but one item we simply have to share with all of you blog followers is a very special special just for you scruffy dog clients, fans and followers, wherever you may be.

a few of you have already noticed and inquired about matea’s new collar … or rather, ID holder.

this collar is made by Amy of Karma Collars in California.  when looking for a custom-made leather collar for my girl, i did extensive searches and poured over numerous sites.  there are a lot of great collar-designers out there, but always i kept coming back to Amy’s designs.  her workmanship … er … workwomanship? is second to none.  what can i say? as a perfectionist myself, we tend to truly admire one another.

and reading Amy’s “about us” page on the Karma site was like listening to the echo of scruffy dog across the breadth of this continent … devoted dog people doing good for dogs … we were singing the same song.  i couldn’t think of a better person to make this very special collar for my extremely special girl.

now, it might seem like a simple enough collar, but it is exquisite in its simplicity, and the workmanship and quality is impossible to describe … with its sturdy leather, soft pigskin lining, and beautiful brass studs.  when matea is out  hunting and hiking, she wears her biothane collar from gundosupply.com … although Karma collars are darn sturdy and can take mud and water and just about anything else your dog can throw at it.  but what i was after for my girl was something more akin to jewelry …

… something lightweight and slip-on, to wear around the house and carry her identification.

and if you’re wondering about matea’s tag, this is a custom tag by Tessa of Make Your Dog Smile on Etsy.

the true Karma collar, however, is even more exquisite and far more elaborate than what i had Amy create for my girl …

but wait!  i haven’t mentioned the special part!  you’re probably wondering about the special special, huh?  well, Amy of Karma Collars has agreed to offer all scruffy dog clients and followers a 10% discount on their orders … her biggest discount ever!  yes, that’s how special it is.

and if you don’t think that’s special, yeah baby, it gets even specialer!   scruffy dog is sweetening the deal because, frankly, we’re all about good karma.  we love Amy so much and believe so much in her work and what she does, that we want great photos of her collars.  so for anyone who orders through this scruffy dog special, you will receive a free mini-shoot with scruffy dog!  of course, you’ll have to come to us for that, but we believe in Karma collars so much that we want to see your dog wearing their own design, and then provide Amy with some awesome photos of it.

but this offer is for a limited time only.  you have two weeks, people.  of course, for your mini-shoot we might be pushing you into late November or even December as our fall schedule is over-booked at this point, but we’ll do what we can.

so check out all the amazing work over at the Karma Collars website and use the discount code: SCRUFFYDOG10 for your 10% off.   you’ve got until September 23rd to place your order.

now’s your chance to join the Karma Collars family and the scruffy dog family … what are you waiting for?

what can i say?  i love the big canvases … and i love clients who love the biggies too.

it’s a fact: scruffy dog is quickly becoming known for these big ones.  when i pick up at the lab and run into other photographers, they already know me because of the big doggie canvases that frequent the place.  and more and more, clients are booking with big canvases in mind … whether repeat clients or first timers.

because there’s a little work involved with hanging these pieces and shooting them, i don’t have the opportunity to share every canvas that comes through scruffy dog, but the other day i took some time out to document the latest two.

first up, Miles in the train tunnel …

this canvas is 30×54, and finished with our gorgeous satin-finished, black, oak float-frame.   i always recommend for couch pieces or over-the-bed pieces, that 52″ is a minimum, with 60″ being a great length, especially over queen-sized beds.

as you’ll see from this closeup, the detail and sharpness that is maintained even on a piece this large and on the subtle texture of the canvas, is still stunning.

this is achieved first, by using only a superior image and second, by taking the time and care that is required to upsize.

