Emilee Fuss Photography – the blog

This dreary, rainy week was brightened up on Tuesday when my new camera, the Nikon D700, arrived. I’ve been wanting this camera for a while and am so happy to finally have it. I’ve used the Nikon D80 for almost 3 years, and while it has served me well, it’s certainly no D700. I am loving the full frame (where have you been all my life?) and the ISO sensitivity. It’s just wonderful. :)

Not only did my camera bag receive a new addition, our furry family did, too! Yesterday my little sister spotted a grey, domestic bunny in the neighborhood. According to our neighbors, she’s been hanging around since late last week, which means she’s been all alone in the awful storms we’ve had! But she’s safe, warm, and well-fed now. She even has a name! We’re calling her Lucy. Buddy’s still adjusting, though. He follows her when we let her hop around the house and sticks his big nose into the cage. We called Suncoast Humane Society to see if anyone reported a missing rabbit, but no one has. It’s most likely that someone didn’t want to care for her anymore, so they let her go. I’ll refrain from saying what I think of people who do that, though, and instead share some images taken with my D700. Enjoy!

First up, Lucy the bunny! She is not interested in modeling at all, but hopefully that will change. Isn’t she cute?

The wide angle made some crazy distortions on Olivia Jane! It looks like she’s going to bend in half, especially in the shot on the right.

And sweet Layla Grace helped me test out the new camera indoors. Don’t you love the precious Lab onesie she’s wearing? I wonder who got that for her… :)

She is in the hair pulling stage. Well, more like the grab-everything-within-reach-and-put-it-in-my-mouth stage.

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Friday Five is hitting the blog a day late! Why am I always behind with my Friday Five posts? It was on my to-do list yesterday, I promise! But better late than never, right?

1. Nature’s Embrace Aromatherapy – I found these all natural products at Pawprint Essentials, and they are must haves. While Buddy isn’t prone to fleas or ticks, he does get itchy. Which means more scratching, which leaves more piles of black hair on the floor, which makes me vacuum more, which is no fun. I picked up some of the Nature’s Embrace natural shine shampoo and therapy conditioner, and it works wonders for Buddy’s skin. It stops and itch and gives us all relief! And another great thing? It’s locally made, so I can support a fellow local small business owner when I purchase these products. Yay!
2. Layla Grace - Oh, my sweet niece. She is just the cutest thing. I’m so excited to share that she has just started laughing! She’s only laughed a few times, but when she does it is just adorable. When I had my senior portraits taken last week (pictures soon to come!), the photographer, Synethia, really got her laughing. It was the first time I had ever heard her laugh, and it made me so happy. Now, if only we could get her to laugh like that again. How did you do it, Synethia?!
3. Chocolate – Need I say more?
4. Labs – I love Labs. And not just because I am a proud Lab mom. They are such fantastic dogs – so exuberant, smiley, friendly, and fun. I have never met a sad or unhappy Lab, and don’t think I ever will. Two of my clients at our mini session event were Labs (one was  Lab mix), and they made my day. I was getting quite tired when they came in for their appointments, and working with such joyful dogs really lifted my spirits. Who can look at a happy Lab and not smile?
5. Tamron 28-75 2.8 – I’ve been loving my new lens! I’ve hardly taken it off my camera since it arrived. To be honest, I feel bad, like I’m betraying my 50 1.8. The nifty fifty was my main lens for over a year and I loved it (and still do!). But the Tamron has had most of my attention lately. I used it exclusively at a recent beach session (see photo below), and at our mini session event this past Wednesday. It’s a fabulous lens! But don’t worry, my dear nifty fifty, I still love you, too!

To finish off, here’s one of the handsome little boys I had the pleasure of photographing at the beach this morning. I’m still portfolio building for baby and child photography, so if you’re interested in a reduced rate session, contact me! I’d love to photograph more pudgy babies and happy kiddos. :)

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This week my new lens, the Tamron 28-75 2.8, arrived! I am so excited to have a good, fast zoom lens to use alongside my beloved nifty fifty. Of course, I had to have Buddy and Olivia model in front of the new lens. Olivia was far more willing than Buddy this time. I think he must have that Photographer’s Child Syndrome. You know, where you’ve shoved your camera in the kid’s face so many times he hates it? I wouldn’t go so far to say that Buddy hates it, definitely not when treats are involved, but he certainly doesn’t love it. But whether he loves the camera or not, he is still a handsome, wonderful model and I wouldn’t trade him for the most camera-loving dog in the world. :)

Okay, a bit more about the lens. I’m really pleased with it. It’s fast, sharp, and overall just a great lens to have. It’s one of the essential pet photographer lenses (or the Nikon or Canon brand 24-70 2.8), and I’m very happy to have it in my camera bag! Now, the lens I’ve used 99% of the time is my Nikon 50 1.8 (love this lens!), which is even faster than the 28-75, but the aperture difference shouldn’t take too long to get used to. Also, the price was fantastic – about $1,200 cheaper than the Nikon 24-70. It’s a great lens, and although I’ve only been using it for two days, I highly recommend it!

