When photographer and visual artist Callie Soden (US) crafted the composite scene of her dog praying at an altar, she may well have envisioned the canine pleading with God for her to win the 2026 International Pet Photography Awards. Well, it seems like these prayers were answered as, over the weekend, Soden was crowned this year’s competition queen.
Announced at the Zoom finalists ceremony on Saturday 01 August, Soden was made International Pet Photographer of the Year 2026 thanks to her series of five doggy depictions, which also included an atmospheric scene of her howling pet on a rocky beach, that won the “Creative” and “Studio” categories.
The eighth installment of the competition – which accepts standard as well as composite imagery, predominantly of dogs, cats, and horses – received a record 4,220 entries from 48 countries spread across 12 categories.
In the “Commissioned Portfolio” category, Canadian photographer Shandess Griffin placed first with her cinematic series of a golden retriever on a scenic stroll in the magnificent British Columbia backcountry.
And German photographer Linda Glomb won the “Action” category for her excellently composed image of a jumping dog almost standing straight in the air, mirroring the stone building support columns in the background.
Laura Brockhoff from Austria won the “Equine Portrait” category with a documentary-style black-and-white scene of a curious horse interacting with an old US police car parked next to its field. Over in the “Feline Portrait” category, Australia’s Belinda Richards took first place with a seemingly mischievous cat poking its cute white head through a hole in the wall.
All category winners took home US$250 (£185 / AU$357), a trophy, certificate, plus a one-year membership to professional photography networks. As the 2026 International Pet Photographer of the Year, Callie Soden won an additional $500 (£370 / AU$715). If I were her, I'd have my dog back at the church altar howling the Lord’s praise in no time.
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