Up Ups, Letdowns & One Sneaky Line 🐾⬆️🎢
Take your subject to new heights! That was the gist of this challenge — finding a way to get your pup up and off the ground, whether on all fours or just front paws, and turn it into a compelling portrait. From paws-on-walls to paddleboard pros, the possibilities were endless. And for me? This challenge was a full-on rollercoaster of puppies, paddleboards, pixels...and one sneaky line that almost took me out. Buckle up! 🎢✨
The Cast of Characters 🐶💫
We’ve got Harold, the dapper Cavapoo gentleman with curls for days and the most polite head tilt south of the Mason-Dixon. And Nalu, a 12-week-old Australian Shepherd puppy who thinks water, training, and adventure are the three basic food groups. (You may remember her mom Kaitlyn — Sebastian’s frisbee-loving human from Dogscapes!)
Why “Up Ups” Made Me Giddy 🙌
Any excuse to put a dog somewhere mildly ridiculous (safely!) and tell a story? I’m in. Up Ups can be urban, adventure, studio, weirdly textured landscaping rocks behind a Taco Bell — whatever! I knew I wanted variety so I’d have options come decision time. Spoiler: having options helps… until it doesn’t. 😅
Shoot One: Harold + The SkyWheel 🎡🐩✨
Location: Pier Park outdoor shopping district, Panama City Beach.
Up Thing: Curved low wall with the SkyWheel looming beautifully behind.
Vibe: Mini gentleman tourist meets theme-park postcard.
Harold’s mom added him to my Dog Model list and I immediately knew I needed to meet this little dude. At just 7 months old, he strolled up like a tiny English gentleman who travels with his own monogrammed tea set. Calm, curious, cooperative — photographer jackpot! 🏆
I asked his mom if he was good with being lifted, we settled him safely on the wall, and boom: full eye contact, curious head tilt, perfect framing with the SkyWheel spinning softly behind him. We did a mix of wide and slightly tighter angles, but I kept returning to his sweet expression + landmark = sense of place AND personality. 💙
The Gentleman & the Wheel
Photographer Lesson: Urban Up Ups are a great way to show where you shoot — clients love recognizing familiar spots! And curved walls make awesome leading lines.
Shoot Two: “Or hear me out… paddleboard?” – Nalu the Water Wonder Pup 🛶🐕🦺💦
I texted Kaitlyn (Sebastian’s mom) asking if her new 12-week-old Aussie, Nalu, might be up for an Up Ups idea. She sent a few fun suggestions and then casually tossed out: “Or hear me out: paddle board?”
UM YES. All caps. Immediate heart eyes. 😍
I already follow their adventures over at @thesaltysheps, so I knew Nalu was confident, well-handled, and training up like a pro. The bond between Kaitlyn and her dogs is solid — which is exactly what you want when you’re putting a baby puppy on a floating object in open(ish) water. Safety first, sparkle second. (Okay… equal billing. 😉)
Location: Calm bay water.
Up Thing: Stand-up paddleboard (SUP).
Wardrobe: Bright orange life vest = chef’s kiss color pop. 🧡
Kaitlyn waded out with the board, I waded out with my camera (internal chant: do not drop the camera… do not drop the camera…), and little Nalu said, “Cool, I live here now.” We got a head tilt, alert ears, and the most confident puppy stance you could hope for on water.
SUP, Pup?
Photographer Lesson: If color pops are part of your brand, wardrobe matters! That orange life vest against teal water? Instant scroll-stopper.
Decision Time: Harold vs. Nalu 😬
Both images made me ridiculously happy. Harold gave me curls, charm, and a recognizable landmark. Nalu gave me bold color, action-adjacent energy, and originality — you don’t see a wet baby Aussie calmly posing on a paddleboard every day! 🌊
I exported, polished, re-exported, squinted, asked friends, asked photography buddies, asked my husband (bless him), re-opened Lightroom, second-guessed crop ratios, checked the brief again… and my heart kept drifting back to Nalu on the paddleboard. It just felt special.
