Dogs are the best. They’re loyal, fun to play with, and they make fantastic photo subjects. So, for our recent photo challenge, we asked our talented readers to photograph their furry best friends. Predictably, it was one of the most popular photo challenges we have done in a long time.
The entries run the gamut from classic pooch portraits to hilarious action shots. One thing I was personally excited to see was how many Staffy terriers showed up. They will always have a place close to my heart.
So, check out the full gallery, then head over to our contest page for chances to show off your own work and win great prizes. If you win, you can spend the prize money to get an awesome rescue dog from the shelter.
CLICK HERE TO LAUNCH THE GALLERY
Country Roads
By Caitlin Lisa Charlie is a city boy but he absolutely loves the country and is great at his “sit, stay” commands when I am taking photos. I parked on a quiet country road and had him sit so that his body was framed by the road. Then I got down to his level to snap this photo of him, luckily capturing his goofy personality through his expression. CAMERA: Canon 6D FOCAL LENGTH: 28mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/2000 LENS: Canon EF 24-70mm f/1.2L ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): 2.0
Wasn’t me!
By Matthew Moeller I approached this shot with a specific image in mind: I wanted my dachshund’s tongue out and licking the peanut butter off of her nose. I got that shot. But after reviewing the batch of images on my screen I saw this one with her tongue inside her mouth and a decidedly guilty look on her face. The implication of the guilt was far better than the original image I had pictured… I’m glad every shot from the shoot was not what I had originally planned! CAMERA: Canon 7D FOCAL LENGTH: 20mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/250 LENS: Sigma 17-50 ISO: 400 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/8
What does a dog think?
By Jonathan Gonzalez This is recently deceased Duke, the Great Dane. Here I caught him staring out the 2nd story window. I bet it’s strange for a dog to see the world from higher up than a few feet off the ground. It also makes me think, whenever our dogs look out the window and see the world outside with its planes, automobiles and people, what must they think about it? CAMERA: Sony HX1 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/250 ISO: 400 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/3.2
Eyes
By Madeleine Wilson A husky at the local dog park. Love those eyes! CAMERA: Canon 5D Mark iii FOCAL LENGTH: 200mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/800 LENS: 70-200 ISO: 320 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/2.8
Eyesight
By Charles Hillestad I was fascinated by the patterns on the head of the Great Dane. By pulling in tight, I realize an optical illusion was created. Sometimes the eye looks like it is looking to the right, sometimes straight ahead. CAMERA: Nikon P500 FOCAL LENGTH: 12mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/400th LENS: Zoom ISO: 160 APERTURE (F-STOP): f4.7
Storm Run
By Ed Brownson Ocean Beach, San Francisco CAMERA: Nikon D 80 FOCAL LENGTH: 17 mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/320 LENS: Sigma 17 – 70 mm F2 .8 – 4 ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): F9
Curious Yawn
By Swaroop Singha Roy A stray dog yawns while curiously checking my camera ! CAMERA: Canon 60D, FOCAL LENGTH: 18mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/200sec LENS: Canon 18-200mm IS ISO: 1000 APERTURE (F-STOP): F/3.5
My Stick
By Barby Tolentino Gibson likes to strut and be seduced by fresh water. Freedom takes him places to explore and find treasures such as a drifted wooden stick. Being cautious not to go further than above his knees in water, he likes to dip his whole head to see the shallow ground. I wonder what he’s thinking when his whole head is under water? Either way, he loves to be free from his leash to jump over the waves, hunt for sticks and play until he hears his mom say “lunch time!” CAMERA: Canon FOCAL LENGTH: 17 mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/320 LENS: 17-40 ISO: 400 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/13
Jasper’s Launch
By Jeff Snyder Threw ball and quickly crouched low to get at same level as dog. Spot metering kept subject from completely silhouetting. High shutter speed froze the action and the 200mm focal length compressed the jump nicely. Had to throw and get set quickly (again and again) which gave us both a good morning workout. CAMERA: Nikon D7000 FOCAL LENGTH: 200mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/2,000 LENS: Tamron 70-200 F2.8 ISO: 160 APERTURE (F-STOP): F 4.0
Popi’s Smile
By Terri Burke You don’t have to be a mother to love that smile. Pope was a shelter dog just looking for a place to call home. CAMERA: Nikon D300 FOCAL LENGTH: 95mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/1000 LENS: Nikkor 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 ISO: 800 APERTURE (F-STOP): 5.3
Rock Star Frisbee
By Diane Thompson Jonah can spend hours playing frisbee. I happened to catch him in action! CAMERA: Nikon FOCAL LENGTH: 100 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/3200 LENS: 55-300mm ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): 4.8
Downtown chic
By Oleg Bari Rescued greyhound in downtown Toronto. CAMERA: Nikon D4 FOCAL LENGTH: 85 LENS: Nikkor 85/1.4 ISO: 200 APERTURE (F-STOP): 2
two feet
By Joseph Churchill My buddy running. CAMERA: D800 FOCAL LENGTH: 200mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/8000 LENS: 70/200mm ISO: 3200 APERTURE (F-STOP): 2.8
Lincoln checks things out.
