contemporary, lifestyle, on-location animal photography

another facebook recap: Ruby, Rylan, Rukus & a little Chaos ~ {Waterloo, Ontario pet photographer}

December 10, 2012

welcome to another recap of just some of the images shared on the scruffy dog facebook page. this fall we saw an extraordinary number of “R” dogs … Ruby, Rylan, Rukus, Rico, Regis, Reese & Riley, Rheo, Riley Scooter, and Ripken. today i’m sharing just a few of these awesome “R”s.

first up, the gorgeous Ruby …

Ruby is a rescue adopted through Golden Rescue after being surrendered to the Brampton Animal Shelter with a nasty skin infection. how’s this for a recovery? look at that beautiful coat. and this girl has some drive … i’ve never seen another golden so driven by her nose, whether the scents are on the air or on the ground … this girl is go go go.and who doesn’t love a golden smile?and speaking of smiles … how’s this for a big one? this is Rukus …he showed me his Staffy tenacity out on the beach … determined to bring at least one treasure home …along with their natural location and home, we hit one of my favorite train tunnels as well, and Rukus turned out to be a consummate poser.but i think Rukus and his brother Chaos had their most fun out at our natural location …and if you thought Rukus was a character, you should meet his brother Chaos … he always has something to say!

the complete opposite of these two crazies is the very quiet and shy Rylan…

Rylan was adopted from the Windsor Humane Society after three weeks in isolation for suspected Parvo. but it was love at first sight for Felicia who saw him on line, and the three-week wait to meet him was worth it. she knew she was the one who would be giving the shy, fearful Rylan a new lease on life.sometimes i think he preferred to keep his eyes closed, believing that the cameras would be gone once he opened them…but Rylan came around pretty quickly during his session, especially with the help of resident scruffnut Merrick … learning to forge out and away from his mom’s ankles and run a little.

Merrick, being a puppymill rescue, has great social skills with dogs, and his soft nature has worked wonders in bringing shy dogs around during a session. as such, i have been using him more and more on those special session. for dogs that are too shy to even take treats, Merrick is able to draw them to me … and draw them out of their shell to explore and follow him in the new environment. i think Merrick even brings them around to the idea of the cameras, because it wasn’t too long before i had little Rylan relaxed and working with me.

i hope you enjoyed this facebook recap. stay tuned for many more as we try to catch up with the incredibly busy fall schedule we shoot every year!

Facebook Comments

10 comments

Halat SophieThat second picture of Rylan is so awesome. It like he’s looking away giving a shy smile. I just want to hug his face! 🙂ReplyCancel
AnonymousFantastic work. Love the composition and exposure. They all are my fav. I just can sit all day long and adore all cute puppies and your talented work.ReplyCancel
Michelle BradshawAwesome recap….love that Rylan!ReplyCancel
michelle bradshawBeautiful work as usual illona!!!!ReplyCancel
Jen Metzgerwow, that second shot of Ruby has to be one of my all time favorites. What a gorgeous dog and stunning work, as always.ReplyCancel
Judy Gadsby BellevilleReally love your work…they are amazingly beautiful pictures. Thank you for sharing your work with us.ReplyCancel
JofianeI cannot do anything but smile and amazed when I saw them. They are so cute, and I want to bring them all to my home -unfortunately I can’t have pets at home T^T-
Amazing focus, nicely captured, and cute dogs :3 I can feel the emotion very well.. Wow :’)ReplyCancel
scruffy dog photographythanks so much, Judy!!ReplyCancel
scruffy dog photographythanks, Jen. those birches (well, really, they are ash) were a lucky find. the client had asked for a stand of birch, but we’ve had such an issue with some beetle killing our birches that i really didn’t know of any. so i took them to my usual location and wandered off to a new area, and voila! 🙂
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scruffy dog photographythanks, Michell!ReplyCancel

more scruffy faces from our fabulous summer ~ {Toronto, Ontario premier pet photographer}

December 4, 2012

welcome to another scruffy dog catchup from just a few of our fabulous clients this summer. of course, if you follow scruffy dog on facebook, you’ll have already seen a lot of these months ago. and if you’re not following scruffy dog on facebook … well, i always make sure to bring you all the scruffy smiles right here on the SDP blog!

