rubiton

Always work up to a distance - when I started walking (and Im talking 5-6km per hour not a stroll) it was 600m, 800m, 1250, 1850, 2100, to 2.5km. I needed to get fitter but the dog came along too. Though whenever there is a break due to illness or injury its a week of a middle distance before back to the full track and then its a slower pace to start with.

Check with your vet but raw bones (ie all) might be too much if she is currently on the ID food. Our dog has been on ID food for a month after she had a reoccurance both times she's had gastro and after that we introduced things one at a time and then waited to see if she was ok or not. And anything introduced was done very very gradually (as in a treat a day, then later a tiny amount of non ID dry food, etc). That way if somethign didnt agree it was only a small reaction which would right itself within a day not a full issue. Our s no longer gets bones and the other chewable treats are no good for her so in her case she gets her teeth brushed a couple of times a week - however she was very easy to train to get use to it.

Got to admit its tricky first time trying to work out the settings - think Ive got it on the centre focus point with the surrounding ones but took a change of lens to get anything decent of the dog coming straight at me. Going to take it out a bit later and see how it goes on somethign that isnt black and shadowy - various chunks of grass looked very sharp though! I also made the file size medium as if they are too big they can look a bit odd on the computer til you zoom in.

I had to rely on my 350D for horse racing last autumn when my 40D was being repaired and the 50D was waiting to go in for 'adjustment'. It did that fine but with these cameras you need to learn how to use them to get the best results whether that be from one of the numerous courses around or the various books. I remember seeing somewhere a 'magic lantern' guide to the 7D is apparently useful in addition to the manual. For instance I took photos on Manual with F8 and 1/1000th to freeze the horses during a cross country event. Lunch break and decided to kill time and see what the camera did when set on P (program) - it took photos on 1/640th and F11 or something. Slower shutter speed and the photos were exposed the same as the manual settings and fine for an overall photo but not quite right for photos taken at speed. When it comes to action shots the more manual control you have the better - as often the object you want to photograph is not the majority of the image so you hve to set the camera for that.

I got a 7D last night - now just hve to find a lens to put on it so I can go through the manual and set it up to what I need. Everyone has said before I touch a thing to read the manual as its not like the 40D and you have to different things to set some functions. It a much more complex camera than the 40-50-60D line and below when it comes to getting the best out of it.

I think we bump our setting up to 25c when its going to be hot but we are out. Its still warm inside but nothing on 35-40deg or so outside. But if you can close up the windows with decent curtains from early in the day that will help it keep cool for longer.

11.5 to have her teeth cleaned. Had the full blood test two days beforehand (was due for one)and then had her teeth done. All went well - she was the same as she was as a 6yo that night (ie as long as she was blocked from going upstairs - she tried that and crashed into the wall or back down the one step in the 2 seconds it took me to get there and block it off). However the next day she was still in lala land - would pick up for a few minutes then would be tired out again. Took her to work as it was that or stay home as she hadnt shown much interest in drinking (its not like she moved from behind the desk). Started licking at the stitiches (she had a couple of lumps off at the same time) that night and by the next day she was much better. Well until the 'cone of shame' then she sat there and stared at me for a good 20 minutes without moving.

I think you cant rely on other people to judge your photos I think you need to make the call yourself. I use to see photos in magazines and over time I learnt how to take photos like that. I remember once I was involved with the young member committee they were trying to get off the ground in Canberra at the races. A lady whose family ran a very famous local stud was the raceclub person involved but they wanted a group of younger members to form a committee. So there is 10 of us around the table and all the other young people were there from the social angle (when asked what our interest in racing was and what goals we had - a getting to know you discussion) and all agreed with each other gets to my turn and I say I take photos etc and I want to take photos like the one of the wall (it was one of those commercial photo prints of a champion racehorse of the time) - basically the social set were all stifling laughter but Phillippa she took what I said seriously. That lady and I are probably the only ones still involved in the industry these days (I went to a few of the gatherings but final straw was lunch at the races where you paid $3 for a cup of soft drink and they actually opened a can and put it to the side while they handed you the glass and lunch went on without anyone noticing the races were even on - I think the social side kind of died away from then and the young members was in price and name only). However the story goes I saw the type of racing shots I wanted to take eventually and while it may have taken years after that I now take photos like that and know how to take them (and have the right gear) - likewise I opened an equestrian magazine from the 80s and saw photos that look just like mine of jumping so clearly thats what stuck in my mind as a good photo and thats the type of angle etc that I worked towards for what I believed was a 'good photo'. However you never stop learning or trying to improve your photos and knowing what you want to achieve and comparing your work to that is the only way to truly judge yourself.

