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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.

Kai – super model extraordinaire ~ Ontario commercial dog photographer

Meet Kai …

01 ontario premier commercial dog photographer kai mcintosh-173This girl has just rocketed to the top ranks of the scruffy dog commercial model database.  This Mallorquin Mastiff girl had a session with me at the beginning of April, and it was a great opportunity to assess her abilities as a commercial model, moving her from the folder of owner-submitted dogs to Endorsed dogs … and in Kai’s case, an “Endorsed +” … a status reserved for dogs who can do just about anything.  And she’s only 2 1/2 years old!

02 ontario premier commercial dog photographer kai mcintosh-326This girl can not only hold a reliable position and a steady focus in any surrounding and distraction — including the insanity of Kitchener’s very own Comicon weekend and a variety of costumed crazies romping around us, IN the midst of a sudden snow storm — she has a great bond with her guardian Kelly and learns on the spot.

03 ontario premier commercial dog photographer kai mcintosh-13

 

13 ontario premier commercial dog photographer kai mcintosh-365-Edit05 ontario premier commercial dog photographer kai mcintosh-42904 ontario premier commercial dog photographer kai mcintosh-74-EditWhen you get a dog like this, it’s like shooting fish in a barrel (not that I’d ever shoot fish – in a barrel or otherwise).  Any photographer working with this girl just can’t miss.  The camera absolutely loves her.  Easy peasy.

06 ontario premier commercial dog photographer kai mcintosh-29407 ontario premier commercial dog photographer kai mcintosh-27308 ontario premier commercial dog photographer kai mcintosh-2609 ontario premier commercial dog photographer kai mcintosh-11414 ontario premier commercial dog photographer kai mcintosh-40410 ontario premier commercial dog photographer kai mcintosh-13011 ontario premier commercial dog photographer kai mcintosh-812 ontario premier commercial dog photographer kai mcintosh-234Thank you, Kelly, for introducing me to your lovely girl.  I look forward to the possibility of future shoots with you and Kai.  Keep up the great work!

15 ontario premier commercial dog photographer kai mcintosh-18Shooting alongside me during Kai’s session, for his mentoring session with me, was Adrian Baughan of Oxford Dog Photography in the UK.  You can see his images of Kai on his blog entry here.  Enjoy!

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    Rosey the potbellied pig model ~ Ontario commercial pet photographer

    And now for something a little out of the ordinary for scruffy dog photography…  Yes, folks, this is not your average scruffy client.  Meet Rosey, the potbellied pig!01 ontario premier commercial animal photographer rosey uhran-272-EditRosey wheeled her way to scruffy territory for a photo session this past fall.  Yes, this little, six-month-old niblet arrived in style in her own stroller so she wouldn’t have to hoof it the entire way into our session location.02 ontario premier commercial animal photographer rosey uhran-166

    She was pretty excited to strut her stuff and show off her modeling skills …

    03 ontario premier commercial animal photographer rosey uhran-1804 ontario premier commercial animal photographer rosey uhran-22I have to admit, working with Rosey was a certain kind of special for me.  Having grown up on a hobby farm — milking Lucy the family cow, collecting eggs, helping baby goats being born, training horses, raising orphaned calves and yes, litters or orphaned piglets — spending a little time with Rosey, on a sparkly November afternoon, surrounded by her little snorts and grunts, brought back a flood of those memories.05 ontario premier commercial animal photographer rosey uhran-7806 ontario premier commercial animal photographer rosey uhran-10907 ontario premier commercial animal photographer rosey uhran-4608 ontario premier commercial animal photographer rosey uhran-110Exactly how adorable is this little girl?

    09 ontario premier commercial animal photographer rosey uhran-401…complete with previously painted hooves to boot!

    10 ontario premier commercial animal photographer rosey uhran-9411 ontario premier commercial animal photographer rosey uhran-35812 ontario premier commercial animal photographer rosey uhran-27413 ontario premier commercial animal photographer rosey uhran-18214 ontario premier commercial animal photographer rosey uhran-21815 ontario premier commercial animal photographer rosey uhran-145Thank you, Frances, for introducing me to your little girl.  It was such a pleasure to meet and work with wee Rosey!

