Best doggone photos from the Kennel Club Dog Photographer of the Year competition.
Belly rubs, face licks, ear scratches, and couch cuddles — we love our four-legged friends almost as much as our human ones. Dogs are our loyal, loving, and energetic best friends who are always there to shake their little tails when we get home from a long day of work or goad us into going outside for walks even when we just want to sit. Our pooches are good for the soul.
In honor of our canine pals, SmugMug joins forces with the Kennel Club each spring to sponsor and help judge the annual Dog Photographer of the Year (DPOTY) competition.
The submissions for the 11th annual DPOTY competition were as heartwarming and squee-inducing as you could imagine, and we are happy to present you with this year’s winners. We had three winners in each of our ten categories, plus one overall winner. Each of the winning photographs will be displayed at the Kennel Club Art Gallery in Mayfair, London, and the photographers each receive a free year of SmugMug. For more on the prizes, rules, and categories, visit the Kennel Club website, and make sure to follow us on Twitter or Facebook so you don’t miss out on next year’s competition.
Without further ado: the 2017 winners of the DPOTY competition.
Young Pup Photographer
A new category for beginner dog photographers aged 11 years and younger.
I Love Dogs Because…
Category for young photographers aged 12–17 years to show why they love dogs.
Puppies
Exclusive to only puppy dogs that are under six months of age.
Dog Portrait
The dog must be the main subject in the photo, whether it’s shot in a studio or out.
Oldies
A category devoted to highlighting our senior dogs who are getting on in years. The subjects must be eight years or older.
Rescue Dogs
A charity category that shows rescue dogs in a positive context. The winner gets to choose a rescue dog charity to which to donate £500 from the Kennel Club Charitable Trust.
Dogs at Work
Devoted to the working dogs performing tasks like retrieving, herding, rescuing, etc.
Dogs at Play
For the playful dogs of the world, this category is about showing dogs happy, healthy, and playing.
Assistance Dog
A charity category for our service dogs who are trained to aid or assist individuals with disabilities. The winner gets to choose an assistance dog charity to which to donate £500 from the Kennel Club Charitable Trust.
Man’s Best Friend
Photos in this category focus on that special bond and companionship between people and dogs.
Overall Winner
Congratulations to this year’s winners and thank you to all who submitted to DPOTY. We’re already looking forward to seeing next year’s submissions.
