PetGroomer Before & After Grooming Contest

Miracle Pet Makeover: PetGroomer.com™

What Makes a Winning Set of Pictures and Short Story?

First you should examine the photographs on the main page of this contest. As you can see it is quite likely you won't be able to save all or most of the coat due to the extremely poor condition of the pet. Do your best, especially what is best for the pet. Don't risk the health and comfort of the pet by trying to save the coat that should be removed. Consider grooming the pet over a period of time, such such as 2 or 3 grooming sessions.

The quality of the grooming. Your grooming performance is very important, but voters will not solely be judging your grooming because this is a picture and composition oriented contest.
Choice of dog. Select a pet in need of grooming, yet it doesn't have to be a dog in desperate need. Some pets with severe need for grooming may be in questionable health. They may not be appropriate for several reasons. First, these pets often require coat removal which doesn't best show your grooming skills, but certainly your compassion. Many pets whose grooming has been neglected for some time can develop reactions, especially skin reactions, after major coat removals and dematting. If the pet needs medical attention, please find a way to arrange for that if you can. Often pets in extreme condition need a medical check before grooming, especially if you notice foul odors, signs of discharge from sores or openings, swelling, cuts, bruises or behavior that indicates illness. Please use common sense and get a veterinarian clearance before grooming pets in extremely poor conditions, and remember they can develop reactions after grooming. If you are not an experienced qualified to groom neglected pets, please do not enter this contest. Again, your choice of dog does not have to be a pet seriously neglected to the point of health problems. A shaggy, grown out coat on an otherwise healthy pet groomed beautifully is perfectly fine for the purposes of this contest.
Composition. Before you photograph we strongly recommend that you create a simple backdrop with something as simple as clean attractive solid color sheet. Your styling will show better. If you photograph a dog on a grooming table in your business, the busy background of cages, tables, walls with posters, doors, people more rooms in back, actually detract from your grooming. Keep in mind that the Official Rules state the name of your business should not appear in your photographs such as signs on a wall, road signs etc.
The quality of your photos. Please don't submit blurry, poor quality pictures. Red eyes from flash should be corrected first with software that often comes with digital cameras. If you cannot send photos by email, we will scan them for you at Find A Groomer, Inc. but a word of warning. NEVER send inkjet color photos printed on plain paper. Instead use photo paper specified by your color printer. There are printers today like Kodak Easyshare that print nice glossy photos we can scan for you if you cannot send them the preferred way of email to findagroomer@earthlink.net.
Pose the dog. It is most effective to identically pose the pet in the SAME position for both the before and after shot. Try to duplicate the pet's position identically! Take both shots from the exact same distance! Pets usually look better posed on tables rather than the floor. Black dogs need lots of light, lots! Otherwise the black areas lack definition and may come out looking like a pen and ink silhouette drawing. Dogs sitting or laying down hide your grooming, they should be standing. We suggest you also show both sides of your subject too when you send more than 1 before and 1 after photo.
Dogs should look very happy after grooming. Certainly voters will enjoy seeing pets showing a remarkable attitude improvement having been groomed.

Find A Groomer, Inc.
Attn: Customer Service
P.O. Box 2489
Yelm, WA 98597
Email Address: findagroomer@earthlink.net

CLICK TO RETURN TO CONTEST PAGE