The third challenge in the Embark Pet Photography Challenge Series was all about composition. More specifically, the subject needed to be centered and symmetrical—a back-to-basics exercise with a creative twist.

I immediately knew I wanted to shoot on a bridge. Bridges naturally offer strong leading lines and built-in symmetry, making them perfect for this type of composition. As luck would have it, while visiting Dallas, GA, my husband discovered the ideal spot during one of his bike rides. It was a small, covered bridge leading to a downtown Rockmart park. And as a bonus—it was pouring rain, so the entire area was empty.

Honestly, I was getting frustrated because the weather wasn’t cooperating and I wasn’t sure how I was going to pull this off. But finding that bridge turned everything around. So here's a little tip:

When things aren’t going as planned, just go with the flow. You might be surprised at how well it all works out in the end. That’s something I’ve been learning through each challenge and I’m still working on embracing it.

On the bridge were small speed bumps spaced evenly apart. I decided I wanted to center my dog not just on the bridge, but between two of those speed bumps, a subtle compositional choice that gave me a bigger challenge than I bargained for.

I photographed both of my dogs individually to give myself options. My lab was cooperative, while my husky... not so much. Let's just say he brought his usual husky sass to the session.

Naturally, I went with the photo of my lab for the challenge submission. One of the behind-the-scenes shots shows her looking completely unimpressed like she had better things to do. It cracks me up every time. 😄

The original image I submitted showed her standing, straight on. But here’s a composition lesson I learned early on: when you shoot a frontal view from a very low angle, the dog’s chest appears large while their head looks small and disproportionate to their body. Not the most flattering look.

That’s not how I see my dog, and I ended up disliking the photo. So, it was back to my files to find another pose and I landed on the image featured at the top of this blog.

Because I was traveling, I had to submit the image a week early. I pixel-peeped every inch of that photo and thought it was flawless. But here’s another big lesson: step away and come back with fresh eyes.

While on vacation, I glanced at the image on my phone and realized her tongue was way too bright. But without my laptop, there wasn’t much I could do.

Turns out, that wasn’t the only issue.

The judges noted:

• The image was too contrasty overall.

• The black on her face was too bright and lacked detail.

• I had lost detail in the white fur on her chest.

• There was distracting bokeh in the background that I’d completely missed.

After hearing their feedback, I made all the suggested corrections. The image you see at the top of this blog is the updated version.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the original submission and the corrected version:

This challenge was full of valuable takeaways: from embracing unexpected weather, to being more mindful in editing, to remembering that even small distractions can affect the final impact of an image.

Another thing I’m learning to accept is that just because someone doesn’t like your image, or certain parts of it, doesn’t mean it’s bad. It simply means their taste is different from yours, and that’s totally okay.

Imposter syndrome is real, and when I start doubting myself, I have to remind myself how far I’ve come since I first started.

At the end of the day, I’m doing this to become a better photographer and artist. I’m here to challenge myself, push beyond my comfort zone, and keep growing—because that’s the only way forward.

And now... on to the next challenge!