Please give me some C&C ... old dog photo...

Hi all. I'd really appreciate some comments on this one. I'm taking an online course, and need to do some mood shots. I was going for "old and tired" here ... the only way I can capture Maggie is asleep (that's all she does), and inside. So, I had to use the 50mm f/1.4 lens. Does the fact that the paw is out of focus totally detract from the shot? The first is my attempt to get a "mood" shot. The second is the original photo ... no PP. Be brutal -- I'm trying to learn.

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i love the dog, i love the sleeping, and i really like the photo in general
the composition is great and so is the documentary or authentic feel
the paw being out of focus in number one is what makes it work
it draws down the line of sight and emphasises the mood
it is a bit distracting in the second shot though

I like the cute "dog tired" shot. The out-of-focus paw is not really a problem, but slightly less out of focus might keep it from looking quite as "long". In the first sepia toned image, I think that I would decrease the brightness and increase contrast slightly -- the goal being to bring more detail to the bright areas of the fur. There is a bit of glare on the leather chair in the background -- if you could tone it down using something like the cloning tool or paintbrush, it might make it less intrusive to the main subject.

Thanks for the comments, Robert and Bill - very nice of you to take the time to help me out.

I'll take your suggestions and give it some more work.

Personally I prefer the color one myself...I think it's monotone enough without going to sepia, but that is just my personal taste. The one thing I don't like in the color shot is that the chair in the background is a little distracting...in the sepia you cropped it in a bit and eliminated most of it. I'd try that with the color shot.

Being a dog lover myself and having 3 dogs at the moment (one of whom is handicapped from a spine injury) and having lived with older dogs, I do have to add that I certainly love the mood of this shot. The shot along with your story does tend to create something of a melancholy feel for me but I would also add that I'm not sure it would work quite as well without the story/explanation...in this shot Maggie doesn't really look that "old". Without the story, she could just be a sleeping dog.

Either way give her a scratch behind the ear for me .

Peace,
Jim