Miles is a repeat client whose mom — upon seeing the shoots we’ve been doing in the train tunnel — booked a second shoot for her gorgeous boy with this exact canvas in mind.  Miles is a rescue from Tennessee, picked up as a stray, and Ingrid has always imagined him surviving on his own, on the streets, and perhaps in train tunnels such as this.  so this canvas means a lot to her.  you can see more images from this second session with Miles in his blog entry.

i should note that if i were hanging this piece permanently, i would have hung it a little lower, but i’m trying to minimize the holes in my own walls!

next up is egghead Memphis … and of course, i use “egghead” as an endearment, since i deeply adore both of these wonderful models.  Memphis’s blog entry is here, if you want to see more images from his session and read about how dad Don was instrumental to the shoot by providing his own graffiti!

i’m looking forward to Memphis’s fuller shoot this fall where we intend to take the Badlands by storm.  i can’t wait!

of course, Merrick — who knows Memphis from our monthly walks with Waterloo Dog (ah, Memphis was just a wee little spud back then!) — thinks this is all a little ho-hum.

Memphis’s canvas is 28×48″, not including the float frame.  i just thank dog i drive a Matrix where i can flip down the seats, including the passenger seat, if need be, and transport a full 8′ spread or more (should anyone decide to go that big!)

(again, if were hanging this permanently, I’d hang it a bit lower … and that bracket you see peeking out at the top left of the frame is the bracket that normally holds my girl Matea’s canvas in place.  of course, Matea wasn’t overly impressed with the artwork switch, however brief.

have a great Friday, everyone.  i have a TON of wiener dog images to share with you and was going to bring you the first installment today, but have no time.  perhaps tomorrow.   stay cool!

for those of you who stopped by to see us at Woofstock, you’ll remember the above piece … now you can see in a home setting.

this canvas is 22×52″ … at that length, it’s a good fit over a standard-sized couch.

we always recommend anything from 52 – 60″ length for couch size … and quite often a lot of extra work goes into these pieces to gain that extra length.

for over the bed, you’re looking at 52 -60″ as well …

this is a queen-sized bed with a 22×52″ canvas (the frame adds another inch all around) … and again, i prefer developing the image so that we get more length and span across the wall …

… not to mention that the length gives a much more dramatic effect than standard sizes.  (and yes, the scruffies — ms fartypants and goobernuts mcscruffy — do follow me everywhere.)

the workmakship on these professional canvases is impeccable.  they simply can’t be compared with “consumer” canvases.  and the float-frames truly finish your piece, setting it off the wall with that contemporary flair and making it stand out as a piece of art vs. the “naked” look of an unframed, gallery canvas wrap that can often blend into the wall on which it is hanging.

like the canvases, the float-frames are top-quality: solid oak with a stain black finish, and with a unique and truly excellent honeycomb hanging system which allows for a lot of flexibility when hanging.

after these big pieces, the standard sizes almost look small, but not every wall can handle the big ones.  these two are 24×36″ … one with and one without the float-frame …

i’ve had a few clients recently — new and repeat — book sessions specifically with these large canvases in mind, and i’ll share the results of those in the next week or so when i pick up a couple of these pieces from the lab.

yes, we’ve exhaustively sampled the top ‘presses’ and book-making companies in Canada and the US over the years, and have ventured into the world of press-printed (magazine style) printing, but frankly, press-printed simply can’t compare to having your images presented on real, archival photographic paper.

scruffy dog is extremely proud to present three stunning, custom-designed albums in which to present the photographic memories of your best friend.  hand-bound, hardcover, flushmount albums, printed on real photographic paper, allowing for every hair to bristle off the page and the eyes to sparkle bright, and always the truest of colours to shine through.

so first up, the Best in Show album … let’s start with the deluxe box this comes in …

and the custom-designed keepsake bag … and when we say “custom-designed”, yes, we mean our own design, working with a local seamstress.

the spine and back is genuine leather, with many colours to choose from, and there is the option for either full leather cover with name embossed, or as you see here, with the partial photo cover (my preference) …

beautiful, flushmount binding …

studio imprinting kept subtle …

and true, lay-flat pages that come with flushmount albums.

yes, these are the same luxury albums that wedding photographers offer their clients, and frankly, there’s no reason our pets don’t deserve this kind of luxury and grand format too, right?

the Best in Show album is 12×12 … that’s why it’s called “Best in Show”!   so with the turn of each lamination-protected page, you’re presented with a full 12×24″ print …

but for other spreads, there’s ample room to have fun with design and multiple photos, of course.

