The Product Placement challenge is the fourth and final challenge of Empower where we are joined by special guest instructors. Who better to lead this challenge than the masters of commercial pet photography, Nat and Bill from The Labs and Co!

In this challenge our goal was to familiarise our challengers with the techniques and skills they need to become more comfortable with photographing pets and a product together in a natural way, and learning to create images ideally suited for commercial use.

We had a great variety of images submitted and we think it's fair to say our challengers enjoyed conjuring a client brief to shoot for during this one.

Here are our top 10 images, well done to the photographers.

- Charlotte & Craig 🐶 📸 ✨

Chantal Levesque | Chantal Levesque Photo

This shot has immediate impact through the use of colour against the darkness, and the matching clothing of the handler. The product is presented in-use and the inclusion of the puddle to create a reflection provides not only extra space for copy, but added interest. A striking image!

Diane Gollowitzer | Dogs in Focus Photography

The matching oranges are an excellent choice to help the product stand out in this otherwise cold feeling scene. The dog coat is nicely displayed through the 3/4 pose of the dog.

Iris Van Velzen | Iris van Velzen Fotografie

There's plenty of softly focused negative space to use for copy in this versatile image created through the composition and crop. The dog's expression is perfect and the blue of the product stands out appropriately. A lovely clean shot!

Kelly Pettitt | Kelly Pettitt Photography | Speed Noodle Studio

The model and product have been well-matched in this image and the pose shows off the features of the coat nicely. The scene also feels appropriately cold, and there's plenty of versatile copy space included too. Great work.

Keri Nakahashi | Keri Nakahashi Photography

The brightness and cleanliness of the scene lends itself well to a commercial style, and the dog's focus on the product and connection with the person gives a personal feel. Nicely done!

Kim Hollis | BARKography

The cuteness factor elicited an immediate emotional response from us, which bodes well for its commercial appeal. There's some good copy space included, and the product is clearly displayed with the logo visible as an added bonus.

Lindsay Baca | Lindsay Baca Photography

A pristinely presented lifestyle image with immense commercial appeal, this shot has been well composed to include plenty of copy space. The moment is nicely timed and feels like a natural, everyday interaction. A very aspirational shot!

Lisbeth Ganer | LisGanerArt

This kind of image would work well to break the stigma around this product, with the dogs appearing super relaxed in what looked to be a potentially busy environment. The two different product variations and colour are well highlighted to give the products a fashionable, aspirational feel.

Magda Szklarska | Your Best Furiend Photography

This gorgeous product shot has an unmistakable high-fashion feel. The matching of textures between the dog's coat and the persons, the way they fit together so beautifully, all tied in to that fabulous, arresting expression. The background gives a sense of place, without being overly distracting, and continues the fashionable city feel.

Sandra Mccarthy | Sandra McCarthy Photography

There's a lot to love about this image! The product's use is displayed well, the dog looks relaxed, and the inclusion of the bag is a nice touch. The dog and human models have been well chosen to match the look and feel of the scene and product type.

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.