By James Leuty Lincoln is a Black Lab/Boxer mix that is 1 1/2 years old. He has claimed the corner of the couch and sits up like a person with his arm across the back when he wants to see what is going on. This morning, the sun was just rising and was coming through our kitchen window lighting him perfectly. I grabbed my camera and caught this shot. CAMERA: Sony Alpha A77 Body FOCAL LENGTH: 50 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/160 sec LENS: 35-70 Minolta Maxxum ISO: 1600 APERTURE (F-STOP): F2.8
Phht!
By Lisa Timurlea Sid Licious was a 6-month-old, half-starved stray roaming the streets of Los Angeles until he found his way to his forever home (with me) through a friend of a friend. His favorite activities are snuggling and playing fetch. CAMERA: Nikon D800 FOCAL LENGTH: 70 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/400 ISO: 400 APERTURE (F-STOP): 2.8
Ball with Mom & Dad
By Tammy Strebe Bella playing ball with her mom and dad while her sister, Nelli waits for her turn. CAMERA: Nikon D750 FOCAL LENGTH: 92mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/1600 LENS: 70-200 ISO: 1250 APERTURE (F-STOP): 2.8
Speed
By Mihail Kopychko Dog shakes from the snow.
Merle gazing out the window
By Casey Boyd Merle loves to enjoy the view out of our window. CAMERA: Canon 6d FOCAL LENGTH: 84mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/80 ISO: 160 APERTURE (F-STOP): f4
High 5
By Danny Turcotte Its been awhile since Tylos last appearance so i thought today me and Ty could do a colab shot, and all i would need for his cooperation is a couple treats, you can see I’m holding the treat in my hand. So I set up all my lights, did a few test shots and got the composition ready cause when your working with Tylo he is all over the map So about 10 minutes and 5 treats later this was me and Ty’s shot for the day CAMERA: Nikon D300 FOCAL LENGTH: 30mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/80th LENS: Sigma 30mm ISO: 400 APERTURE (F-STOP): F-8
Night Cruise
By Anthony Tortoriello The multi-talented water skiing boat driving boat named Duma cruising Lake Michigan after hours in front of a Chicago night skyline.
Gigi-2
By Ramon Rosario Sitting pose of Gigi in garage studio. CAMERA: Nikon D800 FOCAL LENGTH: 60mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/250 LENS: Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): f18
Bobo at sunset
By Anna Visscher Forest fires create the best sunsets in Montana. Here’s Bobo modeling perfectly in the evening light.
Bucket in the Mist
By Adam Menzies A photo of my dog bucket, in Harrison, BC, Canada
SMILE
By Chris Keegan Mic after a summer walk
Feeling Blue
By Robyn Whaley Just after the walk in the car, they were in the space below my feet and sat patiently waiting to go home. Also the one in the left is called Blue, just so you know what I did there.
