Every year, the Kennel Club holds a photographic competition for dog enthusiasts all over the world. Professional and amateur photographers alike submit their photos to the prestigious event, and now in its tenth year, the 2015 competition received almost 13,000 entries from a staggering 90 different countries!
“The entries for this year’s Dog Photographer of the Year competition were some of the best we have ever seen,” said Rosemary Smart, Kennel CLub Chief Executive. “Each of the winning photographers beautifully captured the essence of their canine subjects on camera, demonstrating how important dogs are to us in every walk of life.”
When you see the images, I’m sure you’ll agree all the photographers are very talented and show off the dogs in the best possible light! And be sure to check out future years’ winners in the links at the end of this article.
Anastasia Vetkovskaya was selected as the overall winner of the competition with an image of Sheldon the English Springer Spaniel entering the water early one morning. The image initially won the ‘Dogs at Work’ category.
Dogs At Work 1st Place © Anastasia Vetkovskaya/The Kennel Club
Anastasia said of her win, “I have loved animals from an early age, which is why I went to Moscow Veterinary Academy and became a veterinary surgeon in 2007. She says that she’s inspired most by her horses and dogs. “This particular image was taken during dog training one early autumn morning,” she said. “The dog, Lordsett Just One Look (Sheldon), belongs to a friend and often becomes my model.”
Tom Lowe from North Tyneside won the ‘Dogs at Play’ category with a photo of Baxter, his pet Westie, emerging from Loch Lomond.
Dogs at Play 1st Place © Tom Lowe /The Kennel Club.
Linda Storm from Colorado won the ‘Puppy’ category with an adorable image of a rescue puppy enjoying a bowl of milk.
Puppy 1st Place © Linda Storm/The Kennel Club
Jamie Morgan from Maidstone won the ‘Dog Portrait’ category with a stunning image of two Afghan Hounds against an idyllic backdrop.
Portrait 1st Place ©Jamie Morgan/The Kennel Club
Fiona Sami from Bristol won the ‘Man’s Best Friend’ category with an understated photograph of a man and his dog travelling by train.
Mans Best Friend 1st Place © Fiona Sami/The Kennel Club
Under 18s’ category ‘I Love Dogs Because…’ winner was 16 year-old Jade Hudson from Lincolnshire. She took this photo of Labrador Retriever Hugo with her iPad mini. Jade’s mum says her daughter has “a real gift with taking photos.”
I Love Dogs Because 1st Place © Jade Hudson/The Kennel Club
Kevin Smith from Worcestershire won the new category ‘Oldies’ with a portrait of 12-year-old mixed breed, Lizzie.
Oldies 1st Place © Kevin Smith/The Kennel Club
The winner of the ‘Assistance Dogs and Dog Charities’ category was Michael Higginson from Preston, Lancashire, who took a relaxed photograph of his brother Dale with family pet, Esta. Speaking about his win, Michael said: “I was pretty surprised when I got the call. It’s an honour to be able to show the world what a difference a dog can make to someone else’s life.”
Assistant Dog Dog Charity 1st Place – © Michael Higginson / The Kennel Club
And here are the 2nd and 3rd place winners from the separate categories.
Dogs At Work 2nd Place ©Robert James Dray/The Kennel Club
Dogs At Work 3rd Place © Kristi Oikawa/The Kennel Club
Dogs at Play 2nd Place © Elouise Leland/The Kennel Club
Dogs at Play 3rd Place © Daniel Nygaard/The Kennel Club
I Love Dogs Because 2nd Place © Advait Huggahalli/The Kennel Club
I Love Dogs Because 3rd Place © Jasmine Ottley/The Kennel Club
Mans Best Friend 2nd Place © Bruce Lehman/The Kennel Club
“Man’s best friend.” Taken in Paris, France.
Mans Best Friend 3rd Place © Polina Ulyanova/The Kennel Club
A 10-year-old Irish Setter resting on the arm chair.
Oldies 2nd Place © Adriana Bernal/The Kennel Club
Two old labradors sitting on a hill.
Oldies 3rd Place © Jonathan Yearsley/The Kennel Club
Portrait 2nd Place ©Andrey Ershov/The Kennel Club
Portrait 3rd Place © Rogerio Araujo/The Kennel Club
Puppy 2nd Place © Cat Race/The Kennel Club
Puppy 3rd Place © Monika Madi/The Kennel Club
Diana Andersen has photographed this lady and her assistance dog a few times. The woman has had her dog for a few years now and now “can’t live without him.”
Assistant Dog Dog Charity 2nd Place © Diana Andersen/The Kennel Club
Finn is a certified therapy dog through Therapy Dogs International. He visits hospitals and nursing homes to comfort those in need of comforting. This photo was taken in a nursing home in VA.
Assistant Dog Dog Charity 3rd Place © Ed Felker/The Kennel Club
All photographs published on Reshareworthy.com with the permission of the Kennel Club.
Visit www.dogphotographeroftheyear.org.uk to find out more about this annual competition and click here to see the 2014 winners! Click here to see the winners of 2017’s competition!
The Kennel Club is the UK’s largest organization dedicated to protecting and promoting the health and welfare of dogs. To find out more about the Kennel Club visit their website and on Facebook and Twitter.
Share these wonderful photographs with your family, friends and the dog lovers you know!
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