Winners of Dog Photography Awards Catch Dogs in Amazing Moments

Dogs never cease to amaze human beings and we love to photograph them. It doesn’t matter how many photos we take of our beloved fur family, it’s never too many. But there will also be images that capture our imaginations and our emotions by their beauty. Some photos catch the essence of what makes us love dogs so much. That’s what these photographers set out to capture.

Now in its third year, the Dog Photography Awards continues to put the spotlight on the fantastic photographers working hard to capture dogs in all their glory. Here are the winners for 2023 along with some other amazing finalists.

Portrait & Landscape

1st place – Ascending Serenity by Sanna Sander (Sweden)
“In the right light even the most mundane place emits magic,” says photographer Sanna Sander. “I had the idea of this image in my mind for quite some time, driving past the log stack every day on my way to drop the kids of at school. And finally, on our way home from school one day, I stopped the car and asked my azawakh girl Soleil to hold the pose for a moment while I took the photo.”

2nd place – Serene Snowfall by Grace Fieselman
“Nala, the Australian Shepherd, relaxing on a quiet backroad in the beautiful snowfall,” describes Grace Fieselman.

3rd place – monochromatic illusion by Sanna Sander (Sweden)
“On a silent morning when the last snow of the winter was melting the fog rolled over the meadows and the trees stretched into the sky, begging the sun to return. The colors were sucked out of the world, and everything was silent except the crowing ravens adding to the atmosphere. In the stillness she posed, watching the winter slowly leaving and making way for spring. In the stillness she was the only color left in the world. She was the queen of this monochromatic illusion.”

Action

1st place – Stop your Motion by Jacqueline Rüdiger (Germany)
“Have you ever seen a dog, or even better a sighthound, running in pure joy? You see the power, the play of the muscles and the perfect anatomy for running fast. In this picture I wanted to show the speed of this dog and capture it, but at the same time freeze the motion to show the anatomy of this beautiful dog. To get it you need a perfect timing of all components involved. The dog, the lights and for sure me as the photographer. The result is a stunning composition reduced to the only important thing, the dog.”

2nd place – Moment of Entry by Roberta Holden (Canada)
“I have become fascinated by the dynamic interplay between air, water and light in turbulence as water is suddenly displaced at the moment of impact as a dock-diving dog enters the water. This split second event conjured for me the feeling of falling through ice or being suddenly transported into an alternate realm.”

3rd place – Catch it by Anne-Laurie Léger (Canada)
“Everything there was out of this world. The sunset was absolutely beautiful and the water was so still that it created some crazy reflections.”

Studio

1st place – Ballerina in the studio by Anna Averianova (Montenegro)

2nd place – Puppy Love by Tuss Bennergård (Sweden)
“Three weeks old Great dane puppies. Photo is taken with studio lights at the breeders home.”

3rd place – Let’s Dance by Carla Gea Perales (Spain)
“Relying on spontaneity in photography allows me to experience positive surprises and unexpected results.”

Dogs & People

1st place – Caravaggio today by Mercury Megaloudis (Australia)
“New and the old Inspired by Caravaggio the artist and new trends in steampunk with the love of dogs all in the studio.”

2nd place – Facing the Immensity Together by Emma Gough
“In a world where life can be immense and overwhelming, just like the vast nature of the ocean, we can turn to mans best friend for companionship and support to face the immensity together.”

3rd place – Timber’s Tribute by Jane Thomson
“Portrait of Katie + Timber”

Finalists

Here are a selection of images from finalists from this year’s awards that are also mesmerizing.

Jessica Olsen Eriksson (Sweden) – “I wanted to capture the love and respect these two senior Weimaraner dogs have for each other. They are now 11 and 9 years old and have always been together.”

Chloé Brown (United States) – “Sootie & Freya. A Romanian rescue and Therapy dog – capturing their kind personalities in the studio.”

Tina Stahl (Germany) – “the dachshund, called “Maddie”, was so in love with the treats, then this really funny snapshot originated and makes her look like Princess Leia.”

Jane Thomson (Canada) – “Choco was undergoing medical treatment when it was time for his portrait session. The majority of his tiny body had been shaved, but he brought along some of his favourite outfits to stay warm (and of course fashionable). This stylish dude might be a tiny chihuahua, but was large and in charge in front of my camera.”

Rosalind Phang (France) – “A malinois and belgian shepherd running in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris during sunrise.”

Michelle Dawkins (United States) – “The conditions were perfect, calm water, beautiful sky, and the tide was low. That all changed very quickly as the weather pattern changed. High winds came in out of nowhere and so did the crazy waves. This did not stop Lotti from enjoying her time running, jumping, and chasing her ball into the water…”

Michelle Dawkins (United States) – “Red the cattle dog mix flying through the water at sunset.”

Desiree Nickerson (Canada) – “Josee coming in fast to catch her favourite ball.”

Janneke de Graaf (Netherlands) – “As described in the breed standard, a Basenji should be elegant and graceful. The whole demeanor is one of poise and inquiring alertness. A dog full of confidence and with high self-esteem. The only thing this young Basenji girl needed was a red frame.”

Julia Haberichter (Germany) – “Vizsla girl Mia in the dunes.”

Katie Brockman (United States) – “Urban photography: Finding beauty in the mundane.”

Stine Grind (Sweden) – “Exploring the big world.”

Denisa Zbranková Albaniová – “One morning on the dam with this graceful saluki. Before the shooting, I had this image in my mind and finally it just happened.”

Karin Bruhin (Czech Republic) – “This picture was taken on a bathing day in the early morning. We all had a lot of fun and the dogs ran and bathed. When the sun came over the mountain, I took my chance and took the picture.”

Agnieszka Gulczynska (Poland) – “Childhood of my Son is my biggest inspiration. Photographing Igor, I admire the amazing and beautiful way you can catch things which are seemingly regular. An old bucket or umbrella are magical objects for children. That is why I appreciate the way my son uses this magic, regards and discovers the world, creates relations with children and animals which constantly fascinate him.”

Visit the website of the Dog Photography Awards to learn more about the competition, winning photographers and where to follow them.