Working with natural light, especially on a bright sunny day can be challenging at times. However, the resulting warm and engaging portraits created from shooting in the afternoon sunshine make it all worthwhile.

Backlighting your subject is a beautiful way to separate them from the background, giving your images an instant glow-up.

So, for this challenge, we want to see some perfectly executed backlight, and images with rim-light that really add the separation and give the Glow-Up feeling.

Here, in no particular order, are our top 10 images. Congratulations to the photographers, fantastic work.

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!

Birgit Zimmermann | Birgit Zimmermann Fotografie

There's some gorgeous subtle details in this image, the slightly wet fur and the wonderful sparky light catching the dewdrops on the grass and the misty morning haze in the background. Then there's the dog, who has a super engaging pose and expression.

Dana Gookin-Owens | Studio D Portrait Design, LLC ~ Boutique Pet Photography

The subject is beautifully posed in this image. The colour harmony is great and most importantly for the Glow Up challenge, the rim light is well controlled.

Emma Coulter | Rustie and Co

Beautiful warm and hazy background, nice leading line and a lovely pose and expression. The glow-up of rim light is well done and surrounds the subject.

Gabi Vannini | GV Photography

Lovely complementary colour harmony and environmental layering add interest to this image. All the while the subject is where the viewer's eye rests, thanks to the fantastic use of backlight and the excellent pose and expression.

Jenny Johansson | Jenny Johansson Photography

Lovely composition and depth. The subject is posed nicely, the side profile with the light catching the beard and eyebrows is wonderful!

Joan Carey | @jcarey2016

The backlight in this image is well executed and the stoic expression on the younger dog with his older companion looking at him for reassurance adds a lovely story.

Katie Pierce | katiebatie13

These two are wonderfully backlit, both have lovely expressions and the location/background has been chosen well to provide harmony in the colour palette.

Lori Veinot | @novatailsphotography

The texture of the dogs fur is really lovely and combined with the subtle rimlight helps them stand out in a location with lots of wonderful layering. The elements, despite being busy, support the composition and allow the subject to be the hero.

Michelle Osborne | The Spotted Tongue Photography

What a sweet expression and the rimlight adds a lovely touch of magic to bring attention to the subject, the light is well balanced and there are nice catchlights in the eyes.

Sam Rowe | Sam Coral Photography

Gorgeous bokeh, a little dog breath and the magic of rimlight make this a fantastic submission for the Glow Up Challenge. The expression is also wonderful and the edit is finished to a high level.

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.