The eleventh challenge in the Embark Pet Photography Challenge Series was “Splash”.

The goal: capture your subject interacting with water, with any splashes shown clearly. Here's the final image I created for this challenge:

I thought the Front Runner challenge was tough, but Splash took frustration to a whole new level.

My friend has a yellow lab named Cooper who absolutely loves jumping and swimming in the lake, so I had the perfect image in mind: him leaping into the water, creating the biggest, most dramatic splash ever. I couldn’t wait to capture it. It was something totally new for me, a chance to step out of my comfort zone, and I was all in.

For some reason, I always get nervous before a shoot. It doesn’t matter how many I’ve done, I still get butterflies in my stomach every time. Maybe it’s the perfectionist in me, but I’m always worried about not getting the perfect shots for my clients.

I want my photos to capture their dog’s true personality, the way their humans see them every day.

I mentioned this to a colleague in my Embark challenge group, and she told me something her music teacher once said: “Getting nervous before a performance just means you care.”

I’d never thought about it that way before, but it really stuck with me. So if you’re ever nervous before a shoot (or anything, really), just remember it’s only because you care, and that’s a good thing.

When the big day arrived, I was equal parts excited and nervous. We headed to the lake, and Cooper was ready to go the second he saw the water.

I positioned myself where I needed to be, grabbed my 70–200mm lens, and set my aperture to f/2.8. Then the chaos began.

Trying to track a lightning-fast lab mid-jump while keeping focus on the eye closest to the camera felt impossible. Every “splash” photo was a blur. But those tiny droplets of water? Oh, they were tack sharp! 😒

There were even a few shots filled with nothing but blurry splashes, no dog in sight. Meanwhile, Cooper was living his best life and couldn’t have cared less how my shots turned out.

I’ll admit, I actually did this challenge before the Front Runner one, and at the time I was using my LCD screen to focus, which, as I later learned, is a big no-no unless you’re shooting mirrorless. So that one’s on me.

I never got a chance to go back and reshoot, but even using the viewfinder, I still find fast-moving action shots tricky. I haven’t had much opportunity to practice, so I’ve decided that improving my action photography will be one of my big goals for next year. Failure is not an option.

Even with all the chaos, I still managed to get a few really great shots of Cooper, especially when he slowed down for a second. 😂 The photo at the top of this blog is one of them.

Here are some behind-the-scenes moments from Cooper’s Splash photoshoot:

And of course, no water shoot would be complete without a few splashy bloopers!

The judges loved the swimming shot of Cooper! They couldn’t tell if the duck in his mouth was real or fake and joked that he looked like a ‘hunting dog in training. As much as Cooper loves hunting, he was really just enjoying some swim and splash time with his toy duck.

They really liked the overall photo, but they felt the crop didn’t do it justice. There was a bit too much water in the frame, and for a detailed shot like this, they suggested committing to a tighter crop. Specifically, they recommended a 2:3 ratio, cropping in a bit more to place Cooper’s eyes along the top center rule-of-thirds line. They also suggested keeping the ripple in front of him while trimming a little more from the back. Even though that meant losing some of the splash, they said it would be worth it to create a stronger, more balanced composition.

They also mentioned that dogs often lose some animation when swimming, but in this photo, Cooper looks like he’s working, and they loved the story that came through. They said it felt very true to the breed.

Based on their feedback, I cropped the image as suggested and resubmitted it for the final portfolio review. Below is a side-by-side comparison of the original submission and the revised version. You can really see how the tighter crop made a big difference!

This photo made the shortlist but didn’t quite make the top 20 because of the composition. Still, top 24 isn’t bad, and I’ll take that as a win! Every challenge teaches me something new, whether it’s timing, focus, or just learning to have a little more patience.

I’m extremely grateful for the wonderful judges and educators at Unleashed Education for putting out these challenges and helping dog photographers reach their goals of becoming the best they can be. They put so much time and care into giving us thoughtful feedback and showing us what we can do to make our photos better, whether it’s small tweaks or a complete redo. They’re not just skilled; they’re incredibly compassionate too.

I had asked if they could publish the feedback results a little early so I’d have time to make any changes to my photo and finish writing this blog before my upcoming hand surgery, and they came through.

In just two days, I’ll be having surgery on my right hand for carpal tunnel, cubital tunnel, and trigger finger. I won’t lie, I’m nervous. As a graphic designer and photographer, my hands are my livelihood, so I’m praying everything goes smoothly. The next few weeks will definitely bring some challenges and adjustments, but I’m hoping to make the most of the downtime by catching up on reading and watching editing videos.

I also want to take a moment to encourage everyone out there to find a community you can relate to and lean on them when you need to. Wherever you are in your journey, whether it’s photography, art, or life in general, you don’t have to do it alone. There are so many wonderful people and communities out there who truly understand what you’re going through. Hearing their stories can make a world of difference and remind you that you’re not the only one facing certain struggles.

Don’t be afraid to share your own experiences, too. You never know who might need to hear your story or how it could help someone else. At the end of the day, that’s how we grow, by learning from and supporting one another.

This wraps up Challenge Eleven and brings me to the final challenge of the series. Stay tuned to see how it all ends!