A paper crown, a collar with a chain and, glued on top, real newspaper clippings about pit bulls. In the middle, still and composed, is Caldwell. It is the portrait that won Katie Brockman, a photographer from St. Louis, Missouri, the title of Dog Photographer of the Year at the Dog Photography Awards 2026.
A photo against prejudice
Loved and Hated (loved and hated) also took first place in the Studio category. In an interview published by the organizers, Brockman explains that the collar and chain represent the prohibitions and restrictions that affect pit bulls simply because they exist. The crown and the hand that supports the muzzle instead stand for those who love and defend them, with the dog remaining crushed between the two factions.
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The shot was no walk in the park. Alone on the set, the photographer placed the camera on a tripod with interval shooting, tied the leash to a stand and sat next to the dog, one hand under his chin and a treat in the other, so that he was looking at the lens and not at her.
Caldwell’s story
Found as a stray in 2015 and never reclaimed, Caldwell ended up on the list of dogs to be euthanized. A last-minute transfer to another shelter, where Brockman volunteered, saved him. After about three years in a box, closed twenty-three hours a day, the dog began to develop behavioral problems. Where she lives, finding a rental that accepts bully breeds is almost impossible, so Brockman bought a house specifically to adopt him, and in October 2018 she brought him with her.
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After all, it was he who put the camera in her hand. On Christmas Eve 2020, Caldwell ended up in the veterinary emergency room for an obstruction, and she realized she had too few photos of her dog, so starting in 2021, she began photographing dogs in earnest.
The other winners
The competition, now in its sixth edition, received around 1,900 images from 50 countries. Elena Marchi, competing for the United Kingdom, achieved a double: first in the outdoor portrait with Beyond the Track and in the Open category with Run. The Action category went to Slovenian Nika Kuplenk Golobič with Winter LaunchDogs & People at the Swiss Sarah Ebner with Close.
@ Winter Launch by Nika Kuplenk Golobič / dogphotographyawards.com
Chinese Tianhang Zhang won the Documentary category with Waitingthe dogs of a shelter behind bars waiting for a family. For Italy, two honorable mentions in the outdoor portrait to Barbara Cesari.
