Dog photos are most successful when they're engaging, when they show the personality of the dog and make you feel like you're right there with them when you're looking at the photo. For maximum engagement, you just can't go past a doggy head tilt.

The jury is out on exactly why they do it, but it's thought to be in order to hear us better. A change in head and ear position can help them more accurately locate the direction and distance of a sound.

Whatever the reason they do it, it's always something to strive for in your work to take the expression and emotion of your photo to the next level.

We had such an incredible selection of submissions for Say What? Here, in no particular order, is probably our most adorable top 10 of Embark 2025 yet!

Congratulations to the photographers.

Charlotte & Craig 🐶 📸 ✨

We provide video feedback on all images submitted for the challenge, and from there, we select our Top 20 and Top 10. Without further ado, here are the Top 10 images for this challenge!

Erica Harvey | Erica Lane Photography

The expression and pose of this dog just invites you in – personality plus! Excellent use of framing in the location, great colour harmony, and edited to perfection.

Heather Huffman | Heather Huffman Photography

The editing treatment of this image and the look of the dog reminded us of an 80's family portrait - and we loved that! Fantastic expression and focus on the eyes and great colour harmony.

Jordyn Bobo | Golden Atlas Photography

The eyes of this dog are just so sharp and engaging, they immediately pull you in to create connection. The whites are beautifully handled and the background complements without overwhelming the subject. Lovely image.

Katie Romig | Katie Romig Photography

The super shallow depth of field in this image emphasises the soft feeling of that adorable puppy floofiness. Great pose and direct eye contact work together to create connection, well done.

Linda Van Oeffelen-Brosens | Jinterwas Photography

The painterly feel of this image drew us in immediately, emphasising the sharp and engaging face and engaging head tilt of the subject. The balanced standing pose of the dog keeps our attention firmly on the subject, despite the surrounding eye-candy!

Nikki Jennifer | Nikki Jennifer Photography

Such an adorable pair of pups, perfectly synced in their matching opposite head tilts! Both subjects are wonderfully sharp, with excellent handling of the backs and whites across both subjects.

Roxanne Gura | The Whimsical Leash

Uniquely lit, the interplay of light across this engaging expression works effectively to create connection with the subject. The background works beautifully to complement the colours of the subject.

Shelly Cavallaro | Wherever the Nose Goes

Beautiful expression and the direct eye contact has tonnes of impact due to the sharpness of the face, in contrast to the dreamy softness surrounding. Lovely edit and composition.

Shelly Linehan | Paws For A Moment Photography

What a face! We felt instant connection with this little dog and the self-contained pose topped it off. Lovely simple and natural background and feel, too.

Sherry Glassman | Sherry Glassman

This image is hilarious and had us in stitches while reviewing! The concept is so creative, so clever and wonderfully executed. Perfect props and an epic head tilt.

Embark is the foundation 6-month interactive challenge-based online dog photography course in our Unleashed Challenges series, focusing on helping you to learn new shooting skills and create more variety in your work.

Want to be the first to hear when Embark opens for enrolment each year? Register your interest here.