2025 IPPA Awards
The waiting is finally over! After working to create clean, unique, eye-catching images for the International Pet Photography Awards by the end of June, we then had to wait for the 25 judges to go through over 4000 submissions. Five judges score each image and two give written feedback for each image, so it understandably takes some time. The finalists, category winners and overall winner were announced a little earlier, but the rest of the awards and feedback were finally released September 13th. Thank you so much to the judges who take on this enormous task and to the coordinators of the awards for putting it all together!
Last year was my first time ever submitting to any photography competition, and I chose IPPA because of the included feedback from judges. I submitted 2 photos last year and received a Silver Distinction and a Bronze Award, which was a thrill and motivated me to try even harder this year! But the standard is extremely high, out of 4011 images only 1 received a Platinum Award (95-100 points) and only 30 received a Gold Award (90-94 points). My goal for next year is to get into the Top 100 images, and eventually to get a Gold! The judges are all highly respected and experienced animal photographers, many are educators and judges for other competitions, so their scores and feedback mean a lot to me.
I chose six images that I felt were my strongest, and/or something unique that might capture judges’ attention. Here are my results and the judges’ comments on each:
“Statuesque” - Silver With Distinction Award (85 points)
Most of my outdoor photography is in natural locations, but I’ve fallen in love with urban photo shoots in the past year too! While we were in Nebraska for a field trial this April, I scouted this location near the Lincoln Zoo. It’s a big fountain but the water was turned off for the colder months. I went just after sunrise with my top model, our Vizsla “Sip”, set my camera up on a tripod, connected the remote trigger and climbed up onto the structure to position her “just right”. After the first shutter sound, Sip looked right at the camera and this was the result! In editing I removed myself, adjusted the color to a consistent tone, cleaned up various marks in the concrete, and made Sip’s contours stand out. I submitted this to The Societies monthly competition for April and it received a Highly Commended. Now it’s my highest scoring image in IPPA for this year!
First judge’s feedback: “This beautiful portrait is both simple and dramatic at the same time. The plain walls offer an almost canvas-like quality to present the dog against, while the steps create a striking series of leading lines towards the subject. The posing has been expertly orchestrated to ensure we can see all four legs and the straight tail, typical of the breed. The alert expression and direction of the gaze to match the angle of the steps display a strong understanding of visual storytelling. The dog does unfortunately show a significant amount of noise, which affects the quality and therefore the achievable score, which is so disappointing, considering the strength of the image otherwise. Overall, a beautiful image, very well done.”
Second judge’s feedback: “This image is immediately impactful with the simple color palette and interesting texture. The darker color of the dog stands out while still working well with the muted background. My eye can't help but be pulled to the large square in the top left of the image and I wonder if there is a way to crop or remove that section of the image to keep the focus fully on the dog. Regardless, this is a strong image and very well done.”
“The Lookout” - Silver Award (80 points)
Can I just say, I love rocks! I get so excited about interesting looking rocks, and I always want to put dogs on them for photos! I’ve made a couple of attempts to get something interesting by these cliffs in Pocatello Idaho, but it’s harder than you might think along the flat cliffside, especially with marmots running around this particular spot! But I liked this mini-cave with a perfect posing rock in front of it and was determined to give it a try. Sip saw something interesting and gave her signature “pointing” pose to add impact to this shot. This image is pretty heavily edited for my usual style, but I wanted her to really stand out. I really struggled with the dry grass in the foreground; the photo needed some foreground interest, but the dead dry grass in reality was really unattractive. I worked through some shades of brown and green before settling on this, which I felt was as natural as possible while not being a distraction to the overall image. Maybe it can still be improved…this is such a neat area I will definitely want to try again the next time I go to eastern Idaho. Dog model applications are welcome if you and your dog want to join me for my next attempt!
First judge’s feedback: “This is a striking setting. Well done on placing the dog in front of the darkest spot in the rock. The grass is very grey. I understand that this is your artistic choice to fit it to the rock's colour, but it looks slightly unnatural. The grey background, though, brings out the colour of the dog.”
Second judge’s feedback: “Wow, this image features an impressive pose and a truly stunning location. The dog is framed beautifully by the surrounding rocks, which adds structure and draws the viewer's eye directly to the dog. This natural framing, combined with the dog's confident stance, creates a sense of strength and presence that makes the portrait visually engaging.”
“Snowfall Adventure”
Bronze With Distinction Award (76 points)
The fourth and final submission for this image to professional review or competition gives it a badge for each corner, having received a merit or award in each!
We had a rare north Texas snow storm in January, and our Brittany puppy, “Zendy” was thrilled to go out and have a romp in it. I just had to keep letting her run and calling her back to me to try to freeze the perfect moment with her in full flight, headed straight at me but without snowflakes in front of her eyes! We were both wet and exhausted by the time we came back in, but I love the resulting image and it’s my most awarded to date. It took just light editing to clean up minor distractions, and slightly tone the background to a blue that nicely complements her orange fur.
“Snowfall Adventure” can now be retired from competition and just enjoyed by us as a once-in-a-lifetime image of our puppy to forever treasure her personality at this age — which, after all, is the real reason I love creating artwork from pet photography!