So I submitted it. And then? We wait. 😬⏳
The 5AM Plot Twist 😴📱
Feedback wasn’t due until 11am CST. But at 5am (and I am not a morning person — at all), I woke up, grabbed water, glanced at my smartwatch… and saw that the results had gone live early. Cue instant adrenaline. My husband mumbled, “Go back to sleep.” LOL no.
I checked to see if I’d made Top 10 or Top 20… and saw nothing. Nada. Gut punch. Of all the images I’ve submitted so far, this one hurt the most not seeing it up there. I was SO proud of it — people told me it looked like an outdoor magazine cover, and for once I actually believed them. 💔
But I had to hear what the judges said, so I pulled up the video and hit play.
Meet Charlotte “Eagle Eyes” McPixel 👀🦅 (aka Her Royal Highness of Zoom & Doom)
Within seconds, Charlotte spotted a faint line in my edit — one I had completely missed. I checked at 100% zoom. Asked friends. Asked family. NOBODY SAW IT. Charlotte saw it. 🤯
She also mentioned fringing in the trees (which I had worked hard to tame). Her comments gave me fresh ideas for improving my workflow — especially how I composite or clean edges when working with bright gear against complex backgrounds. I’m going back to the RAW and testing a few prevention steps for next time.
But that line… THAT LINE. Ughhh. (Don’t ask where it is — I’m pleading the Fifth! 😂)
Photographer Lesson: Zoom further than you think. Then zoom again. Judges don’t miss a thing — especially Eagle Eyes McPixel.
From Heartbreak… to Wait, WHAT?! 🤯🎉
After a nap (and a call with my Shutterhound buddies — hi Ginger & Kasey! 👋), I rewatched the feedback. Then I jumped to the part of the video where the judges trim their shortlist down to the Top 20 and then Top 10.
There were 69 submissions this round (photographers are leveling up fast — you can see the growth!). The shortlist was HUGE — 30 images this time. They had to cut hard. Crops, compositions, editing issues… snip, snip, snip.
We got down to 21… and I braced myself. And then… they cut someone else.
Nalu MADE TOP 20!!! 🥳🐕🦺🌊
My 5am check just hadn’t updated yet. Cue emotional whiplash — heartbreak to happy tears in under six hours.
Gratitude for Team Nalu 🙏🧡
Huge love to Kaitlyn for trusting her baby pup on water, training like a champ, and being game for anything. And to Nalu, for balancing like a pro and serving full head-tilt magic on command. This image is ours — I’m so proud of what we made together. 💦🐾
Shoutout to Harold the Gentleman Pup! 🎩💙
Harold may not have been the submission this round, but don’t think for a second that he’s sitting this one out. He’s already got a starring role in my next challenge — Soul Searcher — and I have a feeling he’s about to charm his way into a few more hearts. Thank you to Harold’s wonderful mom for trusting me with her curly, classy boy. This little guy? He’s going places. 🚀
Pawsitive Reflection: Sparkle + Real Talk ✨🧡
I’m an 80% sparkly optimist — but I’m also 100% human. Waiting for feedback is vulnerable. Seeing your “favorite” image not immediately place can sting. But this challenge reminded me why I keep showing up:
Growth happens when you care enough to hurt a little.
Judges see things that help you level up. Listen. Learn. Try again.
Community (hi dog moms, fellow challengers, and Shutterhounds! 🐾) turns the sting into fuel.
And sometimes the story isn’t over when you think it is… hello, Top 20! 🎉
Final Image Gallery ✨
✅ Submitted to Challenge: Nalu on Paddleboard
💖 Alternate: Harold + SkyWheel
🐾 BTS & Outtakes: Splash faces, wet paws, and one wobbly moment 😆
🎥 Head over to my Instagram post to see Nalu running across the board like a superstar 🌟
Big wags & salty sparkle,
Stacey
Captured Moments Pet Photography 🐾📸
Panama City Beach, FL
P.S. If you find that faint line before I fix it, you’re officially on Team Eagle Eyes. 👀🦅😂
