Side light can be difficult to get to grips with, but there are ways to use this direction of light to create images with huge impact.

There is impact aplenty with this weeks top 10 for the second challenge of Empower, On the Side.

Huge congratulations to the photographers who made it this week, what an incredible, emotive and inspiring set of images.

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!

Angela Schneider | Big White Dog Photography

The expression immediately captures the viewer's attention here, it's gorgeous! The dog feels like it really belongs in this scene, both in colour and in comfort.

Beatrix Szekelyi

When you look at this image, dog sniffing the air, grasses flowing in the same direction as the light falls, you can almost feel the breeze. The darker areas top and bottom right form an arrow-like shape that also adds to the flow, but frames the subject too.

Carol Mudra | Apawture Studios

This is a wonderful image with excellent use of side light, colour and visual design to bring interest to the composition while maintaining focus on the gorgeous subject!

Connie Passejna

Excellent posing and expression make this side-lit studio portrait shine. The simplicity is this image's biggest strength.

Helen Green | Helen Green Photography

Dark, contrasty and dramatic - that is one of the traits of side-light that can be used to a photographers advantage. Here is has been done with mastery in the studio. The detail is excellent and the viewers attention gots straight to that beautiful eye.

Jackie Searies | Photos By Jackie.S

The graphic shape of the kittens pose and the shadow play seen in this images are wonderful and help guide the eye in all the right ways. A fantastic use of side-light..

Juliette Bercovici | Juliette Bercovici

Yes, light from the fridge when getting those midnight snacks is still sidelight! A clever, captivating image that works beautifully for this brief.

Lisa Hanley | Odd Quad Photography

The warm end (or beginning) of day light is falling beautifully on the subject to emphasise the profile. The low angle, camera almost in the water really draws you in.

Rebecca Labs

Twilight provides a soft, directional side light in this image. The pose and expression of the subject, framed nicely by the clouds and water, looking off into that warm glow makes for a well crafted composition.

Yvonne Jansen | BlissfulTails

This dramatic use of sidelight somehow captures the intensity of a working breed. The dog is posed well and the light has been used with a clear intention and outcome in mind.

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.