Justice Shades thats a hard question and pretty much a judgement call. I was taking photos for 12 years or so before I was asked to take photos at events for magazines. a few months after that I use to bring shots from the previous comps with me for a while til a pony club stole a heap of prints and pretty much destroyed the albums the photos had been in. About a year after a started taking pic at events I started posting proofs out - looking back now they were not all that flash however they were OK and SLRs were not all that common. Price always covered the print, replacement of the print if it went missing and a little extra - prices went up every couple of years and I havent changed them for a few years now. These days a lot of keen kids (and perhaps some adults) get a DSLR realise even on auto they take pretty good photos and set up a free website and call themselves a photographer then realise its all too hard and disappear but each one appearing charging nothing not even the replacement cost of their prints undercuts those who have been around for years and thats what gets frustrating - photographers who give the appearance of trying to have a business and be a pro who cannot even work their camera off auto settings. When learning someone should not be offering themselves as a business they should be doing just that learning and once they are confident they can get the best out of their camera, are prepared to stick it out in a situation where taking photos may not be easy or fun on a particular day and know how to produce a variety of results (and by then they should have a 'portfolio' of images) then and only then should they be offering their services as a 'photographer'.

And to me, although making some of your income is a criteria for a being a pro, making a "hefty amount, if not all" isn't in the top ten. I consider myself a professional. Others may not consider me one - I don't enter competitions, I don't submit to AIPP for awards etc, I don't make 100% of my income from shooting. (Although, I have a friend who is most definitely a pro and I don't think he's been paid for a shoot in 100 years - all his work is pro bono. Nice to be able to live that way, but not on the cards for 99.9% of us, I'd guess! And OT, too) Exactly kja - I dont giveaway my copyright/ownership and therefore dont enter competitions, I have a 'real job' to pay the normal bills however I am a professional photographer and have a registered business name, etc. Perhaps the definition should not be making a 'hefty' income perhaps it should be deriving a 'regular' income from the photography. I may not make millions but there is usually a steady flow when its the busier times of year (obviously less events in Christmas/summer and july in winter means downturn in photography income). I also go out there in the stinking heat (42 degrees for photos is not fun) and freezing cold and rain (again not ideal for me or the camera gear) when those who do it for a hobby have the option to just stay home. I spent a week at the recent Royal show and perhaps two days were not cold and overcast and dark - one was thunderstorms, rain, wind, lightning and the next day was probably worse with the mega strong wind gotta be mad to go out in that if you were not doing it for a reason (in this case coverage of the event for a pictorial report for my site).

You can also find second hand cameras at proper dedicated camera shops - often a photographer has just upgraded but their old gear is still in great condition.

Exactly - 'they' (the newcomers that so of us call flybynighters) get a DSLR and think that if they can gets prints at Kmart or whereever for $5 or less for an 8x12 then its great if they charge $8. Wonderful they massively undercut the pros and have lots of interest from their friends and friends of friends. Then after a while they realise that its not just take a shot stick em up on the web and wait for people to hand over the money its the using all your time going places to takethe photos, getting the info to identify who is in them, printing the right photo, storing the files somewhere (you can only put so much til the computer gets full), posting out the photos in a timely manner and of course replacing the odd ones that get lost or damaged. Fun to start with but gets very tedious after a while. And not to mention standing out with your gear on stinking hot 40 plus degree days or standin gout in the rain and wind and then finding for some reason that particular day the sales just arent all that good for some reason (sometimes you'll get a huge amount of sales and then a year later hardly an order). NOt to mention the costs for replacing and fixing gear and the running around to arrange that. etc etc. And how does the constant stream affect the pros? Well the flybynighters popping up make a few sales - you look expensive so your sales are down regardless on how good a photo looks and then you think is it really worth going to those particular events to cover then for wherever you provide your work to.