    16 ontario premier commercial animal photographer rosey uhran-2

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    • Michelle BradshawOMP… She is a doll! I love every shot Illona.ReplyCancel

    two blue dogs in the bad lands ~ Ontario pet photographer

    Rogue and Mobi — two gorgeous dogs from Barrie — met me for their custom scruffy dog photo session in Caledon for their session almost three years ago (yes, I’m that far behind in blogging, and certainly not every scruffy client makes it to the blog, but I really wanted to share these two blue beauties with you).

    Sadly, this is the last session I shot (and might ever shoot) at the Bad Lands since the area is now closed due to damage and accelerated erosion caused by the lack of respect and adherence to the posted signs detailing proper ‘usage’ of these delicate lands.  Even when we were there, it was frustrating to watch parents planting themselves on lawn chairs with beers at the top of the area (ironically right under the very signs indicating no sliding or scaling down the slopes, no littering, etc.) while their screaming children literally ran amok, sliding relentlessly up and down the delicate clay slopes, leaving a trail of spent candy wrappers and juice boxes.

    So while I’m sad that this ecological wonder is now closed to those of us who did follow the rules, who deeply respected the area, and who wanted nothing more than to do its beauty justice in photos, I’m grateful that it is now closed to those who simply viewed it as a playground for their offspring to whom they felt no need to teach respect for the earth, others, or authority in general.

    But back to the dogs … these gorgeous blue dogs for whom this landscape was a no-brainer.

    Rogue … this girl is a Thai Ridgeback.  How stunning is she?

    01 toronto ontario best pet photographer rogue mobi taylor-161

    … and little Mobi, whose lineage is a mystery, but who hails from the streets of Alabama.

    02 toronto ontario best pet photographer rogue mobi taylor-153Before hitting the Bad Lands, I wanted to work with these two in the a park area first … so while the sun was still high, we sought cover under some tall trees.

    03 toronto ontario best pet photographer rogue mobi taylor-72…taking time to do tricks on bridges.  Thanks, Mobi!

    04 toronto ontario best pet photographer rogue mobi taylor-363-Edit05 toronto ontario best pet photographer rogue mobi taylor-400-Edit06 toronto ontario best pet photographer rogue mobi taylor-43307 toronto ontario best pet photographer rogue mobi taylor-5808 toronto ontario best pet photographer rogue mobi taylor-45709 toronto ontario best pet photographer rogue mobi taylor-452And while the Bad Lands might look deserted, let me assure you, they were not.  It takes work, patience, and a lot of angling (as well as some photoshopping) to get these kinds of shots without a number of other photographers in the background, or the aforementioned unruly children running amok.

    10 toronto ontario best pet photographer rogue mobi taylor-19311 toronto ontario best pet photographer rogue mobi taylor-11312 toronto ontario best pet photographer rogue mobi taylor-11513 toronto ontario best pet photographer rogue mobi taylor-11914 toronto ontario best pet photographer rogue mobi taylor-12515 toronto ontario best pet photographer rogue mobi taylor-14516 toronto ontario best pet photographer rogue mobi taylor-49917 toronto ontario best pet photographer rogue mobi taylor-52818 toronto ontario best pet photographer rogue storyboard2I do hope that, one day, the Bad Lands can be reopened, perhaps by permit … something to restrict the usage to those of us who will respect it and allow it remain in the splendor that it is.   Thank you, Rogue and Mobi, for a lovely afternoon and for making the Bad Lands look so good.

    19 toronto ontario best pet photographer rogue mobi taylor-218

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    • Andrea JonesWhat a stunning looking place – love that last shot too!ReplyCancel

    • Margaret Chekouras DuerrI adore these images (all of your images!!). Thank you for sharing!!! I especially love the last rump roast picture.ReplyCancel

    • Sandra BatleyGorgeous capturesReplyCancel

    • Sandra JonesWhat beautiful and unusual dogs! Thank you for sharing, Illona. I never associated dogs with Asian countries, nor had I ever heard of the Bad Lands around Caledon – your commentary is very insightful.ReplyCancel

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