so why all the hullabaloo about albums anyway?  well, face it, unlike a photo shoot of yourself or your family, Rover simply doesn’t have a bad side … even if his nose can be a little long.  and scruffy dog photo sessions are big on variety.  so once presented with their proofing galleries full of variety, more than eighty percent of scruffy dog clients decide that an album is the best way to have the photographic memories of their pet presented.  albums are almost always purchased within one of the scruffy dog packages which also include prints and wall mounts, but over the years, we’ve found that it’s the albums that most clients love and cherish the most … and that’s why we’ve put our own heart into them.

but some clients find that the Best in Show album is a little big … so for them, we have two smaller sizes.  first, the 8×8 scruffy dog Signature album …

a solid, compact, hardcover album presented in a protective box …

beautifully and meticulously hand-bound …

printed on archival, photographic paper, the pages are a heavy stock, not flimsy press-printed paper.

and like the Best in Show, the Signature albums are flushmount as well, which allows your pages to lie flat and your images to be unhindered by the gutters normally found in press-printed books.

and in spite of its smaller size, there are still great design options …

however, having spent several years designing these books, we keep the scruffy dog books clean and simple … uncluttered from extra design flourishes … so that the images can stand out.  and yes, text can be included.  as i put this blog entry together now though, i realize i failed to photograph any of the spreads which incorporated text … so here is one typical spread with text …

“She is your partner, your defender, your dog.  You are her life, her love, her leader.  She will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of her heart.  You owe it to her to be worthy of such devotion.”  ~ Unknown

but back to the 8×8 Signature album …

and then there is the 10×10 Signature album …

but as with any product, touchy-feely is always the best, and you’ll always get to see these in-person at the time of your shoot.

i hope you’ve enjoyed this peek at the scruffy dog albums.  NOTE:  for those photographers inquiring about product, etc., please understand that we don’t have time to respond to all inquiries, especially as we are currently in our busy season.

i didn’t get a chance to take a photo of Macy’s first framed canvas, but after mom Michelle decided to order another canvas to hang over their bed, i simply had to share it …

this big beauty is 24×48″ and furnished with the gorgeous black, satin-finish, oak floatframe.   i love the 4′ canvases we do, especially when finished with these stunning floatframes.  4′ is the minimum length you’d need for an over-the-bed piece, and if you’re looking for a sofa piece, we suggest taking it up another foot to 60″ and really making a statement.

the other fabulous aspect of the floatframe is the unique hanging system …

with one of these heavy-duty brackets at either end, lots of options for fine-tuned adjustments, hanging is easy, secure, and unlike the old-fashioned wire-and-hook style, this system allows canvases — even these big scruffy dog canvases — to hang flush on the wall … from top to bottom.

but some clients have smaller walls … little nooks and corners, or smaller spaces between windows.  if that’s the case, a 16×24 canvas (the smallest canvas we offer) can do the trick.  here is lovely Summer on her 16×24 canvas.

this 16×24 is actually on a narrower stretcher — 3/4″ instead of the usual 2″.  the reason for the narrow stretcher is to offer more options for framing.  deep, 2″ frames are more limited in regards to selection, and much higher in cost, and when a client prefers to frame the canvas themselves — in this case, Summer’s mom wants a more traditional frame — the 3/4″ stretcher makes this easier … more cost effective, and the ultimate selection of frames greater.

and then there’s Carling and Mackelin.  how dang cute are they?

this is a 24×36″ canvas with the floatframe.  i can’t wait for mom Shelley to see it … they simply sparkle off the canvas.

of course, as i was taking these photos, someone was at my feet … no doubt, wondering when his canvas is coming!

not yet, little man.  i do have plans for a big canvas for over our bed, but it’s of my girl matea.  one day, merrick … one day.

if you want to see other samples of the scruffy dog canvases you can see them here and some more here.

but i thought it would be fun to have our very own scruffy dog contest … to open up the possibility of a session to anyone.  you even!  or, well, your dog, actually.

so how does this work?  well, every contest needs a few boundaries and limitations, so here goes …

RULES:

• the contest is open to anyone regardless of geography.  the only requirement is that, if you are the winner, you have to come here — the Waterloo region — for your shoot  [hey, scruffy dog clients drive from Ottawa, Windsor, and across the border ... in fact, our first client from California is due this summer.  what's a little driving?];
• you are not eligible if your dog is already a member of the scruffy dog family, and this includes calendar shoots;
• sorry Fluffy, dogs only for this one;
• one dog per household;
• the winner must schedule their shoot to take place before August 1st.

