There is a cool-looking pile of rocks near my studio in Carrollton that have a moonscape / moon rock vibe to them that I knew would be perfect for this week's theme, "dogs on rocks", in the 52 Week Pet Photography Project. I noticed on the calendar that we would also have a full moon and thought what a great opportunity to make a different portrait of Ginger than others that I have taken of her in the past. You can never have too many pictures of your dog! 

On the day I waited for the sun to go down and the moon to rise in the sky and then headed out with my best little dog model. As is my custom for outdoor portrait sessions, I brought an off-camera flash to fill in the shadows and make Ginger pop against the dark rocks. The flash produces true color even when the ambient light and surroundings change it to our eye.

My goal was to make a very natural portrait that didn't look like a flash was used. The moonlight gave everything a soft, blueish glow. A few treats and funny sounds later to get her ears up and a quick check on the back of the camera confirmed that I had a some great images to work with for my "dog on a rock" pet photography blog circle post. I loved how it turned out and the darker, moody image is a bit of a departure for me - one that I think I'll revisit again soon. 

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