Using off camera flash has become very popular in the pet photography space, thanks largely to the popularity of Dog Breath Photography’s vibrant wide angle style.

But there are so many other ways to use lighting to create a unique looking image without replicating this well-known look.

Using artificial lighting can open up a whole new world of possibilities, allowing you to work throughout the day when the light isn’t flattering when only using natural light, and further into the night.

For the 7th challenge of Empower, Light It Up, we tasked our challengers to use artificial light to illuminate their subjects or the scene.

This challenge really pushed everyone out of their comfort zones and thinking of some fantastic outside-the-box solutions too. It was a lot of fun providing feedback to each person who submitted an image for this challenge.

These are our top 10 images for the Light it Up challenge. 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!

Beatrix Szekelyi | @pawtion.dogphotography

The artificial light and ambient light have been balanced beautifully to give this a 'barely lit' look. However, without the light, the face would not have as much texture and detail. The composition works nicely to lead the eye in.

Carol Mudra | Apawture Studios

What a fascinating idea, and executed so well. Definitely outside the box for the Light It Up challenge! The dog is posed so statuesquely the direction of the lamplight brings out lots of tone and texture in the fur. What a quirky shot!

Gabriela Ciobanu | LightStories

This kitty looks like it's heading out for a night on the town! The moment is captured and lit nicely and the light fall-off adds some drama.

Ginger Wick | Ginger Wick Photography

This is a concept that is familiar, yet presented in a new way. We have not seen it done with a pile of dog beds before. The two subjects look pretty content with the hierarchy! It's nicely lit, harmonious and we could let our eyes wander between the dogs' expressions and the textures of the bedding for a while, discovering all the detail.

Helen Daniels | Not Just A Dog Photography

This is such an interesting image, and a fantastic use of the fairy lights. The more you look at this image, the more detail is revealed. The warmth of the light is really nice too.

Jackie Searies | Photos By Jackie.S

Fabulous colour harmony and the lights have brought out lots of texture and shape in the dog's face. The direct eye contact draws you in and commands attention.

Jannene Meyer | Jannene Meyer Photography

Beautifully lit, with the balance of ambient light making the twilight sky look quite dramatic. The dog's expressions really shine.

Jo Lyons | Jo Lyons Photography

The expression of this dog is captivating. Nicely lit with lots of detail retained in the highlights and an edit completed with lots of attention to detail.

Juliette Bercovici | Juliette Bercovici

What a cheeky little sausage thief! Caught red-handed. What a fun story and a super creative way of using lights for this challenge.

Liz Dranow | TimePunk Pet Photography

This dog could not have been placed in a more perfect location. The similarity between their coat and the rock is fascinating. It's been lit beautifully and captured at a time of day that adds to the feeling of serenity created by the pose and expression of the dog.

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.