first up we have the chocolatey goodness of Sierra …

after a run of wild scruffnuts in previous sessions that week, sweet, posey Sierra was a lovely break. don’t get me wrong, every session is an adventure, no matter whether our models are zany, high-energy and crazy or calm and controllable, i love every one of them — the challenges as well as the perfect angels. Sierra was one of those perfect angels and a blessing to work with.

and with a gorgeous new home to photograph in, well, it was all just a fabulous combination.

of course, no scruffy dog session is complete without getting out and letting loose.

i’ll have to share a blog entry of Sierra’s session sometime so you can see her really letting loose. these are just the images shared on facebook.

such a pretty girl …

next up we have the oh-so-sweet Taylor. i think my favorite part of this image, second only to that great big, lovely eye which reveals her wonderful character, is this girl’s gorgeous whiskers.

the cameras love Cavaliers … and of course, Taylor is an exceptionally pretty little Cav.with our session cut a little short due to premature dusk from cloud-cover, and the fact that Taylor’s wild sister took a little bit of extra time in our session, i had Taylor’s mom bring her to scruffy dog territory to grab a few extra shots … and i couldn’t resist bringing the SDP chair along for the quick session …… leaving Taylor’s mom with a huge variety of images to choose from. i know i didn’t make it easy for you, Sarah.i’m looking forward to Taylor’s next session in the fall of 2013, along with her sister Tikka.and this is Taylor’s crazy, younger sister, Tikka.if you could get her to hold still, like a true hunting dog her mind and nose were always working …

i did mention she was crazy, didn’t i?

then there was Topolino … loved this little guy and his mom.his was an extra fun session, with lots of laughs …

and thank you so much for my gift at the end of the session, Melanie … i think of you and Topo every time i use it!

and finally, i thought i’d share a few photos of my favorite girl in the world, my matea. this shot was taken in front of Massey Hall, of course, during an early morning session for Toronto Magazine. matea was asked to model for the magazine’s cover — along with a 2-legged model, of course … shot by Christopher Dew. while we waited for the 2-legged model and the rest of the crew for the session, i took a few moments to ‘warm’ matea up by taking a few photos myself.and speaking of modeling … earlier this fall i spent a few hours driving around our city looking for good urban locations. with more and more clients coming to SDP territory in order to utilize the fabulous locations they see on the blog and facebook, i wanted some fresh urban ‘backdrops’ to add to the variety. and — always the perfect and easiest to work with — my matea came along for the job.this particular alley seems to be a favorite for SDP clients. and for this one i have my friend Hilary from One for the Wall to thank.but i do so love the bright orange wall down by the tracks as well …i hope you enjoyed this little catch-up from the photos shared on the scruffy dog facebook page. stay tuned for many more as i am sadly behind in sharing the photos here on the blog. of course, if you want to stay current with all the latest, as it happens, simply follow us on facebook!

Facebook Comments

4 comments

JoniAll of these are just pure delight! Thank you for sharing them.ReplyCancel
Lindsay N. FlynnBeautiful pictures! 🙂ReplyCancel
Heidi Hampethey are all very beautiful……don’t miss the 2legged Model at all ;), like 4 legs more anyway…..ReplyCancel
scruffy dog photographythanks so much, Heidi!ReplyCancel

the first annual SDP Holiday Tribute gift ~ {Ontario pet photographer}

November 27, 2012

i’ve toyed around with an idea for some time now … yes, SDP gives back throughout the year in regards to raising funds and awareness for pet rescue groups and taking photos of foster dogs. but for a while i’ve wanted to find a way to give back to an individual.

it’s without question that, in my chosen line of work, i meet a lot of awesome scruffnuts … but equally as meaningful to me is the opportunity to meet the many truly amazing pet guardians who share their lives … people who love not only their own animals, but anything with four legs … people who move heaven and earth to truly fulfill their pet’s needs and lives … people who love their scruffies unconditionally … people who give tirelessly to the welfare of all pets … people who rescue or adopt. i’ve also seen my share of loss in the years that i’ve been shooting other peoples’ pets … so i know, first-hand and through SDP, how meaningful those captured images of our pets end up being.

with all of that in mind, it has often left me wondering about the pet guardians i don’t see … people who wouldn’t think to book their own photo session for their pet, or who can’t afford it, or who selflessly spend their money on anything but themselves. well, this holiday season i want to give a scruffy dog session to someone just like that!

