd just finished rubbing it all over the couch, and I don't think anyone wants to look at the messy sheet.
3) Below is my Boca and her ball chasing doodle romp buddy Sassparilla. They both have that F1 labradoodle look I love so much. But as a calendar photo...nope. Neither is looking at the camera. The leashes clutter the photo, the background is bland with another doodle sneaking in on the side ;-) Great shot of a fun time. NOT a calendar shot.
4) Below is handsome Gavin. Look at that face! Those eyes and that darling nose...and the head tilt. GAH! But the photograph itself is poor quality. It is faded, not in focus (i.e. blurry) with overexposure (bright blinding white spots) on the top of his head. It's also a boring and cluttered background. Clutter doesn't refer to the mess of the house. Clutter, in this case, refers to just lots of unimportant, distracting background details that don't add (microwave, kitchen cabinets, blinding window light, drawers and knobs, etc). It's not that the house is a mess, but that those household objects make a bad background. PRO TIP: Outside shots almost always have better lighting as long as the sun isn't directly overhead.
5) This is an example of good lighting, doodle is adorably cuddling with a plush dog. BUT it's cluttered with a tablecloth and person in the background and you can't really see the dog's eyes. Sometimes there is an exception to the see-the-eyes rule, but this photo is not spectacular enough to overcome the flaws. 
6) Cute action shot, great composition, but the background is kind of bland, overexposed and blown out...all those washed out bright spots in the back? You also can't see the dog's eyes very well. That's what I'm talking about.
7) Final example--a tricky one at that:
A darling doodle, in a cute shot with his Holee Roller toy. Crisp, in-focus photo, those eyes! What's not to like? Not much, actually, but the top of his head is cut off and would get further cut off in printing, kind of ruining it. So it would end up on the cutting room floor because of that technicality alone. Even though it's gorgeous! (In years past I may have chosen such a photo)
I hope these examples help you choose WITHOUT it making you give up hope! In the next few weeks I'll send out tips for taking good shots of dogs that are difficult to photograph. Both very light dogs and black dogs come with their own set of challenges when it comes to photography. And speaking constantly of photography...join our Photography Group. Everyone there is super friendly and willing to help!
P.S. Here is a link to our official photo guidelines: Guidelines for Calendar Photo Submissions
P.P.S. Do you follow our Facebook page? https://www.facebook.com/doodlekisses
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Laurie, Fudge, and Vern on
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Adina, This is a great discussion and great examples :)
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Permalink Reply by DJ & Chance on
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LOL, I had to sacrifice my pride to give her bad photos!!!
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I was going to point out who sent in the "bad" photos, but I thought that would be rude :) LOL I actually love the cutting off the head type shot for an artsy look, but see why it wouldn't work on a calendar.
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Permalink Reply by Adina P on
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It's the nail hole through the head that bugs me most with these photos in the calendar. I think it ruins it. Otherwise I agree!
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I took about 30 of these, trying to see how close Chance could get to the lens as he was running toward me and still be in focus. I was actually going for the artsy shot--but it is not a good shot for the calendar.
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Permalink Reply by Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie on
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hahahaha
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Permalink Reply by F, Calla & Luca on
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You are heroic.
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