Roped In
By David Brown This is Mickey the Labradoodle. He’s my friend’s dog and I took some photos of them while I was house / dog sitting. He was simply the most photogenic puppy I’ve ever seen! CAMERA: Canon 70D FOCAL LENGTH: 50mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/1000 LENS: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II ISO: 200 APERTURE (F-STOP): 1.8
How Much For That Puppy…
By Jared Ashton I like to go outside and take pictures of birds, but Shire always scares them away so I had to leave him inside… Needless to say he always makes me feel guilty about it. CAMERA: Canon T3 FOCAL LENGTH: 70mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/125 sec LENS: Sigma 70-300mm ISO: 400 APERTURE (F-STOP): 4.0
Kensie & Leo
By Greg Murray Kensie (foreground) and Leo (background) are our two dogs. We’ve had Leo since 2012 and just rescued Kensie about 5 months ago. And of course they’re my favorite photography subjects! They love spending time next to each other on our bed. I love that this photo captured the tired Kensie looking straight at me with the stoic and more mature Leo in the background. This photo is hanging up in our house. CAMERA: Canon 5D Mark III FOCAL LENGTH: 50mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/125 sec LENS: Sigma 50mm 1.4 Art Lens ISO: 800 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/1.4
Sadie
By Greg Murray This is Sadie the Great Dane from Lakewood, Ohio! The goal was to get one great shot during our time together and I feel like we got it. Another dog that seems so happy and care free. The tongue and colorful background make the shot in my opinion. I was only inches from her face with my wide angle lens. CAMERA: Canon EOS 6D FOCAL LENGTH: 16mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/320 sec LENS: Canon EF 16-35mm 2.8L II USM ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/4.5
Dogville
By Dragos Stefan I was walking around town on a beautiful summer day when i took this interesting image. CAMERA: canon 350d LENS: 50mm prime
Oliver (Photo: 1)
By Shelby Miller My Great Pyrenees, Oliver. CAMERA: Sony A57
Catching Snowflakes
By Caitlin Lisa In order to achieve the shallow depth of field I wanted, I used a wide angle 24mm lens so that I could be close enough to the puppy to capture the details in his face, while still getting his entire body in the frame. I set the aperture to f/1.8 so that his body and the ground would be out of focus, drawing attention to the expression on his face. Shooting at f/1.8, with the snow and the puppy’s light color, meant that I needed to increase the shutter speed to avoid overexposing the shot. CAMERA: Canon 5D Mark III FOCAL LENGTH: 24mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/320 LENS: EF 24mm f/1.4L ISO: 200 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/1.8
First Rainstorm
By David Leer 4 month old chocolate lab puppy after experiencing her first western Oregon rainstorm. CAMERA: NIKON D90 FOCAL LENGTH: 105 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/50 LENS: Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR ISO: 1000 APERTURE (F-STOP): 5.6
Bulldog
By Erik Clegg Bull dog portrait taken with Canon 20D with britek strobes CAMERA: canon 20D FOCAL LENGTH: 28mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/125 LENS: 18-55mm ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/22
Shorty on the 5
By Andrew Gold Driving from San Francisco to LA, I found myself in the thick of a torrential downpour. For hours, driving 20-30 mph on a highway with a speed limit of 70 mph, I was hoping the rain would pause so I could take a few photos. When the rain finally paused, I immediately got off on the next exit. Little did I know, I’d stumble on this gorgeous vineyard leading all the way into the mountains. For kicks, I plopped my dog in front and took a few photos (I did take a few without her as well). CAMERA: Nikon d5300 FOCAL LENGTH: 18mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/250 LENS: 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 ISO: 400 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/10
Precipice Purview
By Gary Minish Eli, an Anatolian Shepherd Dog, carefully examining the drop from the edge of the cliff while hiking in the mountains at Thompson Pass, Alaska. CAMERA: Sony DSC-R1 FOCAL LENGTH: 14.3 mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/500 ISO: 160 APERTURE (F-STOP): 8.0
Easin’ On Down the Road
By Chuck LaChance This is a photo of my friend Eileen who rescues greyhouds. This was taken on a crip Fall day in Bethany, CT. CAMERA: Canon 20D SHUTTER SPEED: 1/60 LENS: Tamron 70-300 ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): 4.0
Eureka?