HOW TO ENTER:

• entries must be received by midnight March 20th;
• you must submit a recent photo of your dog, taken by you;
• the size of the photo, ideally, should be 72dpi (low-res/web-ready) and 720 pixels on the long side;
• mail your entry to info@scruffydogphotography.com using the subject header: “My dog wants to join the scruffy dog family!”  [without this subject header, your entry may end up in the Spam folder and promptly consumed by the resident scruffies];
• be sure to include your name and contact information [your contact information will not be published];
• also include your dog’s name and a short, one-line description.

HOW THE VOTING WORKS:

since we’re celebrating 600 followers, we’re using facebook for our contest!

• several days after the contest closes on March 20th, all of the entry photos will be up on facebook and an announcement made;
• if you aren’t already (and why not?), you’ll need to become a follower of the scruffy dog photography faceboook page … this is where you’ll be voting. really, it’s easy!
• voting is done by “liking” the image, and anyone who follows SDP on facebook can vote!

IMPORTANT NOTE: you and other followers of the SDP facebook page can vote for more than one dog by “liking” their photo, but there’s only one “like” per dog per person possible.  so, tell your family, tell your friends … anyone can help you with the voting and win your Rover their place in the SDP family and a portfolio of one-of-a-kind photos!

the winner of the contest receives their very own Starter Session!  [of course, the value of the Starter can be applied towards a Standard if you should choose to upgrade to the full three-hour session, or even a Serious Session if you'd like to make a day of it.  to learn about the different sessions, you can visit the main website.] if the winner fails to schedule their shoot by May 1st (to take place before August 1st), the opportunity will go to the second runner-up.

so, get those photos sent in!  and get ready to vote!  i’m looking forward to seeing a whole crop of new faces!

so after three recent inquiries from clients wanting to add new canvases to their walls, i figured, why not make some walls happy?

and nothing makes walls happier than canvases!  so …

… for the rest of the month of February, scruffy dog is having a sale on canvases!  and don’t let Merrick’s glum-chum face fool you … it’s a good one!

because we always encourage going big with the scruffy dog wallmounts, with this sale the bigger you go, the more you save!

16 x 24   ~   5% off

20 x 30   ~   10% off

24 x 36 +   ~  15% off

and because we also encourage framing, float-frames (as seen on the canvases in this entry)  are further discounted via a group rate.

16 x 24 floatframe  $100

20 x 30 floatframe $125

24 x 36 floatframe $155

30 x 40 floatframe $190

* this special runs only for the month of February, and is open only to SDP clients who have previously ordered one of the SDP collections/packages.  to order yours, contact the studio before the end of the month!

if you would like to read more about the canvases and frames, and see more samples, check out this recent blog entry and the blog entry about going big.

since these two are longer pieces, they have special hanging brackets and I wasn’t about to start putting new holes in the walls.  so, not the best representation of their ultimate impact.

if you missed our original blog post on “going big”, please check it out to read more about the different types of canvases and wallmounts we offer, and how “going big” makes a world of difference.

again, without being able to hang these properly, it’s difficult to really light them and show them off properly.

looking forward to Julie’s and Deb’s pickups when they can see these in person, along with Michelle, Jackie, Donna and Bill, Andrea, Geoff and the other clients who are picking up their larger pieces and their photobooks over the next week.

