Established in 2019, the International Pet Photography Awards (previously International Pet Photographer of the Year Awards) is the world’s largest pet photography competition. An all-star panel of judges awards images in six categories with cash prizes and trophies, with the overall winner being crowned the International Pet Photographer of the Year.
The winners of the 2024 International Pet Photography Awards have been announced. The Awards celebrate the work of pet photographers from all four corners of the globe, and this year saw 3621 entries from 41 countries.
The header image above is the winner of the Creative category. Photographer Katie Brockman said: "These two are my former foster kittens, Ed (left) and Cleo. They are brother and sister, and I wanted an image that showed both of their personalities — Ed was a spicy and cranky boy, while Cleo was super mischievous and loved harassing her siblings. This image is part of a series I've been working on with "painted" kittens, to show off cats' unique markings and personalities. There was a ton of composite work involved in this one, but it was such a fantastic learning experience."
The 2024 competition also marked the first year for the awards to include an Equine category to recognize photographers specializing in horses and related species. The new category joins five existing categories: Action, Creative, Documentary, Pets & People, and Portrait. This YouTube video collates some of the best images entered.
While images of every imaginable type of pet were entered into the competition, dogs were by far the most popular with 2991 images. There were 236 cats, 311 horses, and 83 other animals, including pigs, cows, chickens, parrots, lizards, snakes, frogs, rabbits, ferrets, a hedgehog, and even a rat!
Each category winner receives a prize of $250 (£200 / AU$385) and a trophy, as well as a year’s membership to Unleashed Education and the Professional Photography Business Network. The overall 2024 Pet Photographer of the Year winner receives $500 (£400 / AU$770).
Regine Jensen took the trophy for the Action category, commenting: "The image was taken at a sand excavation site in Norway. While my vision was initially to photograph in the Sahara, I had to get creative and find a local spot that could replicate the sandy, warm atmosphere I envisioned. I had an assistant holding a long fabric strip to create a sense of elegance while a whippet, my model, trotted gracefully toward its owner. I took countless shots to achieve the perfect alignment, and afterward, I stitched several images together to create the panoramic effect."
Rebecca Williams was crowned winner of the Documentary category, saying: "An early morning bringing weaned lambs into the yards. The New Zealand Huntaway works the lambs by barking to move them up. There was plenty of action in this shot, the horses had come over for a look and the sun was just breaking through the clouds. With the long shadows and the light rays, the image seemed to work well in black and white. I often try to get images when the dogs are working a mob, sometimes it's all a blur, but this time it all came together!"
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The new Equine category was won by Sabrina Einig, who stated: "Meet Friso, a remarkable and gentle seven-year-old Friesian stallion with a heart of gold. He truly embodies the spirit and strength that remind me of the deep inspiration horses offer us every day. Despite his calm demeanor, he showed incredible energy and grace, bringing such powerful emotion to this moment. For safety reasons, Friso wasn’t entirely free during this session – he ran with a long rope that I later edited out."
Pets and People was won by Kerry Martin, who offered the following: "Photographed at New Farm, Brisbane. There's a great little spot there with a staircase that overlooks this quirky structure that feels like a room/house to me. The subject is Amelia and this is her gorgeous and amazing assistance dog Mr Darcy. Mr Darcy works in the classroom with Amelia. While the kids love him (he has his own ID pass and gets more Christmas gifts than any other member of staff!), he's not there as an assistance dog for the students. He's there to give Amelia independence and support in her role as a teacher."
On winning the Portrait category, Anna Failner said: "The photo was taken in a nearby forest (Veldensteiner Forst) on a foggy morning in August when the sun was slowly rising. The dog in the photo is my golden retriever girl Tala. I am so happy and thankful to be a finalist. I never expected this wonderful surprise!"
But there can only be one winner, and Janneke De Graaf was crowned the 2024 International Pet Photographer of the Year with a portfolio of images depicting her Basenjis. “My partner and I have four at home, three of which are bred by ourselves” Janneke says. Posed in different locations, the judges were impressed with the variety of techniques used in Janneke’s portfolio. Janneke continues “Basenjis have a beautiful, quite serious expression and elegant lines, which makes them stand out in images. Their obedience, or lack thereof, can make them challenging to pose though, and a handler is almost always needed!”
Fancy a laugh? Check out the winners of the Comedy Pet Awards and finalists of the Comedy Wildlife Awards. And if you want to be in with a chance in next year's competition, see out guide on how to take pet portraits
