International Pet Photographer of the Year Awards - Kristen Murray Photography results
Now hosted by Charlotte Reeves and Craig Turner-Bullock of Unleashed Education, the International Pet Photographer of the Year awards is a great way to challenge yourself creatively and gain feedback from the best of the best in our industry.
What I loved about this year’s format is that instead of competing with all the other entries, you’re competing against a set of standards. So basically, yourself.
There were 2299 entries this year from 32 countries. 574 placed Bronze, 519 Silver, 31 Gold, and 2 Platinum
I entered 5 images into the awards, 2 placed Bronze, 1 Silver, and 2 Professional Standard. . . scroll on to read the story behind the portrait, the judge’s feedback, and my thoughts about it.
The story:
This was Cedar’s first camping trip, at 10 weeks old. Across the creek from our campsite, I saw this really cool rock formation jutting out between the ferns and trees. The light was damn near perfect, so I grabbed my camera in one hand, Cedar in the other, crossed the creek and went exploring.
There was the tiniest ledge which was the perfect size for her tiny body to perch on. I, on the other hand, was doing my best to precariously balance myself to get into just the right spot.
Judge’s feedback:
“There is a lovely depth to this image, it was a good choice to include foreground items. The composition is a bit of a problem, the dog is very tight to the left of the frame. and there is too much space above and to the right, cropping down from top right to remove the excess space will really improve the composition.”
“What a lovely expression you've captured on this little dog, and I enjoy the way they appear to be leaning in to peek around the foliage. Overall, the tint appears a touch green, so a small tweak there would help, Because of the sense of peeking around, the tightness on the left of the frame doesn't concern me too much, but it would feel more balanced by reducing the amount on the right, as already mentioned. Overall, this is some good work that could be improved with just a couple of small tweaks.”
My thoughts:
I absolutely love her expression. This was the background on my phone for the longest time. I agree that Cedar is tight to the left, but I kept the crop this way to include the red moss on the top of the rocks above her head, as I liked the way it tied into her fur color. I’m not seeing a green tint, but different monitors may show different colors. (Which is why it’s so important to calibrate your monitor when it comes to printing your portraits.)
The story:
This little precious pup is Newt, captured while we were in Scotland at the Birks of Aberfeldy. I had just fallen down in the river trying to photograph a different dog standing on a rock. I was soaking wet, pretty cold, but when I turned around and saw this tree, my spirits were lifted. I knew I just had to have Newt pose in it. There were a lot of distractions in the background which I had to remove in photoshop, and while I thought I made it look pretty natural, I was dinged by both judges, but still managed to walk away with a Bronze.
Judge’s feedback:
“This image shows good use of composition when choosing a location, the dog is looking engaged and content, with the lighting clearly exposing the dog’s face. The dog’s back foot is looking quit awkward, which catches the eye. There is some masking discrepancies along the dog’s back and ears which is also noticeable. A very well composed portrait, with a few niggles.”
“Pleasing colour palette. This image would benefit from paying closer attention to the masking around the subject, as there are some inconsistencies and a glow, especially around the tail area. Wonderful sharpness in the dog’s eyes.”
My thoughts:
Now that it’s been called out, I can see the masking issue around Newt’s ear. As for the back ‘awkward’ foot, I mean, it’s the position she felt most confident in. Your dog’s comfort and safety are my top priority and if I’m asking them to stand in a tree (mind you this wasn’t even 2 feet off the ground, but still,) I’m going to make sure they are posed in the way they are comfortable, steady, and confident. If that means they have an awkward foot position, then that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.
The story:
We had just finished up a quail and pheasant hunt at Little George Rod and Gun and were heading back from the field. I was putting my camera away when I looked up and saw the sweetest moment unfolding before me. Luna had jumped in the dog box on the Rover and before he shut the door, Darin knelt down to give her some love. The bond between hunter and gun dog is something quite incredible and after all the kisses she gave him, she looked back at the field, longing to continue the hunt.
This is one of my all-time favorite portraits, and I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to replicate it.
Judge’s feedback:
“This dog has a job to do and it is ready to do it, the story in this image is well communicated, as is the care this man has for this animal. A small change to the angle of this image through cropping, to straighten the horizon line, would help lift this wonderful storytelling image further.”