Thanks for that advice.

Think you are right kja - now just to wait til the new lens comes out and think might be easiest to get both camera and lens at the same time as I've got a couple of quiet weeks at the end of Oct/start Nov which would be a good time to practice before the last big horse event for the year.

Thanks - I thought it was a particular brand and thought that it was only a particular type of product that as taken off the shelves that had ingredients from China or somewhere that had also caused problems.

Need some help for info - are there any brands of dog food that at treated at customs on importation? And are all dog food/ingredients imported from places such as China, Vietnam, etc ? Or is this only related to the brands that were in the news in the last couple of years causing ill health in both cats and dogs?

I should point out that I need focus to be spot on and the horses must be sharp - as in you zoom in on the image and you can clearly see the individual hairs. I've seen what people think is panning action shots with all the awful blur (apparently its a common thought you need blur to show something is moving) and with that the performance would not be so notable. But I need the subject frozen and I must admit even the mechanism is loud and clunky which doesnt help the camera itself last over time (the 7D is very quiet and Im told it has extra rubber inside so that it copes with taking a lot more photos than the earlier cameras which results in it being quieter). So pretty good or a nice overall pic isnt going to cut it and the quality of the 50D compared to the 40D with similar images just doesnt cut it for what I need. If something is still and its taking a pic its been OK just the AI Servo focus isnt good enough and since I own about 4 lenses I have tried on it I dont think its any individual lens. It did do OK on a nice fine sunny day two weeks ago but the second the weather became overcast it struggled taking the multiple shots of the moving horses. The 60D is NOT what 40D series need in a camera for those of us taking sporting shots (the back looks like my point and shoot albeit a big point and shoot) and if looking to upgrade the obvious choice is the 7D which seems to be for the sports photographer (as is this new lens from the info online). Several retailers have the lens listed just no price etc. Probably be another couple of weeks before I can go near a photo place so hopefully it appears on the market by then.

Well after trying it out after it came back from reapirs again Im starting to think that it wasnt really made for sports action pics. It now does fine in bright sunny conditions but with the overcast conditions last weekend it struggled for the action shots and it was very hit and miss with any zoom. Swapped the lenses over with the 40D and used it for the posed pics and results a lot better. Also was OK the day before with the smaller lens and less moving more posed photos. One more test this weekend as the b camera taking more slow moving/posed pics but really think the 7D was the successor to the 40D for sports photographers - they came out pretty much the same time and after seeing the direction the 60D is taking even moreso. But then in looking at Canons have also noticed that there is a new 70-300mm L lens that was announced in late Aug and is appearing everywhere on sites but no price or sale date as yet.

Came across a rescue site apparently from SA today. My problem with it was they have no info 'about us' (says coming soon) and their only contact is a web feedback style form or a hotmail email address. Its states is a registered charity too but no contact names, location, phone numbers and all animals are 'with fosters and no details can be given out'. Now OK thats fine but to even approach them for a dog you have to agree to give them a lot of details and for a 'volunteer' to turn up and do a home check asking things like - what is it going to eat? (Sorry but dog food? why is the volunteer asking this not the admin types) how tidy is the yard (there will always be 'stuff' in yards and dogs are smart enough not to get caught up), there was no question regards 'is the gate secure'. Yes probably a group of well meaning people who want the best for any dogs they get out from the RSPCA or AWL (they seem to be the 'pound' for most of Adelaide) but want someone to tell them everything in forms emailed to a hotmail address (not much security with hotmail and people are to email forms with personal info) submit to a volunteer inspecting their house, etc. Put me off despite what seemed good intentions from other info on the site - a business name ABN and at last a PO Box and land line phone would look a bit better. Remember there have been a lot of home invasions etc in Adelaide lately and people have every right to not want to hand over their personal info easily. In Adelaide you basically have RSPCA, AWL and the one at Hahndorf or privately through the classifieds for general breeds and crossbreds (GAP is there for greyhounds) so thats why its was interesting to come across this new one but some of the regulations on their site does seem a bit offputting.

