Interview with Pet Photographer Emilee Fuss

We are continuing to celebrate teens and their amazing creativity by having award winning pet photographer, Emilee Fuss, join us as our Guest Photographer Judge this week. Not only is Emilee an amazing photographer, but she is also a teen!

Emilee writes: I’m eighteen years old. I live in Florida, but hate the beach. I have a 90 pound lap dog named Buddy, who wandered into my life in 2006, and a pink-eared guinea pig named Walter, who likes to lick people. And I am addicted to chocolate, Frank Sinatra, and Turner Classic Movie channel.

Emilee’s Photography Journey:

I’ve always loved art and animals. I was the kid who wanted to be a professional horse trainer, then a painter, then a vet, then a writer. I wanted to swim with the dolphins at Sea World, too, until I realized how cold the water is. I just couldn’t make up my mind! When I was 15, I developed a knack for photography and found my calling. It was the perfect way to nurture my love for animals and my creative side. After my parents saw that I was serious about photography, they surprised me with a Nikon D80 (which I continue to use today) on Christmas 2007. Towards the end of 2008, when I was 16, I started Emilee Fuss Photography. My main focus continues to be on pets, but I’ve recently started offering senior portraits. I love being a photographer, capturing memories for people. It is such a special job. I feel so incredibly blessed to be able to do this, and at such a young age!

Emilee’s Favorite Pet Photos:

Fun Q&A with Emilee:

-What do you love most about capturing pet faces?

Pets are fantastic. They are so real in front of the camera, and I love that. It’s so much fun just let them be themselves and see what faces they’ll give you or what crazy thing they’ll do next.

-What do you find most difficult about capturing pet faces?

It’s hard for me to stop taking pictures of animals, I enjoy it so much. It’s also very difficult to photograph cats in the studio – I’m not doing that again!

-Briefly describe your most exciting or favorite pet photo shoot.

Almost every shoot is exciting and my favorite! Each shoot and pet is so different, it would be impossible to choose a favorite. Every time I get to photograph an animal is special and a privilege.

-Do you have a “most stressful” photography moment that you can share with us?

Oh, boy. Once, I photographed (or attempted to photograph) six (or was it seven?) cats in the studio. Enough said.

Emilee’s Helpful Hint:

If you’re going to photograph pets, make sure you truly love them and have LOTS of patience. I don’t know how, but animals can really sense if you are or are not an “animal person,” and will not respond well to impatience. It’s not an easy job at times (especially if you’re photographing a totally uninterested or super hyper dog!), but if you take it easy and don’t stress, it’ll turn out alright.

And remember, you can’t be everything to everyone!

Emilee’s Photography Equipment:

My equipment is certainly not the most top-of-the-line, but I plan to upgrade soon. I use a Nikon D80 with the 50mm 1.8 lens. For studio shots, I use the Nikon SB-800 flash with a Westcott Apollo 28×28 softbox and Savage background paper. As far as editing goes, I use Lightroom 1, Photoshop CS3, and Totally Rad Actions. And I think every photographer must read Easy as Pie and Pastry School from Alicia Caine.

Find Emilee Here:

• Website
• Blog
• Twitter
• Facebook

You can also read more about Emilee in a fun interview she did with Totally Rad Actions!

Please take a moment to welcome Emilee to i heart faces…we love teens and are so happy to be able to feature this talented photographer on our site.

Thank you so much for stopping by to visit with us Emilee!

Angie & Amy

co-founders of i heart faces

Tagged as: animals, cats, dogs, Emilee Fuss, florida, guest judge, pets, photographer, photos, teenager