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Internationally-renowned, award-winning animal photographer Illona Haus created scruffy dog photography inc. as the province's premier pet photography business in 2007 ... the first of its kind in Canada ... and, still today, continues to serve clients across Ontario, the US and the world. Based in Kitchener, Ontario and photographing exclusively animals for almost 20 years - both commercially and for private clients - Illona is considered one of the world's leading and most influential pet photographers.

 

To learn more about scruffy dog photography, its creator, history, and the scruffy dog experience, feel free to browse through the menu above, and scroll over a decade's worth of blog entries below!

 

Please drop me a line! I'd love the opportunity to capture stunning, creative, one-of-a-kind photographic memories of your 4-legged loved ones to treasure in artwork for a lifetime, and show you just what makes the scruffy dog experience second to none.

the fabulous Norbert ~ {Ontario pet photographer}

for those of you who follow the scruffy dog facebook page, you’ll already have seen a sneak peek of this scruffy boy Norbert …

some of you might even remember Norbert from our scruffy dog contest earlier this spring.  in the heavily voted-in contest, with over eighty entries, young Norbert finished in the top ten.

we covered a lot of ground during Norbert’s shoot, and because of some awesome locations, the resulting gallery is big on variety … SO big, in fact, that i’ve decided to bring you Norbert in two blog installments.  yeah, two!

first off, we started out — at mom, Sarah’s, request — in the graffiti tunnel …

although still very young — 8 months — Norbert’s obedience training came in handy.  especially when dealing with specific locations like this …

obedience isn’t required for a shoot, but it obviously helps with certain shots and locations.

don’t worry though, after the train tunnel, we definitely allowed Norbert to let loose right after this.  off to some fields of grass …

… and flowers!

how gorgeous are these?

i couldn’t imagine a more stunning backdrop for this gorgeous boy.

rocket-boosters on!

can you find Norbert’s little friend?

and one of my favorites in the golden field …

having come very close to catching a song bird as he flew after it through the flowers, Norbert was full-speed ahead, hoping to rouse up another potential victim.

i think this pup could have run through the yellow flowers all evening if we’d let him.  but we had other places to go.

next stop was Langdon Hall, where Sarah works … and we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to shoot on the grand front steps.

apparently Norbert hangs out at the Hall when Sarah works, greeting guests and lounging around.  how awesome is that?

and let me tell you, the staff at Langdon Hall are extremely dog-friendly … not to mention Norbert-friendly.  shooting this boy on the front steps wasn’t easy … every staff member who came through those doors caused Norbert to break his sit and run up for affection … not to mention the attention he garnered from guests in the short window of time we used the entrance.

and the grounds of Langdon Hall are stupendous!  for those out-of-towners (and out-of-province’rs) coming for their scruffy dog sessions and looking for a place to overnight, i highly recommend it as a true, one-of-a-kind get-away with your dog.  beautiful, wooded trails …

breezy fields and country lanes …

a swimming hole and room to run … but you’re going to have to wait for those images.  stay tuned for more of Norbert.

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  • jenniferI would pay money for those flowers! We are seriously lacking this year!! He certainly won for a good reason….his owner/s must be thrilled with these images.ReplyCancel

  • Ginette and AndréC’est magnifique. The king “Norbert premier”. Those pictures are so beautiful. You just feel to run in the field and in the flowers with him.
    Un pure délice. Langdon Hall is a paradise and Norbert have 2 very important friends: Lucy and Miss Wilk, the bernese montain dogs who are the owners of the place.
    CongratulationsReplyCancel

  • KarenNorbert is pretty fantastic and what a great dog name! Is the location a public park or private property, Illona? Very nice work.ReplyCancel

    • illonaKaren, most of these photos were taken on the grounds of Langdon Hall … so yes, private, but for use of guests.ReplyCancel

  • Holly Garner-JacksonStunning shots in the flowers! The rest…. well just awesome! 😉ReplyCancel

  • Susan HumphreysIllona, these are just stunning. Norbert shots of him in the flowers are
    just gorgeous. You have some wonderful locations for your doggy clients.
    Norbert reminds me of a great big teddy bear.ReplyCancel

  • Annie (Milikin)Norbert is one of the cutest dogs I have ever seen, and you brought out his dashing good looks with awesome captures;)ReplyCancel

  • Debra DucoteyLove all these, and I did find Norberts little friend 🙂ReplyCancel

  • DLukerFabulous is right! He’s ADORABLE among those flowers!

