2014 Monthly Project: Apr-14 (Our Two Crazy Hounds)

I've dedicated this month's photo project to our two other children - the ones that often drive us crazy, make us laugh and generally give us plenty to talk about.

Cookie and Bruce have very distinctive personalities. Cookie is the boss - she gets what she wants (most of the time - she is below us in the pecking order), whereas Bruce is quite content to laze around and only show limited degrees of animation when food is involved.

I have taken a variety of photos of them - outside, inside, down at our local dog park, and inside using our studio lights (which I really must use more often).

Enjoy the photos!

(Below): "Yawn....Another photo shoot Daddy..."

(Below): "Well let's get it over with then"

(Below): "Ah well, I suppose it'll mean some treats..."

(Below): "Give....me....my....ball....back!"

(Below): "I warned you about the weird ears and scary eyes thing if you try and take my frisbee away!"

(Below): "Happiness is a frisbee and a backyard to play with it in!"

(Below): "Look I have wings, I can fly! Well, not quite"

(Below): "This is my territory...b***h! I am the fearless Bullmastiff"

(Below): "Secret guys - I really am a big wet lettuce!"

(Below): "Check out how long my tongue is!"

(Below): "High five Daddy!"

(Below): "Is it feeding time yet?"

(Below): "Oh for fecks sake. Enough with that camera....It makes my bum look big like this. Ok??"

(Below): "You know when I run towards you, I kind of look evil......"

(Below): Cookie gave Bruce a more than generous head start - to no avail though...

(Below): "That looks like an aerial coming out of my head!"

(Below): (thinking) "If I look cute enough, Mummy and Daddy will give me a schmacko"

(Below): Bruce and Cookie leaping up high for treats. The "Gentle Giant" towers above us both

(Below): Early contender for awkward family portraits. All I need is a Silly Santa top

(Below): "Hey Mummy, welcome to the shoot! Will you marry me?"

(Below): It's a dog's life!

(Below): Cookie decides to photo bomb a father and son shot....

(Below): And now Bruce decides to photo bomb it as well! I suppose this is their shoot after all...

(Below): "Good night folks and thanks for viewing our photos!"

Bruce and His Siblings Reunite - Mar14

Last weekend we took Bruce to get his annual vaccination. His original Mum, Christine, organised this.

It was a great time to catch up with most of Bruce's siblings (and their owners). After the shots, we went down to the nearby beach at Jacobs Well. It was another hot day but the dogs loved it!

2014 Monthly Project: Mar-14 (Street Art, Christchurch Re-build Style)

My theme for this month is street art. Christchurch, for those of you who are not aware, suffered a series of devastating earthquakes in late 2010 and early 2011 (the latter being responsible for almost 200 lives).

Christchurch is on the rebound though and I was witness to a street art festival which is part of 'Rise':

http://www.rebuildchristchurch.co.nz/blog/2013/12/street-art-in-christchurch-cbd-december-2013

I was briefly across the ditch last weekend (for a private family matter) but managed to catch up with my most excellent mates Mark and Tracy who were terrific tour guides and took me around some of the main art works.

I had a marvellous time and this is one of the most enjoyable shoots I have done for some time. Great company, surprises around a lot of corners, a chance to see my old home town, good exercise plus a coffee thrown in for good measure.

Enjoy my shots. I have 'popped' a few of them by applying HDR filters, but in my mind, this brings them even more to life.