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 2026 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!

Caryn Glover | Katiepal Photography

This isn't just a head tilt, it's a whole body tilt! The dog's body language perfectly complements their expression in this super engaging portrait. The low angle, pleasing background, colour-matched collar and well-edited whites finish off this fantastic shot beautifully.

Courtney Bryson | CM Bryson Photography

This sweet and engaging portrait is beautifully sharp and the edit is of a high quality. The dog's head tilt is framed perfectly by the door and those paws hanging over the edge of the step are super cute!

Crystal Rambayon | Crystal R Photography

What an epic head tilt from this delightfully goofy Pug! That tongue is perfectly expressive. The backlight has created a gorgeous golden rim light which gives the image a warm, inviting feel and sets the scene beautifully.

Jenny Johansson | Jenny Johansson Photography

A minimalist image that is so very effective because of its simple nature. The tilt of the dog's head has revealed just one eye, which is all we need to see the expression clearly. Lovely soft background and a balanced standing pose.

Katie Pierce | katiebatie13

Amazing head tilt which is emphasised by the low and wide angle of the shot. The sky looks epic and having the details of the landscape included are a nice touch. Brilliant shot!

Natalie Clennell

Such a delicious chocolatey colour palette in this image! The dog has a super engaging head tilt and is lit perfectly by window light. The little details the background really set the scene, well done!

Sam Rowe | Sam Coral Photography

This image is pretty close to perfect! The super shallow plane of focus is placed at exactly the right point - going straight through the eyes and also picking up some inviting detail in the flowers beneath. Excellent use of colour and framing, too!

Samantha Smillie

The sitting pose gives the dog a relaxed feel, but that lovely head tilt adds a feeling of gentle curiosity that draws the viewer in to the image. Even lighting, an interesting scene, and sensitively executed editing finish this off beautifully.

Theresa Camastra | Blackdog Studios

This dog is super engaged with the camera and the eye contact and expression really draws the viewer in. The details of the scene add a lovely complementary touch. Great work on the fur colours and colour balance as a whole - a really clean edit.

Valerie Bavegems | @valerie_rusty_luka

The direct eye contact and super engaging head tilt and expression draw the viewer in, and the treatment of the fur colours - great blacks and luminous bronze-like tans - and chocolate-drop eyes reward the viewer for a closer inspection. Lovely high quality work!

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.