Winners of 2023 International Pet Photography Awards Capture the Souls of Our Furry Friends

Portrait of a dog posed in front of wood logs

Photo © Sanna Sander. Winner, International Pet Photographer of the Year and Winner, Portraits.

Pet photographers from 32 different countries entered their best images of dogs, cats, horses, and more to the 2023 International Pet Photographer of the Year contest. Hosted by dog photography platform Unleashed Education, the winners were revealed during Shutterhound, the world's first specialist dog photography conference.

Swedish photographer Sanna Sander took home the title of International Pet Photographer of the Year for her strong portfolio of images. Sander's stunning dog photography went through a rigorous blind judging process by top professionals in the field, including Belinda Richards, who teaches My Modern Met Academy's introductory pet photography course.

In addition to Sander winning the overall competition, top photographers were named in five different categories—Portrait, Action, Pets and People, Documentary, and Creative. Collectively, the nearly 2,300 photographs submitted show the wide range of ways that photographs capture the personality of our pets. And while most of the entries where photographs of dogs, cats, and horses, a myriad of other pets were also on display. This includes pigs, chickens, lizards, rabbits, cows, hamsters, and snakes.

Check out all of the winning images, as well as some of our favorite finalists. They're sure to get your creative juices flowing when it comes to capturing the personality of your pet.

Here are the winners of the 2023 International Pet Photographer of the Year awards.

Small dog running through the snow.

Photo © Sanna Sander. Winner, International Pet Photographer of the Year.

White horse bucking in the snow

Photo © Sara Glawe. Winner, Action.

Creative portrait of a black dog

Photo © Padraig Maguire. Winner, Creative.

Rescue dog being hugged

Photo © An Di Prima. Winner, Documentary.

Man and his dog

Photo © Alicja Zmyslowska. Winner, Pets and People.

Creative pet photography by Belinda Richards

Photo © Belinda Richards. Creative, Finalist.

Portrait of a dog's wrinkly face

Photo © Adam Coish. Finalist, Portrait.

Woman in a red dress with her horse

Photo © Renate Zuidema. Finalist, Pets and People.

Cat with a ball of yarn

Photo © David Macias. Finalist, Action.

White horse in the snow

Photo © Merlin Viir. Finalist, Portrait.

Creative portrait of a black dog

Photo © Jaydene Chapman. Finalist, Creative.

Dog leaping through the water.

Photo © Karin Bruhin. Finalist, Action.

Dog Against the Northern Lights

Photo © Saskia Rosebrock. Finalist, Creative.

Border collie about the herd sheep

Photo © Yannik Nagel. Finalist, Documentary

Puppy Licking an Adult Dog

Photo © Judy Reinford. Finalist, Creative.

White dog running through water

Photo © Sabrina Theden. Finalist, Action.

International Pet Photographer of the Year: Website | Instagram | Facebook

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by the International Pet Photographer of the Year.

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Jessica Stewart

Jessica Stewart is a Staff Editor and Digital Media Specialist for My Modern Met, as well as a curator and art historian. Since 2020, she is also one of the co-hosts of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. She earned her MA in Renaissance Studies from University College London and now lives in Rome, Italy. She cultivated expertise in street art which led to the purchase of her photographic archive by the Treccani Italian Encyclopedia in 2014. When she’s not spending time with her three dogs, she also manages the studio of a successful street artist. In 2013, she authored the book "Street Art Stories Roma" and most recently contributed to "Crossroads: A Glimpse Into the Life of Alice Pasquini." You can follow her adventures online at @romephotoblog.
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