By Jeffrey Wilson Sophie and I were about to discover the purpose of life but I became transfixed by her exemplary pose and decided to create a photograph instead. We were on to something though! The sun was setting and creating excellent highlights through the background of trees. She (Sophie) struck this pose and I could not resist the shot! I got low to the grown and snapped a few knowing I had a winner. CAMERA: Canon T3i FOCAL LENGTH: 50mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/160 LENS: Canon 50mm f1.4 USM ISO: 800 APERTURE (F-STOP): 1.6
Brindle Pit Bull Strikes the Pose
By Rebekah Nemethy One of the first photographs I captured of my rescue dog Gracie Lou. CAMERA: Nikon D7000 FOCAL LENGTH: 70mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/200 LENS: Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8 ISO: 560 APERTURE (F-STOP): 5
5 more minutes
By Nicholas Speer My dog Jade loves her naps and the sun coming in through the window was not cooperating. CAMERA: canon 5d mark iii FOCAL LENGTH: 35mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/60 LENS: sigma art 35mm ISO: 800 APERTURE (F-STOP): 1.8
Having a wee nap
By Shannon Doyle It was an extremely hot day here and Peonie decided to have a nap in the afternoon sun coming through the lounge. This shot was right before she closed her eyes and went to sleep 🙂 CAMERA: Canon 6D FOCAL LENGTH: 35mm SHUTTER SPEED: 800 LENS: Sigma 35mm 1.4 ISO: 640 APERTURE (F-STOP): 1.8
Having fun
By Juan C. Torres Garcia I took this shot of my dog “Lindo” while my wife was driving. The dog was having so much fun that it was nearly impossible not to shoot some photos. He is a very active and energetic dog, so I think this photo really captures his true personality. CAMERA: Canon 7D FOCAL LENGTH: 10mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/15 LENS: Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 ISO: 200 APERTURE (F-STOP): f22
Chewing on Leaves
By Amber Truett I took this photo the first day I met my new friend Diego. At three months old this french bulldog was already as playful as ever. Even with just a few teeth, he didn’t hesitate to pounce and gobble up every leaf that blew in the wind. CAMERA: Cannon EOS Rebel XS FOCAL LENGTH: 50 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/1,250 LENS: 5o mm ISO: 400 APERTURE (F-STOP): 2.2
Sleeping in the Sun
By Evan Davies This is Reggie. We adopted Reggie from a humane society over the summer of 2014 and has been a great dog. One of his favorite spots was right in up near our front door. He would lay with his back to the sun to warm up as much as possible during the winter. CAMERA: Nikon D3100 FOCAL LENGTH: 35mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/60 LENS: Nikon ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): 1.8
Happy Husky
By Stephanie Long This photo was taken shortly after we asked Juneau (the siberian husky) if she was “hungry” or not. That word makes Juneau very happy! CAMERA: Nikon d600 FOCAL LENGTH: 44mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/160 LENS: 24-77mm ISO: 800 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/2.8
Dogs at Sunset
By Geoff Cole Two dogs cool off as the late August sun sets over the mountains of west central Idaho. CAMERA: Olympus OM-D E-M5 FOCAL LENGTH: 14mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/125 sec. LENS: Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 aspherical ISO: 200 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/2.8
Rosie in her chair
By Salvadore Ragusa This was one of the last times that my miniature Schnauzer, Rosie, jumped into her favorite chair. Due to age she became a floor dweller for the next couple of years. I am so thankful to have taken this photo as it reminds me of her in her youth and preserved the memory forever. The light was natural, streaming in through a window in the den. A distracting background was replaced with black in Photoshop. Minor sharpening with unsharp mask. CAMERA: Pentax K-5 FOCAL LENGTH: 28mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/15 LENS: Tamron 18-200mm ISO: 3200 APERTURE (F-STOP): f4
Millie
By Randy Canfield My friends miniature poodle w/ a great disposition. Shredded cheese rolled into little balls kept her attention for the duration of his portrait session. CAMERA: Nikon D300S FOCAL LENGTH: 50mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/125 LENS: 50mm f/1.4 ISO: 200 APERTURE (F-STOP): 9
Silently Sleeping
By Hunter Sieg The sun was shining in this one particular spot on the floor, like it did every day, and Bella, my golden retriever, always sleeps there until the sun spot is gone. CAMERA: Canon 7D FOCAL LENGTH: 52 SHUTTER SPEED: 1/100 APERTURE (F-STOP): 2.8
JD
By Jesse Beer JD trying to get his ball while his face defies gravity CAMERA: Canon 6D LENS: 24-105
Pedey in Bed of Grass
By Nicole Stark I take a lot of picture of my pup Pedey. This is from this past summer, and he is probably about 10 weeks old. I was shooting with a few different cameras this day. This one was take with an old TLR and I was laying in the grass with him. I love the foreground and background blur. CAMERA: Mamiya C330F FOCAL LENGTH: 80mm SHUTTER SPEED: 500 APERTURE (F-STOP): 2.8
Shake it off!
By Paul Desmond After making the move from Monterey California to Portland Oregon, Betty finally got to visit the beach! After running in and out of the cold pacific ocean waves, she needed a little shake to dry off and warm up in the winter sun! instagram: betty_the_boxer CAMERA: Canon 5D Mark iii FOCAL LENGTH: 16mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/800 LENS: Canon 16-35mm ISO: 100 APERTURE (F-STOP): 2.8
Happy Day at the Beach
By Eric Clifton Happy Dogs chasing balls at Higgins Beach, Maine. CAMERA: Nikon D7100 FOCAL LENGTH: 78mm SHUTTER SPEED: 1/1000 LENS: 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 ISO: 200 APERTURE (F-STOP): f/11
