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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.

oscar ~ {Ontario pet photographer}

well, i did promise you all a bunch of dachshund photos from our awesome shoot recently with repeat clients Oscar, Rollo and newcomer Charlie.  you can see Oscar and Rollo’s winter session here, and if you missed the blog entry of their “group” photos from this past weekend, you can check that out too.

so, without further doo-doo, welcome to Wiener Week!

that’s Oscar with the big goofy smile and the gorgeous eye-liner.

and if the terrain and backdrop is looking vaguely familiar, yes, these are the same locations where i shot the last two red, mini-dachshund clients last summer belonging to fabulous photographers Dave and Charlotte.  Meaghan and Ben loved that shoot so much and Fritz and Greta’s images, that they were determined to utilize the same locations.

so, into the river we went …

from my experience, wiener dogs don’t care much for water … and at first Oscar was looking for a way out …

but it didn’t take long before Oscar was enjoying himself …

soon, though, it was time for Oscar to come out and let his brothers have a turn … you’ll have to stay tuned for those tomorrow.

what a poser Oscar is …almost always up-front and centre …

in fact, encouraging Oscar to move away from the cameras took a few tricks … like sticks …

and strategically thrown Cuz balls …

other times, Oscar just wanted to play with me.

stay tuned for Oscar’s baby brother, Charlie, tomorrow!

have a great Monday, everyone!

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  • BirgitDear Illona,

    I found your website via a Google search for dog photography inspiration as I’m just starting out with dog sessions.

    Several days later, I’m still browsing your blog in awe at all the phantastic moments you captured. You really do have a way with dogs, that’s for sure. You manage to capture so much personality and the dogs really seem to smile for you. Every blog post tells a little story 🙂

    Would love to do a one-on-one so much, but I’m in Germany and will have to let your website suffice for the time being.

    Anyways, keep up the good work.

    Best wishes from Germany,
    BirgitReplyCancel

  • TamaraLast night I spend an hour browsing through your blog and couldn’t get enough of your beautiful soulful pictures. They made me smile and made me cry. I LOVE your work. P.S. Sorry for bad weather here in Nova Scotia…I hope you decide to come back one day. It is beautiful out here when sun is out.ReplyCancel

  • anneLove when you shoot wieners. what a cutie. love them all, that 2nd shot is priceless.ReplyCancel

  • Holly Garner-JacksonWonder wieners! Especially love the flying shot where his little feet are frozen in time!
    Of course being low to the ground yourself helps! 😉ReplyCancel

  • Jeff DriverWonderful shots!ReplyCancel

  • becky g. (from AZ)LOVE the airtime shot you captured with his little brother in the background! And spit bubbles are always great! 🙂ReplyCancel

  • Debthere is just no resisting mini smooths. these are awesome captures.ReplyCancel

it’s time to get wienerfied ~ {Ontario pet photographer}

y’all ready for this?  like, seriously ready?  because i have three dachshunds to share with you, and we had such a fabulous shoot, i don’t even know where to begin.  and with so many images to choose from, well, i’ve decided to give you a blog entry for each of these irresistible boys, but thought i’d start with a quick entry of some group shots.

you may remember Oscar and Rollo from their Winter shoot earlier this year, and since then they’ve had baby brother Charlie join their short-legged little pack …

one session with a dog, three hours of shooting, i tend to get to know them pretty well.  but two sessions, and well, i’m seriously in love with these little guys (and i know where they live!).

Oscar — with the black eye-liner — is always up front and centre, busy, busy, busy, seeking the limelight.

Rollo (middle, below) is just so sweet, somewhat independent, and more subtle.

and Charlie (middle, below) … wee Charlie … what isn’t to love about this piebald little dude?  … just so eager to learn, so anxious to please.

as i said, you’ll be seeing a lot more of these three over the next few days as each boy gets his own blog entry … they’re simply too irresistible to limit to one!  stay tuned …

… and have a great weekend, everyone!

