Emilee Fuss Photography – the blog

Last week I visited the Humane Society of Sarasota County to photograph some of their adoptable dogs and cats. I spent three hours working with four dogs, two cats, and about ten darling kittens. That was only a fraction of the animals awaiting loving forever homes. There are so many animals in need, sitting in shelters until someone comes along and adopts them. It wasn’t easy to walk through the shelter and look at all of the dogs and cats without wanting to take them all home, especially the kittens and a 7 year old Pit Bull named Hardee.

Hardee is one of the hard-to-adopt dogs, not because he is ill tempered or mean, but because of his breed and tough appearance. His ears were crudely cut off, probably as a puppy, and he is a hefty 98 pounds. But do not let his looks and size fool you, he is just a big, laid-back baby! Hardee loves to chase lizards and just lounge around. So many people don’t like Pitties because the bad reputation the media has given them. Yes, these dogs are very powerful and they do require special owners–owners who will give them the exercise, training, and positive attention that they need, not encourage aggression for the sake of entertainment or having a tough dog. All I ask is that people would give these dogs a chance. I know this breed is not for everyone. Instead of owning one, perhaps you could volunteer at a shelter and meet some Pits or Pit mixes. Just see if they don’t steal your heart. Hardee will make someone a fantastic companion and pet. Could you be that person?

Anyways, I’ll get off my soapbox now and share some images! If you are interested in any of the animals below, please call (941-955-4131) or visit the Humane Society of Sarasota County to inquire about the available animals. Or if you know of someone who you think would be interested in one of these dogs or cats, share this information with them. All of these animals are just waiting for someone to take them home and love them!

Isn’t Hardee handsome?

Now, onto the cats and kittens! I’m not sharing all of the kittens, because I believe some of them have already founds homes (yay!).

I want Tater! But, alas, I cannot have a kitten.

View the portfolio | Contact Emilee | Facebook | Twitter

You can imagine my surprise and excitement when Angie Arthur, co-founder of I Heart Faces, contacted me about being the guest judge for a special pet challenge. After pinching myself a few times, I agreed! That was over a month ago, and pet week is finally upon us. If you aren’t familiar with I Heart Faces, it is an awesome community of photographers from all over the world who participate in weekly photo challenges. For each challenge, a special guest judge is chosen to pick the top ten images from all of the fabulous entries. So that is my exciting job for the week! The challenge has only just begun and there are already so many great entries, it’s going to be tough to choose the winners! If you’d like to share your favorite pet themed photo in this week’s challenge, head on over to I Heart Faces to find out how to enter. I’d love to see your photos!

And I want to say hello and thank you to everyone at I Heart Faces, as well as all of my new Twitter, Facebook, and blog friends. Thank you so much for stopping by and welcoming me as the guest judge! It’s an honor!

And here’s my favorite pet face – my Buddy! Found these images, taken in January, while browsing the archives this morning. January feels like yesterday, but it is almost July. This year is just flying by!

View the portfolio | Contact Emilee | Facebook | Twitter

It’s Friday Five time! Well, it was actually Friday Five time a week ago, but I forgot. Better late than never, right? Here we go…

1. Kittens – I’ve been really wanting a kitten lately. I’ve pleaded for one, but my mom is adamant – there will be no cats in her house. “I would give you $10,000 before I would give you a cat.” That’s what she said. And I know I’m not getting $10,000. But today I got some lovely kitten time at HSSC, when I photographed about 10 adoptable kittens, along with some dogs and adult cats. It was wonderful. You can’t imagine how much self-control and restraint it took for me to resist bringing one of those adorable, tiny kittens home. But I will be satisfied with visiting the shelter kittens for now, as I continue to hope that my mom’s heart will be softened. Who couldn’t love a sweet little kitty cat?
2. Laptops – A laptop has been on my equipment wish list for a while now, and I finally was able to purchase one this week. It wasn’t easy, though. What I’d really love is a Mac. But, alas, that is out of my budget. And friends and colleagues telling me that I need to get a Mac does not make things easier. I know you, my dear friends, are only trying to help; and one day I will join the Apple bandwagon, but not quite yet. The problem with PCs is that there are only a million different options. Going to Best Buy only increased my confusion. Finally, my wonderful daddy picked one out for me, and I handed over the debit card. My new HP will be here soon, and I can’t wait to start using it, especially for ordering sessions. And the best part? I have enough money left over to get a new lens! Yay!
3. Frank – My dear Frank Sinatra. He keeps me company when I’m driving by myself. I sing with him (and probably look – and sound – very ridiculous while I’m doing it). It makes driving around town so much more fun. Come on, you can’t tell me you don’t sing in the car. You may not sing along to The Voice, but you sing. It’s okay, I won’t tell. It’ll be our secret. :)
4. Doggie Drawings by Lili Chin - I can’t remember exactly where I discovered Lili’s dog illustrations, but I believe it was Twitter. I instantly fell in love. In fact, one of her awesome Boston illustrations is currently my computer background. Lili makes adorable digital portraits of dogs to benefit Boston Terrier rescue. And she owns a gorgeous Boston of her own, Boogie (who has a blue eye!). Definitely go visit her site and check out all of the fantastic portraits. Then commission an illustration of your pet. I have a feeling I’ll be doing that for Buddy and Olivia soon!
5. Thinking of Friday Fives – Because sometimes it is hard to think of five things to share. Like last week, when I didn’t post, and today, when I forced myself to.  Although I’m not sure if a topic about thinking of topics really counts. But I’ll make it count, people! There are no rules for Friday Five. So there. There is the Friday Five. Hope you enjoy. :)

Here’s a sneak peek of the shoot I did at HSSC today. More of this lovely lady (as well as kittens and dogs) to come soon.

View the portfolio | Contact Emilee | Facebook | Twitter

I photographed the lovely Sadie once again last week, only this time we took our session out to the beach instead of in the studio. Our session was more like a day-in-the-life event. We started at the beach at sunrise, where I photographed Sadie doing some of her favorite things – playing with her frisbee and tennis balls, swimming, and relaxing in the sand. It was a beautiful morning, and well worth it to get up at 5 am for the lovely light, empty beach, and cooler weather. Next, we headed to Venice Avenue for breakfast and some shopping. Because Sadie is a service dog, she can go anywhere, no questions asked. We were able to visit several of her favorite stores where I met her many friends and fans. We wrapped up the shoot at Sadie’s home, where I photographed Sadie swimming and jumping in the pool (she should give Buddy some lessons!). It was a full, fun day and a pleasure to work with Sadie again. She is one of the loveliest, sweetest dogs I have ever met and is a fantastic service and therapy dog. I just can’t get enough of this girl!

I had too many favorites, so I’m just going to share the beach shots. Enjoy a peek into the life of Sadie the beach dog…

View the portfolio | Contact Emilee | Facebook | Twitter

Getting up close and personal with the characteristic Olivia underbite.

At least her tongue isn’t sticking out.

View the portfolio | Contact Emilee | Facebook | Twitter