of course, although the SDP collections include a full range of prints, digital images, proofs and luxurious coffeetable photobooks, it’s the “wallmounts” that make the biggest statement in your home.  canvas is the Cadillac … put a floatframe on it, and you’ve got yourself a Maserati.  of course, if canvas isn’t your cup of tea, there are other options like floatmounts and standouts which also give you significant wall coverage … and the sky is the limit as far as variety of size. whatever the “mount”, i always advise clients to go for the look they prefer, since each does have their own unique appeal.

still, canvas is the overall, paws-down favorite.  and in the case of canvas and art, more often than not, well, big is truly better.

i should mention that the above bed is a queen-sized, which makes client, sweet old Cassy pretty much life-size.

the workmanship, as with all SDP products, is top-notch …

although  a lot of clients love the look of a ‘naked’ gallery canvas wrap …

… where you can see the image wrap around the edge …

… i do encourage clients to consider the float frame.  it not only finishes the piece, but with the frame acting as a border, it allows the piece to be hung on almost any coloured wall, anchoring the image without fear of it fading into its surroundings because of similar colours to your paint choices.  this way, throughout the years, you can hang your artwork no matter how often you redecorate.

whatever product you choose, going big truly makes a statement, and it turns your images into artwork as opposed to just “a photo of your 4-legger on the wall”.

this is why, when ordering one of the SDP collections, clients receive their collection-discount on any upgrade and upsizing of wallmounts.

…  big truly is better.  and i’m so grateful that my clients recognize and embrace this sentiment as well.  2010 saw some absolutely stunning wall pieces leaving the SDP studio … it was difficult parting with them!  and currently there are more 4′-plus canvases sitting at the lab waiting for pick-up.  if i get a chance, i’ll share those with you as well.  but in the meantime, if you’re planning your order (now or in the future) think big.  measure your walls and calculate the dimensions you’ll need.

trust me, the only regret you’ll have is going too small.

what is the Winter/Summer special?  well, it’s a dual-season, double-shoot opportunity for all those who simply can’t decide whether Rover would look better in snow or grass … a package designed for those all-season dogs for whom one season simply isn’t enough.

it’s also an awesome way to achieve a final portfolio busting with huge variety.  of course, with any SDP shoot, variety is key, and the finished gallery is always big on variety … but the Winter/Summer also gives diversity of season.

the Winter/Summer is intended for those aiming for an SDP coffeetable photobook, not just a few images on the walls … to fill up the pages of your photobook with the stark white snow and frosty beards of winter and the bright greens and blue skies of summer.

but to get you in the mood for a brisk winter shoot and everything that the season has to offer, i’m going to share only snow photos in this blog entry!

sure, it’s a little cold — but check out who in your house is wearing a fur coat already.  they’re ready!  and yeah, on very rare occasion a sudden squall sweeps in.  but you know what?  that can be pretty cool too!

what a lot of people fail to recognize is that — although a little cold — winter is a fabulous time of the year to shoot!  with a snowy backdrop, the season can offer up some fabulous minimalist shots …

so, what does this special session entail?  well, it includes both a Standard Session (a 3-hour shoot  incorporating multiple locations of your choice, including the home) and then a Starter Session (a 1-hour session shot in Waterloo region at an outdoor location).  to learn more about these individual sessions, please visit the scruffy dog photography main website and check out the prices page, or email us.

the cost of this dual-season, double session is only $375, and — like the Standard — includes travel to Toronto and most other areas for your main shoot (and remember, for local shoots, a print credit applies).  this dual-season session gives you a savings of $70.

but there’s more!  with the Winter/Summer you also receive 10% off of your SDP collection — that’s an additional savings of $145-590 or more.

this is your opportunity to capture Rover frolicking in the snow, lounging around the house, and THEN catching some rays … or a stick or frisbee … in the summer time.

book now by contacting us through the main website as there are only a limited number of openings available.  this package requires the first shoot to be shot in January, February or March, with the “summer” session to be shot between April and July (inclusive).  (sorry, no fall shoots available with this package.)

so what are you waiting for?  you know Rover loves the snow.  don’t miss the wonderful opportunities winter has to offer for photos …

… and yes, i’m willing to freeze my fingers a little for Fi-Fi too.