    Langdon Hall looks like exactly the kind of place I’d like to vacation. *sigh*ReplyCancel

  • EmileeI think these are some of my favorite photos of yours ever, Illona! The yellow flowers, bright green tall grass, and of course, the adorable dog–perfection! You did such a wonderful job, I can’t wait to see the rest. 🙂ReplyCancel

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

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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  • LainerThe one thing I really love about your blog is the log entries on each photo that tells the story of each dog in a humorous way. It totally cracks me up!ReplyCancel

  • JenLOVE those beagles!!ReplyCancel

  • MarlaThis is certainly one of my favourite of your shoots, Illona. What a wonderfully gorgeous, adorable subject!ReplyCancel

  • Holly Garner-JacksonI dig Dug!!
    Fantastic set, illona!ReplyCancel

  • Annie (Milikin)I’m sure these were everything they ever wanted and more! Awesome!!!ReplyCancel

  • DarleneAbsolutely wonderful set of pictures of this cute and wonderful dog. Fantastic work Illona. They must certainly want copies of every pic in this set.ReplyCancel

  • LoriAwesome shots, and it’s great that you were able to convince the parents to take him out to that park. What a great personality Dug seems to have 🙂ReplyCancel

  • timorous BeastieI love Dug’s eyes – a little unhinged-looking. The shots of him rolling over are great.ReplyCancel

  • MargaretYou sure managed to get some fabulous pictures, Illona! Bravo! He’s quite the little character!ReplyCancel

  • DebI luv Dug. 🙂 What an expressive character, and great captures of this little guy.ReplyCancel

  • Liz uribeBeautiful photos. Love the light.ReplyCancel

  • Jackie Phe is adorable! You got some beautiful images of him!ReplyCancel

  • jenniferLove those last shots – hysterical that he was so obsessed with the cuz ball. He probably isn’t allowed to have it that much or he will wake the baby! 🙂ReplyCancel

  • AndaOh, WOW, Illona, this series of Dug and his amazing eyes and entertaining expressions is absolutely fantastic!!!ReplyCancel

  • bublynskiWhat a personality! Dug must have been a blast to photograph. This gallery is stunning – all wonderful shots that really capture his character!ReplyCancel

memphis’ custom shoot ~ {Waterloo, Ontario pet photographer}

for those of you who follow scruffy dog photography on Facebook, you’ll have already met Memphis.  and for those of you who don’t follow SDP on Facebook … um … why not?  it’s where you’ll catch all the latest!

so this is Memphis …

these first few shots were taken during a pre-shoot session.  “a what?” yup, a pre-shoot shoot …

and why the need for a pre-shoot session?  well, here’s the thing … we use this train tunnel from time to time, and — not unlike a few other scruffy dog clients — the graffiti in the tunnel was something that Memphis’ owners definitely wanted for their boy.  and, hoping to capitalize on the awesome skull that they’d seen in our recent shoots there, they decided to book a Starter session now, before their fuller Standard session later this fall.

however, after a quick trip down to the tunnel, Memphis’s dad, Don, discovered that the graffitied skull had been covered up.  yes, it’s quite a busy tunnel!

so, being a bit of an artist in his own right — decades building and painting NHL goalie masks, and now painting NASCAR driver helmets — Don decided to paint his own graffiti for his boy … and in order to establish the best spot for his artwork, we arranged a pre-shoot.  and that section right above Memphis’ head was the decided-upon canvas.

after some arranging, a busy morning, and a surreptitious rendezvous, we were set.  Don had a busy morning, i was on call, and Memphis was in waiting.  and when we brought Memphis into the tunnel that second time, with Don’s work fresh on the concrete wall, i kid you not, one of the first things Memphis did was check out his dad’s work!

… perhaps a little intimidated by the bull terrier skull looming behind him?

