The buzz is that Google Friend Connect will no longer support any blogs except Blogger blogs from March 1st. I assume this means that our friends who follow our blog this way will no longer receive notification in Google Reader of our updates:( Soooo, if you want to stay in touch (and we really hope you do!) we have email subscription and RSS feed update alternatives, which are on the top right hand side of our blog. I’ve had problems with Google Friend Connect since I shifted from Blogger to WordPress, it would spasmodically disappear and the last time it did that I didn’t bother going through the rigmarole of reinstalling it.
Google’s solution is to get a Google+ page but I don’t feel like doing that, although I might check it out at a later date. Do any of you have a Google+ page? Do you like it? Is it simple to configure? Does it take a lot of time to keep updated? Do you think it’s worthwhile? Why? Help me make up my mind please:)
oo0oo
A while ago, Deccy (Beryl’s Valentine:) was shocked to find out that Beryl wasn’t on the Greyhound Database site! He told his Mum and she very kindly rectified this for us, thank you Deccy’s Mum:) We discovered that Deccy and Beryl are distantly related:) We know Deccy is related to lots of blogging Greyhounds and we’re wondering who Beryl is related to as well? Her racing name is Winsome Deluxe and we’d love it if you’d either look her up or tell us your hounds racing names so we can look them up and see how many long lost rellies we can track down! Beryl’s sire, Brett Lee, was a very popular chap and his progeny are probably spread all over the globe, making the Greyhound world a very small one:)
oo0oo
A few days ago I finally bit the bullet and got myself something I’ve wanted for a long time … a DSLR camera:) And boy, was I impressed with my first few pictures straight out of the box!
The Princess is NOT impressed though!
Oh geez, another camera!
I'm pretending to be asleep but she's still pointing it at me!
I started thinking I was the world’s greatest photographer now that I had a decent camera:) That lasted til later that night when I did some more playing and didn’t get one good photo. I have got some nice ones since but it’s much easier to photograph something motionless than a Greyhound running!!
Pretty girl:)
We had a GAP walk this afternoon and I was itching to get some photos of the hounds tearing around. I’d been reading the manual, researching sports/action photography web sites etc and thought I had the camera set up properly but I don’t think I got any more in focus shots that I do with my P & S! I was used to panning with that but tended to get lost with the new camera, lol!
Who put that person there?
Stanley:)
Stanley cooling off and blowing bubbles!
GAP foster dog, Flash and George (front)
Flash, Kara, George and Stanley
Lovely little Eliza
Stanley, George, Flash
Yes, Beryl was there!!
All the hounds except Eliza and Beryl
Hopefully I’ll have learnt how to use the camera a bit better by the next walk in a month’s time:) Any tips gratefully accepted!
That first photo of Beryl is hilarious:)
If you are related to Declan, you must be related to Song. Song’s racing name was Song Song Blue.
learn to use the camera??? those photos are great!!!
As for genetic heritage, I don’t know anything about it! She never made it to the racing kennels as far as I know so was never put on to the internet. I have tried looking up her ear tattoos but she’s not there. Brett Lee was a very prominent sire though, I wouldn’t be surprised if half the black dogs and half the partis like Beryl were all sired by him!!
jet recently posted..Whiteman Park – Dance of the Borzoi
Didn’t see any common heritage with my guys. Could be because you’re halfway around the world. Great pics. Welcome to the world of dSLR’s. Next thing you know, you’ll be collecting lenses like me
I didn’t see any relation from Beryl to Bunny (Bank On Benefit) or Blueberry (Reward Terry), but being so far away, it doesn’t surprise me. Bunny and Blueberry seem to be the only blogging Greyhounds who aren’t related to Deccy, too! Although Bunny and Joey of Two Greyhound Town are half brother and sister.
I hadn’t heard about Google Friend Connect not supporting other blogs besides Blogger blogs. I’ve had trouble keeping it directed to our current blog in the past, though. I use Google Reader to read blogs now, though, and I just add the blogs I want to follow into that. You can add a subscription to another blog in your Blogger reader manually, too. That might help the people who are on Blogger to follow you. I do have Google + and it is very easy to set up. I wish more people would share our blog on there, but I’m not too well connected there yet. If you do sign up, I’ll definitely add you to my circles, though!
You know I love my DSLR! Congratulations on getting yours! I use the sports setting when I want to get good running or action shots of the girls because the shutter speed is so fast. It works pretty well for me as long as I’ve got good light. Feel free to ask questions about it at the DDC, too. There are people there who are a lot more knowledgeable than me on there!
houndstooth recently posted..A Little Power Of The Paw For A Friend
Great pictures! I bet you’ll love the new camera. I don’t understand why Google is making it harder to use Blogger, etc. I’m having to use Chrome to view or leave comments on some blogs. Well, I know they probably want to get more people using their products, but it also seems to exclude people. It has the opposite effect on me. Makes me start thinking about switching.
