For the first challenge in our Embark course, we tasked our challengers to find areas of bold colour. We wanted to start with something simple and fun. Shooting against the coloured building, wall or other coloured object can be a great way to convey personality or focus the viewers' attention on a dog's physical features, in an otherwise distracting outdoor environment. 

Using a single bold colour or multiple harmonious colours, or top 10 images for this challenge really nailed the challenge brief, with added quirkiness, personality and emotion.

Here, in no particular order, are our top 10 Colouriffic images.

Charlotte & Craig 🐶 📸 ✨

Abi Bradbury | Abi B Photography

Autumn tones create the perfect natural bold colour palette and we loved how the Dalmatian stands out so well in the scene, with perfect composition.

Carol Mudra | Apawture Studios

There's nothing cheesy about this cleverly executed image - from the expression and storytelling to the clever use of coloured gels - it exudes creativity and fun!

Kate Maxwell | Kate Maxwell Photography

We were instantly drawn in to this image through the dog's fun, quirky expression! The tight crop and textured background are a great example of how to break the rules in the best way possible.

Laurie Vermiere 

The location, the dog's expression, the richness of the colours and the image quality and sharpness all contribute to the success of this image. Beautiful work!

Melissa Mattingly 

A fun image with some great storytelling techniques used along with clever colour tie-ins throughout the image. Well done!

Polona Železnikar

The deadpan expression of this dog are juxtaposed with the fun, rule-breaker crop and bright cheerful coloured background. Nicely done!

Silje Ask | Wyldwood Photography

The centered composition and direct eye contact are complimented by the super shallow depth of filed and subtle vignette to create a classic, balanced image.

Tania Mackie | Tania Mackie Photography

This image immediately gave us a nautical feel, with the wave-like colours and shapes in the background and the windswept look of the dog. Great storytelling!

Val Head | Val Head Photography

We loved the quirky angles in this shot and how the dog is totally enveloped in the blue. Great expression and sharp focus is the icing on the cake!

Wendy Abbey 

A fantastically engaged expression and that slight quirk of the ears combine with clever composition and the boldness of the pink and purple in this fantastic image.

Are you ready to transform your pet photography in just 6 months?

The Unleashed Challenges are a series of 3 interactive challenge based courses, Embark, Emerge and Empower. Each one with 12 challenges running over 6 months. 

Much more than just a challenge, Then Unleashed challenges are an invaluable educational resource that will help you build up a go-to list of shots to help create variety in your work. Designed for anyone to be able to complete whether you just want to photograph your own dog or you are a professional pet photographer.

If you'd like to know more, head over here to register your interest.