MEET THE JUDGES

Charlotte Reeves

Australia

One of the OG’s of the industry, Charlotte is an internationally-acclaimed Australian photographer who has been professionally photographing pets since 2007. From the very start of her career, Charlotte has focused on combining beautiful natural light with unique landscapes, along with an innate understanding of canine behaviour, to create work that is both organic and vibrant. She’s widely known for her trademark backlit style and capturing dogs in action.

In 2018 Charlotte joined the Australian Institute of Professional Photography and shortly afterwards was awarded the AIPP Queensland Epson Pet/Animal Photographer of the Year. She has won numerous awards and has been widely published.

Addicted to creating lightbulb moments for her students, Charlotte has been sharing her extensive knowledge through teaching and mentoring over the last decade. She relishes simplifying tricky concepts, and helping students achieve their goals by making the learning fun, practical, and positive.

Along with New Zealand pet photographer Craig Turner-Bullock, Charlotte runs a popular education platform called Unleashed Education, which offers membership-based content focused on the art of pet photography, private mentoring and international workshops.

Charlotte also volunteers her time and talent to aid several rescue groups through fundraising events and regularly photographs adoptable pets to help them find new forever families.

Denise Landerberg

Sweden

Multi award winning photographer and internationally acclaimed professional in her field - Denise has a huge passion for horses. Since she was young animals has been a big passion, especially horses in their poetic movement and inspiring lines and shapes. She has been in the field since 16 years old, competing nationally since 17 years old. Today she is offering both photo sessions for private clients as well as coaching, workshop and photography tours for photographers, to spread her knowledge and to inspire others.

Elke Vogelsang

Germany

Elke Vogelsang is a photographer from Germany. When her husband fell seriously ill a few years ago, she used photography as a means to try to get her mind off things and to cope with the stressful time. Fortunately, everything turned out well. The passion for photography turned into something like a healing creative outlet and finally into a profession. She now works as an editorial and commercial photographer specializing in pet photography. Her three 'photography companion dogs' and beloved canine family members Noodles, Scout and Ioli are the stars of her licensing archive. They as well as Elke's other animal models claim their share of worldwide fame by publications in magazines and newspapers all over the world, including The Sunday Times magazine and National Geographic. She's the author of two books as well as numerous articles about photography. Her works were exhibited in group and solo shows throughout the world, e.g. Paris, London, Lisbon, San Anselmo, and Singapore.

Statement: Dogs are funny characters. They find pleasure in the most mundane things. My dogs are my joy, recreation, and constant source of laughter, though they can be shy and sad as well; they comfort me in bad times. They are members of the family, the kind I love to have around. I can never get into trouble with my dogs, because they are unpretentious and forgiving. I would never say that I prefer dogs to humans’ after all, some people mean the world to me; but I would definitely say that dogs enrich my life in numerous ways. My hope is that I give back to them at least half of what they give me. As I try to explore in photography all the emotions I share with my dogs, I pay homage to them and also to life.

Jo Howell

Australia

Jo Howell is a photography lifer!

Starting her shooting career in her teens, she holds a degree in Scientific and Industrial Photography, has lived and worked on four continents and travelled the world taking photographs.

Jo’s list of photography jobs reads like a bad rap sheet 😊 she has worked in family and newborn, wedding, real estate, diagnostic, tourism, press, school, dance, event and commercial and photography. They all taught her something but it was while running photographic tours through Africa that she found her true calling, animal photography.

Now Jo not only runs JHP Studio, one of Melbourne's most successful pet photography studios, but also spends 3 days a week photographing for Zoos Victoria. From the microscopic to the gigantic, Jo see's the beauty and fascination in it all and relishes creating images full of heart, humour and hope.

Recent Awards
Finalist Grand Imaging Award - Animals Category - IPC 2023
Master photographer of the Year - Australian Photographic Prize 2022
WINNER - "Experimental" Category - Sienna Creative Photo Awards 2022
Finalist- Illustrative Category - NZIPP 2022
2nd - Open Creative Category – WPPI The Annual 2021
2nd & 3rd Pet & Animal Category- Rise International Photo Awards 2020

Mareike Konrad

Germany

Mareike Konrad is a full time, award-winning dog photographer, based in Leipzig, Germany. Her passion is to create vibrant and colorful images of dogs as well as emotional pictures of the dogs and their humans.
As a mentor and businesscoach, she accompanies and inspires pet photographers in turning their passion into a sustainable business.

Phyllis Burchett

U.S.A.

Prior to her photography career, Phyllis and her husband owned and operated Burchett Equine Center. As a professional horse trainer, horses, and clients that Phyllis trained won numerous world, national and year-end awards. They also operated a large-scale breeding farm where Phyllis was Breeding Manager. It was her responsibility to oversee everything from stallion collection to artificial insemination to the foaling process.

In the beginning as an enthusiastic hobbyist Phyllis traveled from France to the USA to level up her photography skills. By attending these events it gave her a better understanding of how to help her current clients through the workshops and tours she hosts. She also loves to create fine art through her images, some say her work has a painterly feel to it. Phyllis is an open book by sharing these tips and techniques with her students through her weekly newsletter, mentorships, and events. 

Phyllis's photography has been recognized in many venues, winning multiple awards both nationally and internationally.

She has been published in Western Horseman, Cowboys and Indians Magazine, the Appaloosa Journal, Working Ranch Magazine, Cowboy Lifestyle Magazine, Horse and Rider Magazine, Trailblazher Magazine, the Equestrian Magazine of China, Sport and Trail Magazine, Lippizan News, Inner Reflections Calendar, Natures Best Photography Magazine, Expressions Magazine (NANPA), and Seascapes.

Phyllis is 1/3 of the trio that makes up the group Cowgirls with Cameras. Three friends formed this group to help promote the western lifestyle through photography with their bi-monthly podcast and yearly photography events.

 Phyllis is represented by the World Art Group and Arcangel-Images.

Travis Patenaude

U.S.A.

Internationally renowned dog photographer Travis Patenaude of Stink-Eye Photography creates unique portraits that foster an emotional connection between the subject and the viewer. He believes emotions and feelings are a vital part of telling stories and has to be put in a form that touches the hearts of people' to evoke empathy and to have the viewer want to learn more about these dogs. Travis is an advocate for animal rescue and animal rights, in particular raising awareness for the plight of the hunting dogs of Spain. He has won international awards and has been published across international print, online media, and magazines.