For our 9th challenge of Empower, we were joined by special guest instructor An Di Prima of The Faithful Hound Photography. Andi is an accomplished portrait photographer based in Scotland and was the winner of the documentary category in the 2023 International Pet Photography Awards.

So naturally, Andi was out guest instructor for the Dogumentary challenge.

Highlighting storytelling images that have been created using traditional photographic processes with no heavy editing and no composite techniques. Capturing something in-camera that speaks to the photographer.

We were completely blown away by this challenge. It's a style of photography not often seen in the pet photography space and our challengers really embraced this theme.

Here are our top 10 images for this challenge. We invite you to sit with them for a while and read the beautifully told stories contained within these frames. Congratulations to our photographers for creating this heartfelt and captivating 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!

Beatrix Szekelyi | @pawtion.dogphotography

We dare any dog owner to say they don't relate to this! The position of ownership of the dog on the owner's legs is something we've all experienced, and the unique angle, black and white treatment, and framing on the dog with those giant feet all work well to tell this story.

Clarice Olayvar | R Olayvar Photography

Some stories are subtle, whereas others work better by being blatantly spelled out - and this is the latter! There's no mistaking the situation here and it effectively tugs on the heart strings through the black and white treatment and the expression in that direct gaze through the bars. Great storytelling.

Ginger Wick | Ginger Wick Photography

That perfect nose-to-nose touch immediately creates a connection between these two subjects. Little visual clues tell us this is happening at a dog show, which adds even more context to the interaction. Good timing and powers of observation made this happen - nice work!

Helene Caraux | Digression Photo

A relatable situation that most of us as dog owners have been in - the visit to the treat shop! The story is so clear in this, there's a touch of humour, and the black and white treatment works perfectly to deal with a busy scene. What a great image!

Jackie Searies | Photos By Jackie.S

The slight smirk of satisfaction on the top dog's face is perfectly supported by the just-won ribbon - that's the story we went with anyway! Some great details have been included here to give an accurate representation of the dog showing world, well done.

Jannene Meyer | Jannene Meyer Photography

A descriptive image that tells a story we can all relate to - "please have a drink mate, it's a hot day!". The moment is captured not only with the perfect timing to tel the story, but beautiful presented through the angle, lighting and location. Awesome work.

Lisa Hanley | Odd Quad Photography

Not only dos this tell a clear and interesting story, the moment that's been captured is a sweet one - with the dog being checked on by the airline worker. Great use of leading lines and everything that's been included helps with the storytelling, nice work.

Liz Dranow | TimePunk Pet Photography

We all agreed that this is one of the best surgery photos we have seen. Excellent focus on the surgery, great use of light and effective framing by the surgeon's arms. Seeing her face as she concentrates on the job was a bonus!

Rebecca Labs

This image feels like one captured in an earlier age, from the editing treatment to the clothing of the subjects. A unique top-down perspective on the scene enables the viewer to fully appreciate the moment, with exactly the right elements included to tell the story. Lovely work.

Tanya Honkanen | Dog Letters From NYC

The position of the dog's body is the most engaging and prominent aspect of this image, but it's the small details that help tell the rest of the story. Great work on not only capturing a strong moment, but also including enough of the surroundings to make the story clear.

Empower is the advanced 6-month interactive challenge-based dog photography course in our Unleashed Challenges series, investing you with the power to refine your creativity and explore new horizons in dog photography.

Empower is open to students who have previously completed the first and second courses in the series, Embark and Emerge.

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