SO a 22yo kid behind the counter is going to say sorry the boss says we cant sell this aniaml to you - if the proposal is as its been reported its a step in the right direction the pet shop can have a short list of questions and be able to ask (though youd hope its only basic things like are you aware vaccinations will cost x will that be an issue, ongoing food costs will cost approx x will that be an issue, are you aware this animal grow bigger than a handbag, etc as for the buyer profession and postcode isnt too bad too ask) and if they appear too 'oh but its cute I want it' type shoppers they at least have some come back if the person demands the animal be sold to them. It all sounds good to say they can refuse to sell now but cant see the young ones left at the register handling a rude demanding customer who wants an animal no matter what being able to say sorry but you dont seem fit to buy one.

Normal businesses generally don't send staff around to check out peoples living arrangements either. But if they do send staff out, they are covered by public liablity insurance. This is a genuine question.......are rescue organisation employees covered by the same? If they are carrying out their business on private property, I would think they'd have to be. My dogs definitely get more than one hours attention a day, in fact I'd go so far as to say they get a lot more attention than some dogs where the owner is home all day. They come inside when we're home, they sleep in our room, we bought a property because it was more suited to the dogs than our previous place. Dogs need more than exercise, and mine definitely that and more. Id also add how do the organisations that dont rehome to full time workers actualyl KNOW that the people they do rehome to actually interact with the dog all day. People at work who live on properties have 'working' line kelpies and their dogs seems sane - its a generalisation to say that active dogs cant be with a full time worker. AN earlier post said they wouldnt rehome a dog they couldnt tire out with a 2hr walk with a full time working home. Youll never tire any dog out from a walk as they naturally get fitter over time but going for a walk activates their senses and once in a routine thats it the walk done with - there is more to a walk than a dog getting tired.

BUt its likely to suffer a painful end anyway if its out roaming with cars and dogs and bored young people etc around so its better it go to the pound. And really would get an enclosure for your cat - if it took fright when you are outside with it how would you catch your own cat?

Good point Gayle K - and further to that (police check) if you supply your home address and answer yes work fulltime to said question how do you know where that information is stored and if it is kept in a secure location? As opposed to in a box somewhere in a shelf or worse tossed into a general bin when no longer required that anyone could access. Yet another home invasion last night not that far away so of course people get more and more cautious about security of personal info.

So if someone has owned a dog that has died of old age or wants a second dog you will be checking the yard for small fences, fertiliser, plants, and commenting on the neighbourhood? If I went to a rescue organisation for the type of dog I wanted to rehome and said age, temperment, etc I was looking for and I was told sorry not til we check and make sure you arent lying about your fences and anything else we ask you - no we dont accept photos of said fences- and want to make sure you havent left snailbait or whatever around etc Id move on elsewhere that did understand I had owned a dog already in the same place and knew what I was looking for to suit. And then if someone said sorry that yappy dog out the back fence might upset the new dog and teach it bad habits or people walking along the fence may be a problem, etc youd be left wonderign does this organisation truly want to rehome dogs.

I looked at one site and it had a 20 question form that included stuff like 'do you work fulltime' - dont think its relevant unless they want to know you are employed and therefore can pay for sudden medical bills but then why ask full time. As for home checks - why? Sorry but if you want proof of the fences ask for photos and look on google earth. Can remember someone offering a home to a dog from a rescue organisation and they failed when the homecheck had the dog (not a bitterly cold or hot place and not a thin coated type dog) sleeping outside not inside the house. Questions on if they had kids, cats, owned dogs before, fully fenced yard yes fine but demanding a dog sleep inside not outside and demanding to inspect your house and that you be at home to keep it company while it sleeps?