Photographer Judges

Neil Palmer

I’m delighted to be selected to be a judge for the SuperDog competition and am looking forward to seeing some inspiring images.

I run a portrait studio and gallery in Reading, Berkshire, which I am proud to say has now been established for 43 years. I operate from a Grade 2 listed building with a purpose-built studio, gallery and workroom built on the side. In recent years, I have added an outdoor studio, which is very popular during the summer and autumn months, especially for dog portraits

I specialise in high-end, luxury photography, in particular families and children. I pride myself on capturing timeless and emotive images presented in simple but classical frames and mounts. Images that will look great in the home and which will not date.

I was an Associate of the BIPP and MPA and have gained 5 highly coveted Kodak European Gold Awards.

Tracey Clements

“I have been photographing dogs for many years since I started my studio in the late 1980s. We were the first studio to win a ‘Kodak European Gold Award’ for a portrait of a dog, and I gained an Associate with both the MPA and BIPP with a panel of dog portraits which was also a first back in 2004.

Wye Valley Studios was founded by our father, Glyn, over seventy years ago, so photography is in my blood. I thoroughly enjoy capturing their personalities and no two sittings are the same. A couple of weeks ago I had a baby with a sheepdog and two lambs in the studio which was amazing! Luckily we have a large ground floor studio so we could easily accommodate them 😀

I was honoured to be asked to be a judge for the SuperDog competition and look forward to seeing all the images, though sometimes whittling it down is hard! We are based in Caldicot, South Wales, between the two Severn Bridges just down the road from the Wye Valley.”

Andy Ginger

I have been with Barrett & Coe since 2012 and have a studio in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire where I specialise in pet, baby and family photography. Dog photography is always fun, and should be fun for the dog, too. They are always unpredictable, and adapting to the dog is the way to go rather than expecting the dog to adapt to what you want.

I once had a German Shepherd in the studio who would only be photographed under a table. Another German Shepherd had to be kept on a lead as he got very angry as soon as he saw the camera. By removing the table and the lead in post-processing, both shoots produced some great images!

I was delighted to be asked to become a judge for the SuperDog of the Month competition, as I have been unofficially judging the images for many years and look forward to doing it officially now! There are always many fantastic images in the competition, and it’s going to be tough to pick the best!

Sarah James

How amazing to be a judge in the new SuperDog of the Month competition; I’m really looking forward to seeing the entries and I’m sure it’s not going to be an easy task with all the cute pup images flooding in!

I have a high street studio that specialises in newborn/babies/family portraiture and I love when clients also bring their family pets along for a shoot, especially dogs.

I initially started out in my photography career 27 years ago as an assistant to local wedding photographers before moving into a ‘second shooter’ position. With the early advent of digital, in 2007 I decided it was time to build my own photography business, initially part-time and then fully taking the plunge in 2011 when I opened my first studio.

I’ve never looked back and haven’t stopped learning as we work in an industry that is constantly evolving with trends coming and going, but the most important aspect is our client’s joy (and happy tears!) when they view their portrait collections for the first time.

Whether it’s a family or a much-loved furry companion, we’re capturing memories, creating unique artwork to display in the home. No two days are the same in the studio, so let’s get cracking with this competition and get your entries in for us to see!

Jo Connor

I am a Somerset-based portrait photographer and as well as photographing babies, children, families I have a passion for photographing fur babies – dogs! I was awarded “Monochrome Photographer of the Year 2012” by a professional photography association and, in fact, this was for an image of a dog!

I have a large studio premises in Cheddar, Somerset and offer professional pet portraiture to devoted pet owners in and around the area. Dog photography is definitely our most popular request but I have photographed more “exotic” pets including lizards, chickens and tortoises!

Whether your pooches come in pairs, are too cute for words, are quirky characters or are just a tiny bit barking mad, I like to capture their own, unique personality. I am absolutely thrilled to be asked to be a judge for the SuperDog of the Month competition and will thoroughly enjoy going through all the images each month.

My top tips for getting the most out of dog photography session are:
1. Ensure your dog has had sufficient exercise before you take them to the studio
2. Take a towel in case of wet weather to dry them off – your photographer will thank you for it!
3. Bring their favourite dog toy/treats to capture and hold attention
4. Be prepared to help out – your photographer can’t be both sides of the camera at once!