Adopted and Adored

The message says it all.

BuckleyThis special issue seeks to raise awareness of responsible dog ownership and support the dedicated work of organisations re-homing lost and abandoned dogs.

Australia has one of the highest levels of dog ownership worldwide, with an estimated 40 per cent of Australian households having at least one dog. This means that there are around 4 million dogs nationwide. But while Australia enjoys a high level of dog ownership, a high number of dogs are admitted into shelters. During 2008-09, the RSPCA Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

The RSPCA is a community based charity that works to prevent cruelty to animals by actively promoting their care and protection. alone recorded 69,383 admissions into its shelters across the country.

Each of the dogs featured in this stamp issue has been given a second chance. All five have spent time in a shelter before being adopted into adoring new families.

Photos: Petpack and Australia Post

puppies

Tealight Bokeh

Tealight Bokeh
Canon EOS 40D, EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM

Trust me there is a very good reason why I’ve been slack with postings lately, and its not only because I’ve been chasing bokehs* :) In the meantime here is a little bokeh experiment when cleaning my lenses over the weekend. Almost all windows, can have this or a similar effect if you take a bit of time to compose your shot. The mundane part that you don’t recognise here, is the bit out of focus; the leaves and branches in the tree we have just outside the window. And a building ‘North Leagues‘ across from the road about twenty meters away. Using your camera if you stop down real wide and set aperture for f/3.5 or lower it makes for very interesting captures should you can get the subject crisp. Also a little post processing helps to bring out the edges, add a little contrast and signature(in this case). This was shot around midday with ample harsh light on top of the tree and some filtered streams through the branches and leaves, which makes for the magical bokeh! If the same shot was set for on anything above f/5.6 you probably wouldn’t even bother looking. Click on the image if you want a closer view.

* The pleasing quality of the out of focus areas of an image produced by a lens. Derived from the Japanese word boke, “blurred,” this term is sometimes used to describe the deliberate blurring of areas of a painting to create a sense of depth
Ref: Lynne Rutter Murals