First judge’s feedback: “The moment of action is well-captured, with the flying ears adding a sense of motion and personality. Focus falls on the ears rather than the eyes, and a strong blue cast - affecting even the dog's white fur - distracts from the scene's natural look. A lower shooting angle would add drama and connection, and having the dog's gaze lifted toward the viewer would strengthen engagement. With these adjustments, the energy of the moment could come through more powerfully.”
Second judge’s feedback: “A great action catch. The ears flying and all four paws off the floor paired with the direct eye contact make for a very engaging action shot. The snow is a minimal yet very effective environment for this image. While the exposure retained detail, some further color balance and brightness/contrast would improve its impact. There are a few lines on the snow that are a little distracting. Minor processing/editing adjustments that will pack a big punch for this already strong image.”
“Five Star Plunge”
Bronze With Distinction Award (76 points)
The IPPA has an Action category that’s usually full of dogs running by or towards the camera (much like Snowfall Adventure, but mostly adult dogs). I had an idea to create something really unusual of a dog jumping into water but viewed from above. Bug the Brittany was my model for a water entry photo that earned a Bronze Award in 2024, so I knew he’d be the perfect candidate for this experiment! His owner Aziliz was game, and kept throwing the bumper for Bug, who happily jumped again and again until I got “THE” shot! I shot and edited this right before the submission deadline, and already know a few things I could have done better, but I was really pleased that the judges recognized my effort to show them something different!
First judge’s feedback: “The elevated point of view shows us an angle that isn't usually seen, creating a compelling and fresh perspective. The image feels too dark overall, with both the dog and the water splashes needing some brightening to bring out more detail and impact. The good sharp focus on the face anchors the composition well and demonstrates solid technical execution in capturing this dynamic moment from above.”
Second judge’s feedback: “This is the fresh vision for an action shot I was waiting for. I love that the water created such as strong, diagonal lines making this composition strong. Highlighting your subject a little more to stand out from the water could make this shot stronger.”
As a side note, in case that second judge ever reads this — whoever you are, thank you, your first sentence made my day!
“The Sentinel” - Bronze Award (74 points)
I scoped out this location online when I was in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho for dog shows. What I couldn’t tell from the map was that I had to go down a VERY steep hill to get to this peninsula on the water. I couldn’t find a path so thankfully Sip’s sire, Perrin was well enough behaved that I could let his leash go and use both hands to scoot down some very sketchy spots on the way — I still slipped a couple of times and thought I might go tumbling down the hill into the lake!! But once I was partway down I was determined to make it to my spot. We finally made it, and I set up my camera on rocks across the water, took Perrin over to the peninsula and used my remote trigger to get the shot. This image is a panorama composite of a few different shots, including one to remove myself from behind him and one to add the fabulous splash on the left side. Imagine my excitement when a boat came by after I shot the main image and made the wave that splashed against the rocks! I think it really adds something extra special to this image. I wish I could have stayed a bit later until the sunset really lit up the sky and added some extra color, but I had to make sure I could find my way back up the hill and hike back to my truck before dark. Thankfully I did find a small trail that made the climb back up the hill a little easier!
This is now printed on a BIG canvas for Perrin’s owner and it looks amazing!! I absolutely fell in love with Coeur d’Alene and can’t wait to go back again. There are so many absolutely stunning photo locations around the lake, I’d love to photograph your dog/s (or other pets) if you’re there and want some stunning shots for yourself! Visit my Model Network or full Session Information to get on the list.
First judge’s feedback: “What an incredible location, it has instant impact. The silhouette is almost a perfect profile, just a little more clarity around the front legs would elevate it to the next level. The splash of water on the left creates context for the gaze, but the wave that caused it isn't shown in its entirety - a bit more room on the sides to turn this into a true pano would push it to the next scoring range.”
Second judge’s feedback: “This is a very beautiful silhouette capture with a strong overall impact. The colours in the sky could be enhanced a little further to bring out their full potential, and placing the dog slightly further forward would have strengthened the composition even more.”
“Contrasted”
Professional Standard (69 points)
This was another effort at “something different” to show the judges in this competition. I set up my studio, had my camera on a tripod and used my remote shutter so I could stand in front of Sip and perfectly position her. My idea was for her to be in profile with her neck arched, and the black line behind her to be in line with her chest, so it took precise positioning and a lot of trial and error to get this shot. The judges didn’t see it at awards level, but I’m happy they appreciated my effort at originality. I did wonder if I should enter it in the Creative category, and I will definitely do that with anything “weird” for next year!
First judge’s feedback: “Well done for trying to find a different interpretation of ‘dog portrait'. Still, I think this image would have fit better in the ‘Creative' category as we see very little of the dog and the overall concept relies more on the graphic aspect. I would like to see some whiskers here. They would add a little interesting detail. I'm not sure about the black part on the right. We can only guess what that is. Overall, an interesting subject worth exploring further.”
Second judge’s feedback: “This concept stands out for its originality, with a well-executed monochromatic palette that enhances mood and leaves a lasting visual impression. Including subtle details like whiskers and aligning the lower background more consistently with the top would further refine the presentation. A creative and refreshing take that sets itself apart from more conventional portraits.”
Thank you again to all of the judges and to Unleashed Education for the monumental effort of putting this competition together each year! Congratulations to all of the winners, including everyone who met or exceeded their own goals for this year, from Professional Standard up to the “big” winners. Keep on creating beautiful artwork of dogs, cats, horses and more, here’s to us all raising the bar for pet photography even more for next year!