The Dog Photographer of the Year 2022 Awards Selected These 12 Beautiful Images as the Best
Some people chase trophies, others chase moments, and in the 2022 Dog Photographer of the Year awards, those two things somehow collided into pure visual magic. The judges didn’t just pick pretty pictures, they picked images that actually tell you what the dogs were feeling, how the scene was built, and why the final frame hits so hard.
It gets complicated fast because every win had to pass a checklist that goes way beyond “cute.” They looked at body language and posture, the sharpness and lighting in studio shots, the composition, the artistic concept, and even the editing artifacts like masks, color banding, unrealistic flares, and overlays. And while Francesco Mura took 1st in Action, Dalia Fichmann snagged 1st in Portrait & Landscape, and the rest of the lineup had to prove their own kind of storytelling too.
The best part is this, the gallery reads like a mini soap opera, except the drama is in the dogs’ eyes.
1. Francesco Mura, 1st Place Winner in the Action Category
2. Dalia Fichmann, 1st Place Winner in the Portrait & Landscape Category
3. Kjara Kocbek, 2nd Place in the Action Category
Francesco Mura’s Action win sets the tone, because you can practically hear the movement even before you notice the details.
For the 2022 edition, the following criteria were used to determine the winners:
A dog's body language refers to the expression of the dog and its posture. Settings refer to the sharpness of the subject, the overall exposure, and the lighting used for studio images.
Composition involves colors, light, layers, story, and the overall impact of the image. Artistic choices relate to the chosen idea and its execution, its difficulty of realization, and its rarity.
Editing refers to the final appearance of the image and the techniques that appear to have been used. We can detect problems in the editing, such as masks, color banding, unrealistic flares, overlays, etc.
4. Daniela Schmid, 3rd Place in the Studio Category
5. Sophia Hutchinson, 3rd Place in the Portrait & Landscape Category
Fans of dramatic moments should also see the best underwater photos of 2026, from tiny marine life to sweeping seascapes.
6. Sophia Hutchinson, 2nd Place in the Portrait & Landscape Category
7. Su Kaye, 1st Place Winner in the Studio Category
8. Julia Haßelkuß, 3rd Place in the Action Category
9. Russell Charters, 3rd Place in the Dogs & People Category
10. Sabrina Theden, 1st Place Winner in the Dogs & People Category
11. Jane Thomson, 2nd Place in the Studio Category
12. Sarah Ebner, 2nd Place in the Dogs & People Category
Meanwhile, Dalia Fichmann’s Portrait & Landscape shots show how much the lighting and composition matter when a dog’s body language is doing half the talking.
Then Sophia Hutchinson appears twice, with both 2nd and 3rd in Portrait & Landscape, proving it’s not a fluke when the story lands again.
And once Sabrina Theden takes 1st in Dogs & People, the whole competition turns into a crowded, emotional cast list you want to keep staring at.
The caliber of the work submitted, as well as the distinctiveness of the winning photographs, astounds the judges. They are delighted by the creativity and the compelling stories behind them, which add to the competition's intrigue for both the judges and contest organizers as they discover new, innovative photographers from around the world.
Do share this amazing list of winning dog photos with your friends and family.
This isn’t just a “best of” list, it’s a whole year of dogs stealing the spotlight.
Want more award-winning dog travel vibes, check out Travel Photographer Of The Year 2025’s stunning winners.
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