Okay, this could be a reason that Buddy doesn’t like the camera. I make him holds treats on his head and Olivia tries to get them.

Can you see me?

If you’re looking at purchasing a new lens, but aren’t too sure yet, I’d advise you to rent first. Borrow Lenses is a great company, I’ve rented from them before. They don’t have the Tamron lens I just bought, but they do have a wide selection of Nikon and Canon equipment!

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Etsy is a dangerous place. It has this way of sucking you in, putting multitudes of fabulous items on your screen, and controlling you. You find yourself purchasing handmade item after handmade item that you didn’t intend to buy when you visited the website. It’s dangerous, I tell you.

For some reason I keep going back to Etsy, despite it’s wallet-shrinking ways. I just can’t get enough of it! Last week I made some pretty cool Lab-themed finds. Click on the following links at your own risk, and don’t say I didn’t warn you!

First, there was the black Lab alphabet made by Sea Dog Press. Yes, please!

Then, the adorable Labrador Retriever magnets from Silly Dog Magnets called to me. The Boston Terrier ones are really cute, too!

Native Vermont Studio is the home of fabulous illustrations by Ryan Fowler. I just love the black Lab in the canoe with the dragonfly. It’s perfect! There are other great items in his shop, too, like bear, owl, and whale prints.

I was completely smitten with The Lab shop. The pup cups are so cute. I think I need a few sitting on my desk to hold some pens and things, don’t you? My little niece will be sporting a black Lab onesie pretty soon to show her love for her cousin Buddy. The black Lab applique on the back is too much!

And what better way to end a Lab lovin’ post then with one of the most lovable Labs there is?

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The weekend is upon us and I don’t know about you, but I am so ready for it! Sleeping in, watching old movies, and reading are on my list. I love weekends. Which brings me to my Friday Five…

1. Weekends - After a busy week of working, running errands, and sending countless emails, I am ready to embrace the weekend with arms wide open, to kick back and try to stay away from the computer, and do the things mentioned above. What about you? Do you have any exciting weekend plans, or are you just going to relax like me and Buddy?
2. Abigail – Today is my little sister Abigail’s 13th birthday! It’s so crazy (and a little scary, honestly) that she’s already a teen! Abigail is a feisty little redhead, just like our big sister, Meredith. I’ve been blessed to be in the middle of two lovely, outgoing sisters with big hearts (and mouths), and I wouldn’t trade either of them for anything in the world. Happy 13th birthday, Abigail. I love you so much and pray that this is a fantastic year for you! And thanks for being such a faithful blog visitor and commenter. :)
3. The Sleepwalking Dog - Last night I came across this video via Pawsitivley Pictures on Facebook. People, I could have died laughing! We had Bible study at our house, and I dragged half of the people into the office to watch the video, laughing harder each time. Buddy only twitches his feet and whines a little bit in his sleep, he never actually RUNS while laying down! It makes me wish that our dogs could tell us what they’re dreaming about. Do you think this boy was chasing something, or something was chasing him? What do your pups do when they’re dreaming?
4. Modeling - Once again, I have to list modeling as a Friday Five. I had the pleasure of meeting with Synethia Rosa (who found me from I Heart Faces) to discuss a photo swap we’re doing – I photograph her and her family, and she photographs me and my family. Awesome! We haven’t had family pictures done in ages (and don’t have any non-Olan Mills photos) so I’m really excited about this. Synethia is also doing senior portraits for me next week, which I didn’t think I’d be able to have. So I’m really looking forward to that, especially because Buddy gets to come along. The only thing I’m nervous about is actually being in front of the camera. But I’m confident that Synethia will help me become more comfortable, and I can’t wait to see the results!
5. Laptop bags - My laptop arrived last week, and I’ve been loving it (actually blogging from it now!). However, there’s one leetle problem. I can’t find a good laptop bag to save my life. I was really hoping that it would fit in a Hipslip, but it’s just an inch too long. Apparently it’s hard to find a sleek, simple, and stylish bag for a 17.3″ laptop. I’ve been scouring the interwebs, but have come up with nothing. All I’m asking for is a bag that is slim like a sleeve, but with pockets for cords and accessories. And cute–it’s got to look good. Is that too much to ask? The bags at Acme Made look pretty good, but I’d like to hear a few more of your suggestions, lovely readers. Any recommendations?

And instead of a picture, I’ll post the sleepwalking dog video. If this doesn’t make you laugh, I just don’t know what to say to you.