yes, a scruffy dog session giveaway! … no voting, no facebook ‘likes’ … not some online popularity contest. this is about hearing your heartfelt stories and giving back in the best way i know how: capturing meaningful and moving images of the special pet in someone’s life because it would mean the world to them. one very special session to a well-deserving, extraordinary person who perhaps can’t invest in a custom photo session, or someone who would be more likely to give an SDP gift certificate than purchase one for themselves, maybe someone who works tirelessly for the welfare of our companion animals, or someone going through a tough time and whose pet is the only thing getting them through … whatever the story, i want to hear it!

and since i would like to present this Tribute Gift in time for the holiday season, you don’t have much time to get your nominations in! the submission period will run right up until midnight, December 22nd, and my hope is to announce the recipient of the SDP Holiday Tribute gift on the 23rd or 24th.

here’s what you need to submit:

1. your name

2. nominee’s name (yes, your own name if you’re nominating yourself)

3. nominee’s email address (we’re obviously going to have to send them their gift certificate!)

4. nominee’s location/city

5. nominee’s story: what makes them deserving? their situation special? tell me about their bond with their pet and what their pet means to them … maybe even what an SDP session would mean to them. (there is no limit to the word count, but please bear in mind that i’ll have to read through what i imagine could be many submissions.)

6. a photo of the nominee’s pet or a link to a posted photo of the pet (why? because i’ll need something to post on the blog and facebook when i announce the winner.)

7. and perhaps a little about the nominee’s pet … but remember, this is more about the nominee and the reasons you are nominating them.

… and yes, you are allowed to nominate multiple people.

please submit all of the above information to: [email protected] … and please title your email: “SDP Holiday Tribute Gift”

please know that the SDP Holiday Tribute Gift is a scruffy dog Starter session, and will be shot here in the Kitchener-Waterloo area in one of our awesome locations … however, this session can be upgraded and/or travel can be purchased. also, this is intended for one pet — that one special pet in one special person’s life — but adding pets is always possible for the typical SDP additional pet fee.

if you don’t already follow the SDP facebook page, you might want to start, as this is where i will be announcing the recipient first.

so, think about the deserving, selfless, pet-loving people you know in your life who you think would truly cherish some photographic memories of their 4-legger, and send me their stories now! you have until December 22nd! i look forward to reading all of your nominations!

Facebook Comments

9 comments

Andy MathisI think it is so cool that you chose NOT to use Facebook for this giveaway. No voting. No Liking. No stumping for votes from Facebook friends.
Perfect.ReplyCancel
Valerie Beyerlove, Love, LOVE the idea Illona! Thank you for your generous spirit – you really do make the world a much better place 🙂ReplyCancel
Pam KeetchI love this…there are so many unsung heroes out there quietly doing amazing things. You rock Illona!ReplyCancel
Jean GulakWhat a great and original idea!ReplyCancel
Alex Mortimer @ Wakefield PhotographerSo nice to see a photographer who is so passionate about their subjects, the dogs and their owners! Also great to see a photographer who isn’t basing their competition on the popularity and the amount amount of likes a person can get from their Facebook friends! A true inspiration.ReplyCancel
- illonathank you for your kind words, Alex. while it’s true that i tend to love dogs more than people, i have met SO many amazing and extraordinary pet guardians in my years of shooting, and can only imagine the number of similarly passionate, selfless guardians who can’t necessarily afford the expense of a custom photo session.
  as for the whole facebook thing … i agree … at the same time, i’ll continue to have the occasional FB contest. (a) it’s an easy way to hold a contest and give-away, but (b) yes, it tends to increase the “likes” on the page. what i hope people understand, however, is that the “likes” aren’t for my ego or some kind of measure of popularity … but rather, it’s for exposure, and NOT necessarily exposure for SDP. big numbers of ‘likes’ equates to potential influence … and that influence comes in handy when trying to deliver a message, or more importantly help with the adoption of a hard-to-place animal. although i can’t do it a lot, when i DO share a unique pet on the SDP FB page who is in need of a home, it gets adopted. so… there are ulterior motives to getting more ‘likes’ and followers.ReplyCancel
scruffy dog photographyaw, thanks so much, Valerie.ReplyCancel
scruffy dog photographythanks so much, Pam.ReplyCancel