Ruger is a beautiful Chesapeake Bay Retriever who I had a blast with in his back yard while snagging a few playful shots. I want to explain to you why you don't need to be afraid to shoot in noon day light. When I went to school for photography, I was taught that the best way to photograph in noon day lighting was in the shade so as to avoid harsh shadows.

Harsh shadows provide a dramatic quality to the overall feel of the image, and I want to share with you why this is not bad. You can actually harness this dramatic effect to your advantage to depict someone or something in its natural environment. Personally, I don't avoid shooting in noon day light because I photograph animals and animals often live outside.

In this case, a sunny happy dog with sunny happy looking eyes and a sunny happy smile lends to the feel I wanted to create. I took another image of Ruger that had spectacle highlights and it had nowhere near the feel I wanted. It felt scattered and poorly timed, and this is not how I experienced Ruger. I experienced him as a fun, curious and friendly pup who just wanted to play in the sun all day.

I played with him in the section of back yard that had the most highlighted pine needles in the background, so I could work off of the golden idea. Your eyes go straight to his because the colors all blend so well.

Try shooting outside during the noon day light this week and see what you can make work. Sometimes these images turn out to be some of the best keepers.