“Looks like a working dog here and a true partnership and something is about to happen. Love that the man's clothing is very complimentary with the Vizsla's coloring. If possible, give the image a little more room to breathe, the crop feels tight. Straighten your vertical and horizontal lines.”
My thoughts:
Oh man, the amount of time I put into the horizon lines in this image and that’s what I got dinged on the most. ha It was a tight crop to begin with (this is how it was shot in camera) and I decided to sacrifice the perfectly straight horizon line to have more of Darin in the image.
And now for the two that didn’t place, but were given “Professional Standard” rating.
The story:
When Poppy’s mom told me just how much she loved water, I knew we were going to have our session at one of my favorite spots in along the James River in Richmond. There’s a protected little creek and when the river is low enough, creates the best place for big water splashes. When I saw this image on the back of my camera, I knew it was something special. To me, Poppy reminds me of a charging lion, but a happy one. Not a killer kitty.
Judge’s feedback:
“The dog has a great expression and the face is nice and sharp. The composition allows space for movement of the dog. Caught just a fraction of a second earlier, the paws might have been more outstretched, meaning the right paw might not have been tucked up quite so much. There are a few distracting white bits of water at the bottom right that could be removed.”
”A dynamic and engaging portrait, the eye contact from the dog is fantastic and unusual with this sort of image. The framing would benefit from the dog being more central, even slightly to the right as the body language is moving this way. Be brave and consider removing some of the water splashes around the back of the dog’s head.”
My thoughts:
I didn’t set out to create this image to win an award. I created it to showcase Poppy’s love of all things water. That being said, I’m not going to lie, I’m a bit bummed this didn’t at least get bronze. But it also goes to show that sometimes a client's favorite (and wallpaper-worthy) image just doesn’t resonate with the judges. While there’s a technical standard we are competing against, judging can also be very subjective. I also love the water splashes, so they’re staying in.
The story:
Another favorite, Cedar’s (deadbeat) dad, Lincoln. This was captured as part of an article for Hunting Dog Confidential magazine. It was also the first time I witnessed Lincoln on birds that weren’t part of a training session. Within 1 and a half minutes of parking the Polaris, Lincoln was frozen on point. I hadn’t even gotten my camera fully out of my bag. His dad, Robb, and I stalked quietly into the field and I had to push away some of the broomsedge just to see him.
Robb walked up beside him, hand gently brushing his side and it was just a perfect moment of peace before the flush.
Judge’s feedback:
“This might be better off in the documentary section, but, of course, still qualifies for the pets and people category as soon as you see the hand. This is an intriguing scene. Very well seen. The monochromatic colours are beautiful. The picture tells a story. With a candid shot like this, of course, we have to settle for some things we can't change. But the leaves hiding parts of the dog's face spoil the image slightly.”
”This is a stunning, storytelling image and a beautiful moment between man and dog. With emotional value like this, I can easily let some technical things go - but - the thing that could elevate this image wildly if you were ever to get the chance to reshoot something similar is: the dog is facing into a thick, very much eye-stopping wall of grasses. If those grasses were as loose and flowing and spaced out as the rest of the grasses in the image - specifically the ones by the dog's face that leave a larger hole to see through - you'd be cooking with gas. Subconsciously, a viewer wants to gaze toward the part of the frame that the subject is looking into, and here, we get slammed to a halt by that hard, straight up and down wall of thick grasses. Still, a very effective and gorgeous moment, and the colors and tones are as close to perfect as you can get.”
My thoughts:
I wholeheartedly agree with the feedback. This image most certainly would have been better suited to the documentary category. Unfortunately, no full edits, as in retouching and removing distractions, were permitted in that category, and I had removed a bulk of the broomsedge around Lincoln’s face so you could see him.
I also agree that the broomsedge on the right is pretty thick. But that’s how it actually was. At the moment, I already felt like Moses, parting the grasses as much as I could just to see Lincoln’s eyes. We would have had to have 3 more assistants to help part the broomsedge in order for it to work.
All in all, I’ll take the props for the things that I could control with this image. (Also, in my top 5 favorites, and definitely a portrait I’d love to recreate with Cedar and I in the field..)
A huge congratulations to the finalists and winners and the biggest thank you to the judges this year. Want to see the overall and category winners?
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