For the past three years I have entered images into the International Pet Photography Awards and the 2026 results are in! This competition is open to pet photographers around the world and many of the top photographers in the field enter their best images.
This year there were entrants from 48 countries who submitted a total of 4220 entries. Of the entries there were:
- 1680 bronze awards
- 664 bronze distinction awards
- 299 silver awards
- 81 silver distinction awards
- 28 gold awards
- 2 platinum awards
This year I submitted five images. In past years I noticed a very small proportion of images are from winter, so this year I decided to prioritize snowy moments.
I am please that four of my images were awarded bronze! Bronze entries received a score of 70-74 out of 100 and are defined as having very high standard of professional practice, craft, skill and technique and exceeding the normal level expected of professional practice in some areas.
The following are my submissions along with their scores and the judges feedback.
Score: 74
My comments: This path at Terwilliger park is one of my favourite locations in the city at any time of year. The pathway is lined by trees that frame dogs beautifully and the trees filter the sun creating soft light. I chose this location on a snowy day to incorporate falling snow in this portrait.
Judges feedback: This is a beautiful, sharp image with lovely colours and a strong composition. I really enjoy the falling snow, as it adds atmosphere and gives the photograph a wonderful winter feel. Personally, I would have loved to see all four of the dog’s paws visible. Positioning the dog at a slightly different angle would have made the pose feel more dynamic and given the image even greater impact. Overall, this is a beautiful winter portrait with excellent sharpness, lovely colours, and a fantastic use of the falling snow. A small adjustment to the dog’s position would make the final image even stronger.
Score: 71
My comments: Wonder’s day job was working as an Ambassador at Dog With Wings, but she sure didn’t take everything seriously! Our session was down at Mill Creek Ravine where Wonder posed, but also chased sticks and splashed round in the creek.
Judges feedback: This is a striking pose for a traditional working dog, allowing the Labrador lover to tell themselves the story of a dog marking game out in the field. The narrow depth of field and distance from the background have created a lovely soft blur which helps the subject stand out, with the amber eyes drawing the viewer straight to the regal features. The subject does feel a little grey, and I think the rich blacks could be brought out more to make this an even more striking image. Including more of the environment would also help to give the viewer more context. The curled eyebrow hair above the eye on the right draws attention and breaks me out of the solemnity of the gaze a little. That’s not necessarily a bad thing: it could be read as bringing individuality and a little humour to the otherwise stoic expression, but it’s potentially also a distraction and may be interpreted as such by some judges. This image is thoroughly deserving of its Bronze award. To reach the higher levels, consider how you might include more storytelling elements, or context around your subject.
Score: 71
My comments: This image of Bumblebee is the same location and time as the image above of Ellie, I couldn’t decide which one to submit so I entered them both! I love the monochromatic feel of Bumblebee in the winter and particularly how the slight red in her coat matches the tones of the trees in the background.
Judges feedback: You’ve demonstrated good technical ability when composing a portrait that gives the audience a clear sense of character and appreciation for the details of the dog’s face. The lighting is well handled, and your post-processing feels considered. Be careful of the eyes not being visible at all. If this is intentional consider how your crop could enhance this detail.
Score: 71
My comments: I love photographing dogs at Lake Louise as the mountains provide a natural frame. Bonus points is that the mountains mirror the angle of Ellie’s ears. The snow was quite deep when we visited, so the biggest struggle was finding a small spot where Ellie wasn’t chest deep in the snow, but it also wasn’t fully packed down. Overall, I adore this image of Ellie in an iconic location.
Judges feedback: The warmth of the tricolour coat stand out well against the cool tones of the alpine scene, bringing the viewer straight to the dog. The placement of the subject has been carefully judged, with the valley lines converging on the dog to hold the eye exactly where it belongs, and the cheeky little tongue, together with the dusting of snow on the nose, adds a lovely touch of character. The image reads a touch murky overall with the snow appearing somewhat grey, so lifting the exposure in post processing until the snow looks clean and white would restore the crisp winter feel. The direction of gaze also sits a little “in between”, neither meeting the viewer directly nor looking out of frame with clear purpose, and committing to either would strengthen the connection or open up a story. With your solid technical skills, narrative is the next frontier: a moment, an interaction or a hint of story is what will surprise the judges and push work like this into the higher bands. This image shows a good understanding of the technical skills needed to create a successful image in the field, and is deserving of your Bronze award, well done!
Score: 68 (Professional Standard)
My comments: This image of Huck giving a little head tilt is one of my favourite images from last year. Huck was a little puppy with a lot of energy, and even more sass. I love the small head tilt, the pastel colours and little bit of bokeh in the background, as well as the clover flowers poking up in the grass.
Judges feedback: This is a lovely portrait with good sharpness and beautiful, natural colours. The image has a pleasing overall feel, and the dog stands out nicely against the background. Personally, I would have liked to see a little more space around the dog, as the composition feels slightly tight. I also think that, with the dog positioned in the centre of the frame, the image would have been even stronger if the dog had been looking directly towards the camera. This would have created a stronger connection with the viewer and made the composition feel even more balanced. Overall, this is a beautiful portrait with lovely colours.
To see the pet photographer of the year and the winners of each category visit https://www.petphotographyawards.com/2026-awards.
The above link also has the top 100 scoring images, I hope you enjoy seeing some incredible work from pet photographers around the world!
Julie
J Cork Photography 