Blow: Dogs VS Fans

Is there anything more comically glorious than a dog’s ears and fur flying in the wind? 

Ontario-based animal photographer Illona Haus let the fur fly with her photo series, Blow, showcasing dogs in front of fans. Inspiration for the project struck one hot summer day as Illona watched her dog Merrick’s beautiful coat blowing in the breeze of a fan. Thus began the search for the perfect antique fan and the perfect doggy models! 

“When I saw my rescue dog Merrick’s beautiful coat blowing in the draft of a fan one hot summer day, it started a vision,” she says. “I immediately got to work, finding and reconditioning an antique fan and securing the models that would bring the project to life.” 

As a full-time professional pet photographer, finding the models was the easy part, with many of Illona’s existing clients taking part. The perfect fan, however, took much longer to find and ended up sidelining the project for several months. The wait was worth it, though, as the bright yellow appliance that appears in every shot is the perfect co-star.

Over the course of a year, Illona shot all kinds of dogs, from Chinese Cresteds to Afghan Hounds, Cockapoos, and mystery mixes.

All in all, the project was almost three years in the making, but the response has made it all worthwhile. The series, which quickly went viral, has been featured everywhere from Bored Panda and Cheezburger to the Daily Mail.

“I’ve absolutely loved hearing from viewers and passionate dog lovers from all across the world, from England, the US and Australia, to all across Europe, Japan, Thailand and beyond!” Illona tells us. “Followers of Scruffy Dog on Facebook still send me cell phone shots of magazine spreads or articles from the Blow series. So fun!”