This week's theme is "Doors," and I wasn't sure I was going to be able to participate due to my schedule, but as schedules often do, it changed, and I was glad to be able to do two things:

1.  Try out a door backdrop I had purchased from a fellow photographer a while back, but never got around to using.
2.  Try out a new light I purchased recently, but have not had time to set up.

The results are below, thanks to my model, Billie.  I thought she would do well to tax me in using the new light, because if I can light her, I can light anything; AND her coat has some blues in it, which I thought would lend itself to this particular backdrop.

The image above is a close up of Billie and the doors, but I wanted the entire door to show, so the second image showcases the door.

This is a particularly lovely backdrop, well made and I think actually looks like a real set of doors.

Billie moved slightly in this photo.  She is a very fidgety Miss.

I added the cobblestone underneath her feet from a stock photo I had taken of a street in Scranton.  I often take "extra" photos of skies and streets to add to photos here and there, when I think they might enhance the story.

The photo above is also moodier and darker than the second photo.  I only used the single (new) light in the photo above, but used the new light and a fill light in the second photo.

I think this door backdrop might make a great Christmas backdrop with the right props. 

I may just have to try it out this holiday season.  Maybe Santa standing near the door with a sack of toys?

What do you think?

The final photo below is my personal favorite because it shows Billie in her truest light.

This is a classic Billie look.  By this time I was really getting the hang of the new light, and Billie was sitting perfectly still.  All good things!

I am looking forward to seeing what comes up in the circle today. 

To see more "Doors," start with Jessica Wasik with Bark & Gold Photography, celebrating the joy and love between Pittsburgh pets and their people.  Enjoy and have a great weekend!

The song "It's raining it's pouring, the old man is snoring..." keeps playing over and over in my brain.  The reality keeps playing over and over in my yard.  I cut 1/4 of my yard grass on Wednesday.  That's because we had 15 minutes of sun to dry it out enough to be cut.  The other 3/4 of the yard was too wet, and the alligators wouldn't let me pass.

Yes, I have the blue sky blues, as in....there are few blue skies and I need to find more of them.

Because this week is full of storms, I went through and found some of my favorite blue sky images from the past, which also proves Northeastern Pennsylvania has the capability of producing lovely blues when it wants to.

A particularly great blue sky day in mid-September at DeCoverly Kennels.

A mesmerizing sky with Corey in the middle of summer.

A patch of blue at an area horse show.

Two setters ready to hit the road on a stellar blue sky day.

See, it does happen.  If only it would happen soon.  In the meantime, I hope you, at least, will have a blue sky weekend!

More blue skies coming your way in the blog circle.  Start with Pawparazzi Pet and Animal Photography presented by Shae Pepper. Happy Friday!

Oh man oh man....lately the selected themes have gotten me nostalgic for times gone by.  Last week's Mellow Yellow had me thinking of Donovan.  This week's theme, Fairytale, has me remembering the Rocky and Bullwinkle Cartoon Show.  Fractured Fairytales was one of the segments of the show.  Unlike regular fairytales, the fractured version always featured a twisted path, and my kind of humor. 

If you have never seen one, here's a link to one of my favorites.

With that in mind I set out to composite some fractured fairytales of my own.

Billie, who loves to chase squirrels, would probably love to live in a fairytale land where she could make all kinds of friends of creatures great and small.  So this week, I started with an older image of Billie, and added all the friends I thought she might like.  Once upon a time, there was a scruffy dog, who liked to romp with many different critters.

Baby bunny aside, her favorite would absolutely be that bushy-tailed squirrel.  You can't even S-P-E-L-L the word in my house.

Next up is a dog who loves the fairytale where the cat is sent packing, so she has the house and humans all to herself.  I call this one:  "I swear I didn't do it."

I love creating fairytale worlds.  Use your imagination and finish the story here.  Do they live happily ever after?  Hmmmmm.  I think not.

I can't wait to see everyone's take on the theme this week.  Start here with Jo Lyons Photography, the down-to-earth dog loving photographer for cherished dogs of Sydney, Central Coast, Newcastle and the Great Lakes Region of NSW.  Enjoy your weekend!  Looks like we are going to have our first dry weather weekend since March.  I hope that's not a fairytale!