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Tag Archives: guelph pet photographer

gill ~ {Guelph, Ontario pet photographer}

9 September 2011 – 10:27 am

this sweet old girl is Gill …

she’s 14.  she’s a little a lot deaf now — which can make getting her attention a little tricky during a shoot — but this old girl still loves a good walk.

and a little sight-seein’ …

Gill’s shoot took place at high-noon … the time of day you never want to shoot.  unfortunately, Gill’s mom couldn’t arrange any other time … so the only thing i could do is try to find us some shade for our session.  you’d never know that these photos were taken in a dark cedar forest.

having seen the colours of Gill’s owners’ home, however, and being told their goal was a big wall piece, i knew that a wheat field would give us the best tones for those walls.  but high noon in an open wheat field?  you can see in this unedited image how harsh the shadows are, not to mention how the bright light causes this old girl to squint.

because of the harsh light and shadows inherent in midday shoots — the absolute worst time of the day — the post work on these kinds of images can be extensive in order to salvage details from those unforgiving shadows.

so, shade — when you can find it — is the best alternative …

still, you can’t find shade everywhere … so again, more extensive post work to soften those harsh shadows …

a cool dip during the hot midday was much appreciated by this sweet girl …

and then, back home …

it was great meeting you, Gill.  you’re a grand old girl.

By illona | Posted in clients & sneak peeks | Also tagged , , , , | Comments (9)

Gill sneak peek ~ {Guelph, Ontario pet photographer}

24 August 2011 – 8:28 am

here’s a belated sneak peek of a lovely old girl i met a week ago for her scruffy dog session.  this is Gill …

we had a lovely, albeit hot, shoot … and i’ll be sharing more from her session soon on the blog, so stay tuned!

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old man Bailey ~ {Guelph, Ontario pet exclusive photographer}

8 August 2011 – 9:34 am

meet Bailey … one of the sweetest old men i’ve had the pleasure of shooting in a very long time …

yeah, he looks like a ham, but our shoot started out like this …

“what is that big clacky thing?” this boy wasn’t immediately trusting the whole situation with the cameras and me in his face, so i had to warm him up.  normally, with even the slightest shyness, i take to the outdoors, but mom Lisa wanted some photos of Bailey indoors, and i wanted to grab them while we still had the best light coming inside.  so, with Mr. B relaxing on the bed, i worked my charms … well, and the treats, which in Bailey’s case were bits of carrot and cucumbers greedily snapped from your fingers.

as i do with every shoot, on my way to Bailey’s house i kept my eyes open for any possible locations … and a couple of blocks before arriving i spotted this field of Queen Annes Lace.  we simply had to make a quick stop!

we’d postponed Bailey’s shoot already once due to the weather … his original shoot having been slated for that hottest day in July on record.  and this back-up date, was quite gray and dreary, so i’ve done my best to work some wonders in the post-production …

at Bailey’s favorite park, the foot- and dog-traffic was pretty constant, so we had to work around it …

…not always easy with an old man who has places to go, things to sniff, and pee-mail to post!  patience is not this senior’s middle name…

… but we did get a few still, albeit brief, moments …

Bailey was adopted from the Guelph shelter at only 4 months.  he is suspected to be a pointer-greyhound cross, and today, at the age of 14, i can only imagine the tailwind this boy used to leave in his wake during his younger years …

in his fourteen years, this boy has definitely been loved … i’m betting one white hair for ever kiss he’s ever received on his gorgeous head.

and his reciprocated devotion is clear to see …

from his favorite park, i suggested to Lisa that we head out to a couple of the wheat fields outside of town … one had just been cut and made for a lovely backdrop …

but i really wanted to capture Bailey with some standing wheat … so off we headed again … until we found the right field …

the ears might not work so well anymore, but yup, that sniffer still works!

and those charming eyes …

on the way back to the house, i spotted some tall yellow flowers as well as these black-eyed susans, so yup, another quick stop …

and finally home …

thank you, Lisa, for trusting me to capture these precious memories of your amazing boy.  and thank you, Bailey, for being such an amazing spirit and companion to your family.  you are one in a million.

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the many faces of Dug ~ {Guelph, Ontario pet photographer}

11 July 2011 – 1:47 pm

this is Dug …

and one thing i can say about Dug — besides having an unexpected and profound obsession for the Cuz ball i brought him for our shoot — is that this lad has many expressions.  from the serious to the silly …

from manly, hunting dog …

to goofball.

although Dug’s owners were initially determined to restrict our shoot to the home and back yard …

… i was able to convince them to let us take Dug out to the park and then to a grassy area.  as you’ll see from the photos scattered throughout, we got some great shots in the wide open spaces of the local park, and then as the light slipped into those last glorious minutes of gold, we found some longer, natural grasses …

being a pet-exclusive photographer, it’s usually around mid-June that i get tired of green grass, especially mowed and manicured lawns.  i prefer rough and natural settings, or at the very least, a variety of tones and textures.  the patio bricks in the back yard offered a lovely backdrop for one of Dug’s best tricks …

this boy would do anything for his new Cuz ball i brought him … and he was not beneath begging for it either …


“p-l-e-a-s-e give me that ball!!!! P-L-E-A-S-E!!!”

and when the begging didn’t work, well, an all-out beagle bellow came next …

and boy, could this lad bellow!

but as long as i had the ball, i had a captive audience …

he even tried his beagle mind-melding techniques on me in an attempt to win the ball …

… and tried …

sometimes it even worked …

above all else, this boy is a charmer …

and he is deeply loved by his family, which has increased by one member recently.  you can see his baby sister in the background.

but even with the addition of his baby sister, i feel quite certain that young Dug will steadfastly continue working at being the center of parents’ Peter and Rhiannon’s affections … with all the drama that he can muster …

and just look at that face.  who could resist?

we had fun in the park, and honestly, given his obsession with the Cuz ball, we really didn’t need the long-line …

although better safe than sorry … with those airplane wings, he could have taken flight!

after seeing how motivated he was by the new toy, we did take the line off for a few line-free shots …

and a few rolls in the grass …

although almost a constant blur of motion, Dug was awesome to work with …

but my favorite time with him, of course, was at the end of the shoot, the last rays of sun, in the long grasses …

thanks for being such a fun little guy, Dug.  and i’m sorry, Rae and Peter, for leaving you with such a huge gallery to sort through of your photogenic boy.  see you soon at your studio consult!

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sweet sedate stella ~ {Guelph, Ontario pet photographer}

14 October 2010 – 8:06 am

this is Stella, Riley’s sister …

like Riley, you met Stella first at her sneak peek and in their bedroom series earlier on the blog.  but these two really let loose down at the quarry.

and of course, what’s a lab without water?

and this girl kinda sorta loves her water …

and she’s one of those crazy labs who likes to launch themselves into the water like some superhero …

Stella’s got a wee, crooked stump of a tail.  it looks docked, but she was born that way.  it’s quite cute.

and just look at this girl on the old red weigh scale … look at that face!

and this girl’s coat is so dense, i swear, it was still wet an hour and a half after the water.

thanks, Stella, for being such a fabulous model.  and thanks for introducing me to your wonderful pups, Allison.  i hope you enjoy your gallery.  looking forward to seeing you soon at your consult.

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