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  • Alison MeyerLove, love, LOVE your work! You are spot on with your weenie personality photos and as for the others – perfectly brilliant too! I am a cartoonist with a love for all animals but especially the dog. Anyway, just wanted to say thank you for sharing your talent with the rest of the world! 🙂ReplyCancel

  • Holly Garner-JacksonAwesome threesome!ReplyCancel

  • Susan HumphreysGreat captures! I actually squealed out loud when I saw these three doggies!I love the one of them carrying the stick.

    Susan Humphreys
    Northampton
    EnglandReplyCancel

  • MarlaAbsolutely adorable!ReplyCancel

  • sherry bolesThey are so cute! What wonderful images!ReplyCancel

  • becky g. (from AZ)i love photography blogs, and your’s has become my new favorite! your dog shots are fabulous. thanks.ReplyCancel

more big canvases ~ {Ontario premium pet photographer}

thought i’d quickly share a few images of the latest two canvases before i have to head out to help a friend/client with some training with their pooch this morning.

what can i say?  i love the big canvases … and i love clients who love the biggies too.

it’s a fact: scruffy dog is quickly becoming known for these big ones.  when i pick up at the lab and run into other photographers, they already know me because of the big doggie canvases that frequent the place.  and more and more, clients are booking with big canvases in mind … whether repeat clients or first timers.

because there’s a little work involved with hanging these pieces and shooting them, i don’t have the opportunity to share every canvas that comes through scruffy dog, but the other day i took some time out to document the latest two.

first up, Miles in the train tunnel …

this canvas is 30×54, and finished with our gorgeous satin-finished, black, oak float-frame.   i always recommend for couch pieces or over-the-bed pieces, that 52″ is a minimum, with 60″ being a great length, especially over queen-sized beds.

as you’ll see from this closeup, the detail and sharpness that is maintained even on a piece this large and on the subtle texture of the canvas, is still stunning.

this is achieved first, by using only a superior image and second, by taking the time and care that is required to upsize.

Miles is a repeat client whose mom — upon seeing the shoots we’ve been doing in the train tunnel — booked a second shoot for her gorgeous boy with this exact canvas in mind.  Miles is a rescue from Tennessee, picked up as a stray, and Ingrid has always imagined him surviving on his own, on the streets, and perhaps in train tunnels such as this.  so this canvas means a lot to her.  you can see more images from this second session with Miles in his blog entry.

i should note that if i were hanging this piece permanently, i would have hung it a little lower, but i’m trying to minimize the holes in my own walls!

next up is egghead Memphis … and of course, i use “egghead” as an endearment, since i deeply adore both of these wonderful models.  Memphis’s blog entry is here, if you want to see more images from his session and read about how dad Don was instrumental to the shoot by providing his own graffiti!

i’m looking forward to Memphis’s fuller shoot this fall where we intend to take the Badlands by storm.  i can’t wait!

of course, Merrick — who knows Memphis from our monthly walks with Waterloo Dog (ah, Memphis was just a wee little spud back then!) — thinks this is all a little ho-hum.

Memphis’s canvas is 28×48″, not including the float frame.  i just thank dog i drive a Matrix where i can flip down the seats, including the passenger seat, if need be, and transport a full 8′ spread or more (should anyone decide to go that big!)

(again, if were hanging this permanently, I’d hang it a bit lower … and that bracket you see peeking out at the top left of the frame is the bracket that normally holds my girl Matea’s canvas in place.  of course, Matea wasn’t overly impressed with the artwork switch, however brief.

have a great Friday, everyone.  i have a TON of wiener dog images to share with you and was going to bring you the first installment today, but have no time.  perhaps tomorrow.   stay cool!

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  • LainerHow do I go about finding a vendor who will do this for me with my files of Ozzy? I would like to blow up a file to something this large, but I also don’t know how to upsize an image. What is the vendor that you use?ReplyCancel

  • KimI LOVE these big canvasses!!
    Beautiful work, as always!!ReplyCancel

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