International Pet Photography Awards 2026 Results
August 2026The morning the results came in
I opened the email hoping for two Silver Awards. I had set that bar for myself somewhere over the summer, quietly in my head, the way you do when you have been working toward something for a while. When the scores came back lower than I had hoped, there was a moment of disappointment before I could see the rest of it properly. Maybe because three of those photographs were the reason for a spot as a finalist in the Equine Portrait category, something I had not expected at all.
Later I realised this is the process and despite not having a Silver Award, this result is still good.
I entered the competition to get feedback and to work on my accreditation. Because of how big this competition is and the high level of work, I never really thought about the competition part. Just to give you an idea: this year there were 4,220 entries from 48 countries. I focused on the learning part of it.
Three photographs finished as Bronze with Distinction, nine more as Bronze, somewhere between 70 and 78 points each. Eight of the twelve photographs were of Icelandic horses, the rest a Shetland pony and dogs, several of them photographs I made years ago and only entered this time. On a school report, or at an Icelandic horse competition, I would have been thrilled with a seven. It still counts. The feedback pointed to points of attention: highlights, blacks, colour, balance, a crop. Things to watch more closely next year, both behind the camera and afterwards at the desk.
The ten highest scoring photographs also count toward accreditation. Last year I reached the first level, Associate. With this year's points added, I am at 2411 of the 2500 points needed for the next level of accreditation, Expert, and still one Silver Award short of the five required and no Gold yet. I need one Gold for the Expert level. Eighty-nine points and a Silver Award are what I am aiming for next year. The Gold might come the year after that or later.
There is a lot of good, gorgeous, inspiring work to see on the International Pet Photography Awards site, if you want to look for yourself.
