2026 International Pet Photography Awards Sees a Historic Triple Win

We recently published the finalists of the 2026 International Pet Photography Awards. And now, ladies and gentlemen, the winner is… Callie Soden! The USA-based photographer took home three prizes: the Creative category, the Studio category, and the overall International Pet Photographer of the Year title. The judges described her portfolio as a masterclass in versatility, spanning composite work, studio portraiture, and on-location photography while maintaining a clear, consistent visual identity.

2026 Pet photographer of the Year: Callie Soden

The IPPA is now in its eighth year, and the 2026 edition was its biggest yet: a record 4,220 entries from 48 countries, judged by a panel of 27 specialist animal photographers and industry experts. Winners were announced at a live ceremony on August 1, 2026. The overall International Pet Photographer of the Year title goes to the entrant with the highest combined score across their top five images, spanning any category. And as I mentioned, this year, that person is Callie Soden. Her dog photos surely are creative and fun, and one of my absolute favorites is the one I attached as the lead image of this article.

Now, the rest of the category winners, because there are some great stories and photos in here.

Category Winners

In Action, Linda Glomb of Germany took the win with an image called Weightless. It’s a foggy forest shot of her rescue dog, Schnuffi, lit entirely by her car headlights. “Many of my artistic images feature my rescue dog, Schnuffi, she’s a little whirlwind and happily goes along with every crazy idea I have,” Glomb said. “With a little vision, she ended up looking completely weightless in the middle of the mist.”

Marc Vandijck of Belgium won Canine Portrait, and Shandess Griffin of Canada took Commissioned Portfolio – a category that asks photographers to submit a complete 10-image client session.

Rebecca Williams of New Zealand won Documentary with a trio of images capturing working dogs mustering sheep, rendered in black and white. “The light and mist created a magical moment, and the black and white edit suited the dogs’ markings perfectly,” Rebecca said.

Laura Brockhoff of Austria won Equine Portrait. “Storytelling is at the heart of my photography,” she said. “Rather than staging a scene, I look for honest moments and genuine emotion, small encounters that reveal something about a horse’s character.” That approach clearly landed with the judges.

Belinda Richards of Australia won Feline Portrait, and the story behind the portfolio is a good one. It started as a spontaneous lighting test with a friend’s cat, Moosha. “Moosha had other ideas – she gave me so many expressions and poses that I had to put together something showcasing her complete personality,” Richards said. As a cat person, I approve this message. :)

Andrea Zachrau of Germany won In-Camera Artistry, a category that doesn’t permit post-processing: what you shoot is what you submit.

Jennifer Chassagnol of Australia won Open Portrait with a portfolio she described as being about “deeper respect and appreciation for all animals, especially those we so often overlook.

Sandra Ferwerda of the Netherlands won Pets and People with a gorgeous set of portraits.

And last but not least, Christel Wellens of Belgium won the Phone category with three unplanned images of her dog Tony, taken during an ongoing home renovation. “None of the photos were planned; they were simply taken as mementos of the renovations,” Wellens said.

As an animal lover, I truly enjoyed this selection. Now excuse me while I go hug my cat and try to figure out how to photograph her without having her look like a black blob. And before you go and play with your pets, make sure to check out more info and photos on the International Pet Photography Awards website.

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