When we started the Unleashed Challenges four years ago, we had no idea how they would grow into courses that would help over 500 pet photographers around the world (so far) improve their craft and gain new skills. It has been one of the most rewarding aspects of running Unleashed Education. So with the three challenge courses now released, we thought it was time to give the wider community a taste of the Unleashed Challenges.

Armed with a brand new challenge, Four on the Floor, complete with video lessons, bonus tips, downloadable cheatsheets and feedback, we wanted to give our community a feel for the challenge experience. It seems like so many of you were keen to get in on the action and enjoyed shooting to a brief!

Four on the Floor is quite simple: we want to see a dog (or other pet) in a standing pose, with a great expression.

It blows us away that so many people put themselves out there to be critiqued - your commitment to improving your craft is inspiring. If you submitted an image for the challenge, go get yourself a treat, you deserve it!

We separated students enrolling in this free challenge into two groups: people who had never participated in an Unleashed Challenge course before, and people who had. So naturally, we had to select two Top 10's as well! Here are both sets of Top 10 images, in no particular order.

- Craig & Charlotte 📸 🐶 ✨

These are the top 10 images from people who are brand new to the challenges, our Newcomers...

📸 Cassidy Clendenning

The dramatic light and sky make this a very immersive portrait. The posing is excellent, with the dog in a great stance.

📸 Jordyn Bobo

A beautiful, soft and warm image that is very inviting. The dog’s stance is excellent and enhanced by their alertness.

📸 Nadine Eng

This image feels very serene - the dog’s pose, the shallow depth of field, and the subdued colour palette all contribute to that mood.

📸 Vera Faupel

Beautifully posed, and the dog has a great expression. The environment helps tell a bit more of a story.

📸 Jessica Carlson

Excellent stance and expression on this Vizsla. The location is interesting and has been used to great effect to frame the subject.

📸 Leticia

The high-contrast full sun makes for a punchy, textural image. The dog is posed beautifully and the composition is very successful.

📸 Shelly Linehan

What a wonderful, soft portrait of this standing dog. Great textures in the fur and softness in the pastel twilight sky.

📸 Jordana Pickering

The light on this dog is really beautiful and brings out the detail in their fur. The quirky angle of the pose adds personality.

📸 Linda Van Oeffelen-Brosens

This is posed wonderfully and the light is stunning. The added heart-shaped foliage adds a touch of magic and an element of interaction for the dog.

📸 Silvia

A warm and inviting image with the sole focus on the dog. The low angle really brings you into the dog’s world.

Congratulations to you all, what fantastic work!

Next up, our top 10 from those who have participated in any of our challenge courses – our Veterans.

📸 Chantal Levesque

What a beautifully crafted image - gorgeous lighting, excellent pose, and a great example of choosing a breed that suits the mood and story.

📸 Florence Araujo

Bags of texture, beautiful rim light, and a great stand and expression. The dappled warmth in the background is a lovely touch that mirrors the texture and colour in the dog’s fur.

📸 Kim Hollis

Business in the front, party in the back! This is a simple but very effective image - the lights add texture and the little swish of motion blur in the tail shows what a happy dog this is!

📸 Yvonne Van Leeuwen

A really atmospheric image, with the sunrise casting warm light on the dog and the foggy background adding mystery. The symmetry works really well with this pose.

📸 Christel Wellens

The mastery of craft in this image makes it look effortless! Posing, light, low angle, and composition all work together in harmony to create a fabulous, engaging portrait.

📸 Gabriela Ciobanu

A fantastic, creative take on the challenge brief. The rim light is perfect and immediately tells you not only that we’re looking at a dog, but what kind of dog! The complete outline in the shadow is a lovely detail that rewards the viewer.

📸 Lindsay Baca

Gorgeous time of day. Placing a dark subject on a dark background is risky, but thanks to the light and fur texture, the dog is clearly the happy hero.

📸 Desiree Nickerson

Stunning posing that shows off all the best features of this dog. The pose also works beautifully to accentuate the off-centre placement of the railings.

📸 Julie Cork

What fantastic posing! The line from the tip of the tail to the dog’s head flows beautifully. A lovely muted colour palette and a great use of a low angle.

📸 Rachel McCready

This dog is perfect in the location - a queen of the chessboard! The hedges add an Alice in Wonderland vibe, and the pose and expression are both excellent.

📸 Barb Thrall

The dog has a strong stance, a great expression and stands out beautifully against the overcast sky, despite being a similar colour – fantastic editing!

Once again congratulations to all our Top 10 challengers, gorgeous work!

If you think the Unleashed Challenges look like a fun way to learn more pet photography skills – you’d be right!

Enrolment in Embark, the first of our three Unleashed Challenge courses, is open now until 30th April, 2025. Find out the details and enrol here.