Emerge is back for 2023, we're very excited to be back with a new set of students in the second in the series of Unleashed Challenges.

This week we're looking at Framing. Framing your subject is a fantastic, no-mistaking way to bring attention straight to your subject. At the same time, framing allows you to introduce extra eye candy to the image in the form of colour, texture and an impression of place and purpose. You can frame your subject in so many ways by using items in the foreground or background, nature or urban settings, doorways, foliage - the options are endless!

Our first set of submissions blew us away and have really set the standard for the coming 11 challenges. It wasn't easy picking, but these are, in no particular order, our top 10 images from this challenge. Huge congratulations to the photographers!

We'll be back again in 2 weeks with the results of the next challenge, Spaced Out.

Charlotte & Craig 🐶 📸 ✨

Allison Schwickerath | Allison Mae Photography

Fantastic framing, gorgeous fluffy puppy with a lovely expression framed wonderfully in the centre, soft colours, a great shot that fits this challenge brief brilliantly.

Anna Dernsjö | Anna Karin Dernsjö Photography

What a fun take on this challenge, the dog being framed wonderfully by the skis, the pole adds a nice stopper to the right of the frame and allows the negative space to give the direction of the dog's gaze to look into. 

Blue Amrich | Beyond the Fence

Fantastic colour harmony and there are many frames within the frames that make lovely little vignettes in this image as well. 

Christel Wellens | Fotografie Christel Wellens

A fantastic example of finding frames in nature, and the power of triangles in a composition. the line of the tree perfectly aligns with the dog's back. and there's a lovely soft colour palette as well.

Heidi Adler | Heidi Adler Photography

This dog appearing from the perfect circle of darkness is perfectly on brief for the Framed challenge. The colours work really nicely together and the texture of the rock face is interesting and otherworldly without being distracting.

Helen Green | Helen Green Photography

There's a really emotive quality to this, the expression is beautiful. The darker vignette and black and white treatment emphasise the natural frame.

Hope Kuo

There is so much to see in this image yet the dog is still the focal point. It has a wonderful sense of place, beautifully framed between the rocks and the pose is really striking.

Liliya Brenner | Lily Raven Photography

A gorgeous soft colour palette and this quirky little dog seems perfectly placed off-centre, yet the image still feels balanced due to the way the circles are spaced.

Magda Szklarska | Your Best Furiend Photography

The light and shade in this are really striking. Beautiful colour harmony, great expression and pose. All contained in the frame of the archway. 

Stephanie Dalman | Boxers and Beer

Frames and leading lines in one! Plus a gorgeous complimentary colour harmony and a perfectly placed pooch! 

Emerge is the second series in our Unleashed Challenge courses and is made up of 12 challenges over 6 months. It’s open to anyone who has completed our first course in the series, Embark.

So much more than just a challenge, the 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 and we'll send you all the details when enrolment for Embark next opens in April 2023.