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Tag Archives: bereavement session

this is why … ~ {Toronto dog photographer}

3 July 2010 – 12:25 pm

i’m often asked why it is i do what i do, especially after a pretty successful, twenty-year career as a novelist.  i guess there are a number of reasons, the bulk of which i won’t bore you with … but the main reason for scruffy dog photography, the purpose behind it, the passion and the mission, is dogs like Bridie …

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it was touch and go whether i’d even get to meet sweet Bridie, a Cushings dog currently in renal failure.  her shoot was postponed while she was in hospital, and even once she was released i wasn’t quite sure what to expect.  i should never have doubted a terrier heart.  Bridie was a trooper throughout our extremely long shoot yesterday and last night.  with special shoots like this, i never take any chances, and since the mission of scruffy dog has always been to capture as many unique image in a variety of locations, especially with the special cases, when i know it is highly unlikely i will ever have the opportunity again, i go all out.

you will be seeing many more images from Bridie’s shoot, but she and owners Harriet and Tom have been on my mind during this difficult time (before and after the shoot) … so I wanted to share at least a couple of images for now.

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you are in my hearts.  be strong for your little girl, as she is strong for you.

By illona | Posted in clients & sneak peeks | Also tagged , , , , , | Comments (17)

sweet man oswin ~ {Dundas Ontario dog photographer}

29 June 2010 – 2:22 pm

meet Oswin …

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he’s tiny.  he’s handsome.  and he’s exceptionally-loved.

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he’s also blind.  he’s deaf.  and he doesn’t get around very well, but he knows you’re there …

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most of all, he knows his mama’s  love.

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as Oswin’s health was failing, and since it hasn’t been that long since i lost my man morley, this shoot wasn’t easy.

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but it was important to me that i not only captured images of Oswin, but also of his incredibly deep bond with Deb.

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when discussing the shoot with Deb prior to the date, i was informed that Oswin was no longer mobile.  i’ve certainly had shoots in the past of dogs with severe mobility issues, and — with patience and enough rolling around on the ground — there are always ways of working it and still coming out with a huge variety of angles and unique images.  with a little guy like Ozzy i imagined that for most of the shoot Deb would be holding him up and i’d do a lot of head-and-shoulder shots against a variety of backdrops … kind of like this:

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the unexpected problem with this, however, was that without his sight and hearing, Oswin almost continually looked down.  however, through the miracles of acupuncture administered by my girl matea’s own vet Lisa Burgess of Millgrove Veterinary Services, Oswin was actually up and on his feet for the first time in a while for our shoot.

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and he was quite determined to use them too!

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next, it was important to find some Oswin-sized wildflowers for a backdrop … early mint sprigs worked fine … plus it had the added benefit of leaving me smelling delicious for the rest of the shoot!

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even some lovely yellow flowers along the side of the road can be beautiful.  in fact, i’m a sucker for ditches; the scruffy-dog mobile can often be found parked along the shoulder of some road even if it’s just to waypoint a great location into the GPS for future use.

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and then home, where Oswin was able to rest.

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and his favorite spot is by the fire.

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but of course, i couldn’t resist a few shots of him on this lovely leather chair …

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thank you, Deb, for sharing your amazing man with me.  it was a honor to work with him, and i hope i have captured his character and essence in the images throughout your gallery.

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By illona | Posted in clients & sneak peeks | Also tagged , , | Comments (35)