So I keep trying to find the motivation to get back on track here. Well, tonight after work, I took our dogs out to South Park's off-lease dog area. I'll spare you the claims that our dogs are the cutest dogs out there (mainly because everyone usually thinks their dogs are the cutest). But I will say that both of our dogs are rescue dogs. I strongly advocate adopting rescue dogs, and also advocate for mutts (as I'm not usually a big fan of all the pure-bred dogs people spend thousands of dollars on).

So anyway, tonight I guess our doggies can be my motivation.

I usually am not too pleased with the photographic qualities of the shots I take of our dogs. But I keep trying. One of these days I'll get it right. But I guess the important part is to keep trying.

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, 1/32 sec at f/1.8, ISO Auto. No Post Production.

Why This Photo: I had just received my new 50mm f/1.8 lens (a great budget lens for $99!) and wanted to play around with it. I was sitting on the floor with the dogs, and figured I'd try for that elusive good pet photograph.

What Works: The soft background is about the only good thing about this photo. That is a product of that large f/1.8 aperture.

What Doesn't Work: Just about everything else. Focus is a little soft. There is a bad yellowish tinge to the photo. There is a convergence of the dogs' heads. And there are some distracting elements in the top right corner of the photo.

So yeah - not the greatest photo ever. But it is a learning tool. I definitely think unless you're incredibly lucky, you'll take plenty of bad photos before you take a majority of good photos.

The key is to remember to stick with it and learn from your mistakes. Which is what I try to do by keeping those less than stellar photos around, and revisiting them from time to time.

Drop me a line and let me know what you think.

- Bill

I don't normally take photos of people. I don't know why, it just really isn't my thing. For whatever reason, I feel more comfortable tracking down a tiny little insect than I do trying to take photos of people.

On one occasion, I was out taking photos, and doing my usual thing - which in this case was chasing a butterfly. A guy and his dog wandered into the area where I was shooting. For a while I continued chasing the butterfly, but then stopped and watched as the guy began fly-fishing and his dog followed his every move. The scene started to take on the feel of a photo I'd see in a magazine.

So I decided to take advantage of the situation and step out of my comfort zone and try something new. After asking the gentleman if he minded if I took some photos, I started firing off shots.

Technical Data: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT, Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD Macro1:2 at 300m, 1/2000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 400. No post production. Cedar Creek Park, Westmoreland County, PA.

Why This Photo: I really liked the way the dog followed his owner, the scene really played out like something I thought looked like a 'classic' photo.

What Works: The eye contact with the dog provides some engagement into the scene, and I think counterbalances the fact that the fisherman is looking out of the frame. And even though you can't tell this from the photo, I think the fact that I stepped out of my comfort zone really counts for something here.

What Doesn't Work: First, this is something that bugs me a lot, yet I do it often - the horizon is not level (I've bought a bubble level to help work on this!). The framing is a bit poor, and pulling back the focal distance a bit - maybe to just 250mm would have made for a much nicer shot. Finally, the reflections are a bit distracting, I don't have a polarizing filter for this lens, but this might have been a good place for one.

The bottom line is that this isn't the greatest shot, but I took advantage of an opportunity and tried something a little new with my photography. I know that my favorite photography is macro, but I really am trying to work on expanding out into other areas, and taking advantage of a situation when it presents itself will be key to getting into that.

- Bill