Cropped Dog

I think I missed the boat... Not cropped on edit, but think it's too tight? Other thoughts? Comments? Issues? Thanks a ton!

IMAGE LINK: https://photos.smugmug​.com …U6A0908-2-X2.jpg&lb=1&s=A

The crop doesn't bother me. I'm wondering if the low contrast was intentional.

Not to pick nits, but is your name Birds or Bird? If the latter, the copyright notice would be grammatically correct if it was: Steve Bird's Photography.

Crop doesn't bother me at all. The color tones, too warm on the dogs coat does. Looks like a great dog though... miss mine.

swbkrun wrote in post #18966583
I think I missed the boat... Not cropped on edit, but think it's too tight? Other thoughts? Comments? Issues? Thanks a ton!

IMAGE LINK: https://photos.smugmug​.com …U6A0908-2-X2.jpg&lb=1&s=A on Smugmug

Hi Steve - I generally echo the comments made by Mark and Joe.

The composition is nicely done and the dog's pose is a treasure. A main issue though is the distracting highlights off the leather ottoman. They really pull the viewer's eye away from that wonderful face. It's essentially a solid shot that needs a little work in post. Try cloning out/stamping out those leather highlights which will flatten the contrast of that area, and then add a bit of contrast to his face. Create an exposure adjustment layer for just that area, and then you can either use the contrast slider, or play with levels a bit in Photoshop to see results in a better effect.

Doing that will add more dimensionality to his head, because the lighter background of his body will then appear to push the face forward. My father was a painter and when doing portraits he would often utilize that technique. You could also add slightly more sharpening to the nose. Basically you have good elements here which can benefit from a few adjustments. - Stu

I like the shot however I think you can lose half the chair at the bottom of the frame. IMO it doesn't offer balance or interest.