For many of us pet ownership is a big part of our modern urbanised life. It's become commonplace to see pets out and about in cities and suburbs. Incorporating interesting architecture can add a sense of time and place to our images resulting in more meaningful and widely appreciated art that your clients will love to share.

For the City Slicker challenge, we sent our Embark students out to photograph pets in urban locations, making sure images had a sense of place, but that the location did not become the primary subject of the image, the dog/pet was still to be the star of the show.

We had a fantastic standard of submissions, clearly demonstrating that our challengers are growing from their fortnightly submissions and feedback on their images. So a special congratulations to those who made the top 10 this week.

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!

Camilla Johannessen | Hundefoto.nu

Such a cool location, with the rusty stairs matched beautifully to the tones of the subject. The subject has ample space, and the light at the top of the stairs leads the viewer upwards. Lovely work.

Dawn McBride | Fuzzy Love Photography

The staircases and railings lend a rather Escher-esque feel to this. The dog has an engaging expression and is perfectly positioned, with fantastic colour harmony throughout.

Erica Harvey | Erica Lane Photography

Lovely use of ambient light blended with additional subject lighting, giving the image a gentle glow. The location has loads of character and the centred pose works beautifully — those bokeh trails radiating behind almost look like wings, adding a magical touch.

Jordyn Bobo | Golden Atlas Photography

A super engaging pose and expression makes the dog stand out against all the crazy busyness of the mirrors. We especially love the cubist look the mirrors provide to the dog's reflection!

Kelly Munce | Heart Dogs

A unique take on the theme, this cat feels simultaneously like a street cat and a pampered puss with its shiny coat and glamorous lighting (while waiting for scraps from a local fisherman). Great story!

Linda Van Oeffelen-Brosens | Jinterwas photography

The interaction between this dog and their reflection make this image especially engaging. The tones of the image have been beautifully handled and are harmonious. Well done!

Melissa Rodewald | Melissa Rodewald Photography

Bold primary colours complement this bold storytelling image. All the elements work together beautifully and the dog's eyes... we certainly felt carefully watched in return while viewing this image.

Roxanne Gura | The Whimsical Leash

Lovely engaged expression with a head tilt to top it off! The dog is perfectly positioned between the waterfalls – great use of the location. Well done!

Shelly Cavallaro | Wherever the Nose Goes 

Excellent colour harmony between subject and scene gives this image a polished feel. It feels simple, but that's just because all the elements work together perfectly. Beautiful pose!

Sherry Glassman | Sherry Glassman

This image is unique – we've never seen anything quite like it before! It has a high fashion feel while also feeling documentary style and the black and white treatment suit it perfectly. And... that plane? Amazing!

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.