The Medium Dogs - Winners and Judge's Notes

FIRST PLACE - JAX

Owned & Adored by Denise

Jax is the kind of dog you want by your side when chaos surrounds you—steady, reassuring, and ready to make everything seem all right. This photograph captures his personality perfectly. The background is a jumble of shapes, colors, objects, and angles. Even Jax’s kerchief adds to the visual commotion with its hodgepodge of Halloween shapes and symbols. Yet there’s Jax, solid as a rock. Nicely groomed and completely relaxed, he looks straight at the camera with an expression that seems to say, “Everything is going to be fine.”

The head-on portrait beautifully showcases Jax’s perfectly shaped ears, while his dark eyes and nose stand out against his lovely light brown fur. His bright red tongue adds a delightful splash of color to an already handsome face. More than simply capturing his appearance, this photograph reveals a dog who is loving, content, and happy with life. And Jax doesn’t want to keep that happiness to himself. He wants you to be happy, too.

SECOND PLACE - STASH

Owned & loved by Jean

Love this picture of Stash. He’s perfectly willing to cooperate in a photo shoot, but he’s easily distracted by the many things that catch his attention. Was that a squirrel? Stash seems just a bit impatient, as if he’s thinking, “Come on, let’s get this over with. I have things to do and places to go!”

Curiosity is clearly one of his most interesting characteristics. He loves being outdoors, where he can explore the world around him, and his alert eyes and ears capture that inquisitive nature perfectly.

Stash is quite handsome, too. Although he’s always curious about what’s going on around him, he’s also loyal and can focus when called upon—at least for a little while!

The fold in Stash’s collar, revealing its red lining, creates a nice visual dividing line that draws the viewer’s attention to his beautiful face. It’s an effective photographic technique when you want to emphasize a dog’s face without resorting to an extreme close-up. Very nicely done!

THIRD PLACE - CHARLIE

Loved by Norman & Patrick

Elegance, elegance, elegance! Charlie exudes style and grace in this photograph. Sitting straight up, with his head turned slightly upward and to the right, mouth closed (of course), he displays panache without even trying. But don’t confuse his regal appearance with aloofness. Charlie is friendly and welcoming to those who earn his respect.

I love the way the white picket fence behind Charlie’s head highlights his dark ears and accentuates the white markings on his face. The blue hydrangeas in the background seem to form a crown atop his head—a perfect prop for such a regal pose!