Caron recently posted..Valentine Play
Beautiful photos!! You seem to be a pro already! Please tell Franky “Hi” from Ruby!!
-Bart
rottrover recently posted..Sleeping Cutie
I love the water shot of Stanley.
And, I’m going through the same thing with my new camera. I noticed immediately a better quality to the pictures, then immediately fell on my face and took tons of horrible ones. But, I think we will both get the hang of it soon. (My favorite lens by far is the 50mm, which I have been using for almost every photo I take, including flyball photos, dogs at the park, portraits, etc.)
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Great pics Sue, love the one of my boy, full frontal, trotting. Chris laughed when he saw Stanley in the water.
We were also blessed on the walk with good weather, which always helps.
Do you think Beryl’s ears are more often ‘up’ than ‘down’?
Welcome to the DSLR world! You are going to love it! I have not had any experience with google + page. Good luck with whatever you decide though.
Congrats on your new camera! Those pictures are great….I do especially like the very first one of Beryl. The running pictures are completely fantastic, though!
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Congrats on the new camera. I use the sports setting for running pictures but sometimes still don’t get the dogs in the picture, LOL. You took some beautiful pictures though. Beckett’s race name was “Bacot”, Maddy was “Spry Madson” and Veil was “Rogue Veil”. Deccy says that Maddy and Veil are related to him a ways back.
Angela Jardine recently posted..Memories
OMG, I’m amazed. You mean you shot all those other great pix with a point and shoot camera? Wow.
The shots with the new camera are great and I can’t wait to see what you have in store for us next. Just don’t wear out your favorite models.
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Those are magnificent pictures!! What kind of camera did you get? If a DSLR makes better pictures maybe that’s what we should get. Mom got a P & S for Christmas and Dad researched before he got it but all the pictures were blurry unless the subject was completely and totally still. That’s not going to work when your main subjects are dogs. We tried all different settings and modes and nothing worked so it was returned.
Emma
Are you telling us that all those great shots of Beryl in the sea are taken with a P&S?! Which one was it, out of interest? Mum is very jealous – she so wants a DSLR – what did you get in the end? Nice pictures of my love rival Stanley – I guess. Tell Beryl not to let him take advantage… As ever, my girl looks beautiful
Deccy xx
Declan recently posted..Deccy’s Excellent Blog Award – March
Love the photos! Will be fun to see what you can do as you play around more with the options. It is so nice to see the beautiful locations you guys run your dogs in.
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I think you are off to wonderful start with your new camera. I have had my DSLR for years, and finally had to take a class to learn how to use it properly! I love the photos of Greyhounds running. They look like they are having so much fun!
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Don’t be too hard on yourself, the learning curve when you upgrade to dSLR is much larger than when you first got a P&S!
Pre-focusing can really help when taking action shots, if you know where the pups are going to be. Otherwise, using an f-stop like f/9 or f/11 gives a larger margin of error because there’s a much larger depth of field (aka more is in focus). If your local or city or county offers a photography class, I’d recommend taking one because there’s nothing like having a person right there to ask. 
P.S. I love the new header!
Trude recently posted..A Cuddly Sneak Peek
I also thought you already used a dSLR! But I can really tell the difference with these shots. So don’t lament your purchase.
Have fun with your new toy!
Elizabeth recently posted..Don’t Fret Pet Hair
Your photo’s are always beautiful! today I am loving especialy Stanley cooling off and blowing bubbles xxx
LOVE all the new photos! Nice to see the beautiful Beryl with her ears pricked…
I have Google+ but confess I couldn’t get on with it and didn’t see the point, so I’ve never gone back to it since I set it up.
Maureen Irvine recently posted..Solo’s tips for prospective owners (not fully endorsed by his humans)
I think your pics came out great. What beautiful dogs.
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Congratulations on the new camera! Care to tell us what you got? (I might be looking to upgrade to one myself if I can ever justify the $.)
These pictures are amazing – if this is what you’re getting “straight out of the box”, I can’t wait to see what you do with it after some experimenting! And I agree with everybody else – your point and click shots are unbelievable – all this time I thought you were using a DSLR.
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Congrats on the new camera! Which one did you get? I have had a dSLR for 4 years or so and wouldn’t have it any other way! Wait until your lens outnumber your dogs…(in my case that is a very bad thing)
Trina recently posted..Saab story
Yay! Congrats on the new camera! You’ve already gotten some great shots, and I look forward to seeing many more. Have fun!
Kristin G. recently posted..Our Roxie Girl
Congrats on the new camera! I know you will love it! Great head shots of Beryl! Thanks for commenting on my boy Buford’s souful eyes too
Angela recently posted..Are We Having Fun Yet?
Your camera captures great and congrats that you finally have it! Dogs are looking great even more. I love it!
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