Photos of dogs can usually be classified into one of two main categories - portrait, where the dog is still, or action, where the dog is doing something, moving around, often with lots of energy, and at great speed!

But what about the middle ground, the grey area?

What if an image mostly fits into the category of a portrait, but there’s also a suggestion of movement? A step, a paw raise?

Or what if the image can be defined technically as action, but the action is very slow and deliberate, rather than a crazy moment, frozen in time?

We like to call these images “slow action”, and in this challenge, we asked our Emerge challengers to expand on this concept and create their own slow action shot!

Here, in no particular order are our top 10 images, which are absolutely fantastic. Well done to all 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!

Ave Paasuke | Coastal Tails

This is a super sweet, playful and quintessentially puppy-like pose that is impossible not to love! The light is perfect and the moment captured is perfectly timed.

Bonnie Logen

The raise of the paw and splash that resulted give the sense is perfectly captured for this challenge brief. The wide-angle give the subject bags of personality and really engages the viewer.

Camilla Johannessen | Hundefoto.nu

There's a fantastic balance in this image with the trees bracketing the edges of the frame and the centrally placed dog. The moment of motion is well captured and the orange/green colour palette works well.

Dawn McBride | Fuzzy Love Photography

This is just adorable, the motion being in the puppy's tongue is a nice variation on the challenge brief. The colour palette and light work well and we can see all the essential elements in the image which complete the narrative nicely.

Diana Welsh

What a great little story here, a post-beach adventure treat perhaps. This is an image with a less obvious take on the slow motion brief, the motion being in the tongue of course. The composition works well and the direct eye contact is super.

Erica Harvey | Erica Lane Photography

What a strut, this is a pup with confidence. The stride is perfect for the Slow Motion challenge right down to the swish of the tail!

Jennifer Mckinnon | Jennifer McKinnon Photography

The low-in-the-sky full sun hit the dog in just the right way bringing out lots of texture and shine in the coat. The low angle and point in the stride capture the essence of this working breed very well.

Linda Van Oeffelen-Brosens | Jinterwas Photography

Fabulous texture and the almost greyscale palette allow the viewer to engage with the subject and their colourful eyes. The background elements frame the dog nicely and the motion is captured well.

Sherry Glassman | Sherry Glassman

This is lit like these characters are superheroes, and they are, even if one of them is plastic! The paw raised gives a dynamic sense of motion and the humour is wonderful.

Valerie Howes | Wild + Ruff

This is a lovely dog and owner image and the fur of the dog looks fabulous and has tons of texture. Shooting from so low and cropping in fairly tightly really immerses you in the moment.

Emerge is the intermediate 6-month interactive challenge-based dog photography course in our Unleashed Challenges series, focusing on helping you to expand your shooting shot list and learn valuable new skills.

Emerge is open to students who have previously completed the first course in the series, Embark.

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