” … maybe if i don’t look at it.”

but overall, i think the big boy approved, as quite soon he was relaxed and posing …

even a little action-jackson …

just look at this gorgeous boy!

“hey, lady, put that camera away and give me some more treats already!”

“snarl!”

“hey, dad? you finished? we gettin’ outta here any time soon?”

thanks for a fun afternoon, Don and Memphis.  can’t wait to pick up your canvas for you guys!  and i’m really looking forward to our fall session.

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  • AdamMay I ask where in Waterloo this location is?ReplyCancel

  • PaulaLove that Bully look. My mini bully Jet would look awesome here!ReplyCancel

  • sarah danksOh wow. I love love LOVE these shots! Great background (and not-so-clandestine artwork!), WONDERFUL dog; super shots.ReplyCancel

  • Sonja (and Montecristo Travels)LOVE the graffiti …. just love it. THAT is our style for sure!ReplyCancel

  • Holly Garner-JacksonWell the snarl and the beg get my votes!! So much going on here and you nailed it!!ReplyCancel

  • julieThis has got to be one of my favorite shoot of yours! 1) Great location 2) I love the interactive nature of the shoot, using dad’s very cool artwork and 3) Memphis is such an expressive dog! Great job at catching his entertaining personality. # 2 & Memphis walking down the length of the tunnel are my favorite, favorites. Hi Memphis, I love you!ReplyCancel

  • Don StrausIt’s great to see the finished products! Thanks for taking the time, and sharing in our ‘special project’. It was a lot of work, and a lot of fun – and it shows in the images! Look forward to see what happens in the fall half of the shoot.ReplyCancel

  • Christine LobsingerOutstanding dog photography~ I’ve never, and I mean NEVER, seen anything like your pet dog photography skills before, and I’ve seen so much pet photography on http://www.betterphoto.com since I’ve joined there three years ago.
    Your skills are truly impressive- Memphis should be in magazines! Truly wonderful ‘storytelling’ shots!
    Bravo!

    Smiling With You,
    ChristineReplyCancel

  • ErinI love your technique and locations. As an aspiring pet photographer myself I would love any critiques you may have for the pictures on my blog! Your work is amazing and you seem to be able to capture the dogs personality. I especially like the one with him trotting down the tracks.ReplyCancel

  • Grace VFantastic! Such great expressions you’ve captured.ReplyCancel

  • ColinaI’m in absolute awe! This has got to be one of the best series of Pet Photography I’ve ever seen! Every element comes together perfectly, the subject, the background, the collar – just spectacular! It would be great if one of the No Ban clubs picked up this dog as an ambassador!ReplyCancel

  • LainerOMG! This is a fantastic story, and I love the photos. the graffiti art is awesome too. I love reading your posts. I clicked the link on Facebook, which is so convenient. I get so distracted with all of the websites, and find Facebook is my home base for keeping in touch with other people’s websites. I just moved from CT to AZ, and haven’t had the time to scroll through your blog. Boy, am I glad I saw your Facebook blurb. Beautiful work, girl!ReplyCancel

  • LoriI love love love love this location Illona!!ReplyCancel

  • DLukerThe scruffy gods were definitely smiling on y’all for this session! The shots where Memphis (such a cool name) is “reacting” to the scull are absolutely fantastic! Excellent work!ReplyCancel

  • sarahhow cool is this?!? love it.ReplyCancel

  • Rachel LaurenEvery time I see a session in this tunnel, it makes me want to shoot in front of graffiti even more! I need to get on that!

    On another note, Memphis is a gorgeous dog, and you captured him so well (I’m jealous, I want to photograph one of these guys so bad!)

    The addition of his dad’s artwork is an awesome touch!ReplyCancel

  • JeffI’m in pixel love. EVERYTHING has come together to make this series one of your best. Incredible.ReplyCancel

  • Gladys CalderonLove these shots you are definately really good with taking doggie pics please contact me with information on how my Chico can get a session with you.ReplyCancel

  • MargaretWhat a handsome, handsome boy Memphis is!ReplyCancel

  • KimAwesome. I always love the background and contrast that this tunnel provides!! The fact that Don could paint his own background is amazing.ReplyCancel

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