Challenge Recap: Dogscapes — Or Seascapes? 🌊🐶🌾

This challenge sounded like a no-brainer for me — after all, living in Panama City Beach, how hard could it be to pair a gorgeous natural setting with a dog front and center? 🏝️ The idea was to capture an image where the landscape shines and the pet stays the star of the show — all in perfect harmony. Easy, right? Well… let’s just say Mother Nature (and a few four-legged opinions) had other plans for me! 😆

I put out a big “Beach Dog Model Call ” post and you guys showed up — which meant I ended up with not one, but three shoots. Apparently doing three shoots for one challenge is just my thing now! 🤷‍♀️🐕

Shoot One: Sebastian — The Frisbee King 👑

First up was Sebastian, a big, handsome German Shepherd mix with the best “let’s play!” energy. 🥏 He LOVES his frisbee — so much so that once that disc came out, the rest of us basically faded into the background. And honestly? That’s his joy, and I love that for him! ❤️

My original idea was to have him stand noble and still, gazing out over the waves. But Sebastian had other ideas — frisbee or bust! So, I switched gears and parked myself at the edge of the water with my shiny new 16mm lens, trying to capture all that action and the epic sunset we were lucky enough to get. 🌅

Lesson learned? You really need to be right there with that lens — otherwise the pup gets tiny fast. And figuring out the perfect “dog vs. landscape” ratio? Still working on that! 😂

Shoot Two: Haisai — Off the Beaten Path 🗺️🐾

Next was Haisai, my friends’ sweet adventure buddy who’s been practicing his adorable head tilt for another challenge (trust me, you’ll see that face again soon!).

My husband and I spent a Sunday scouting hidden spots that wouldn’t be packed — nobody wants to spend the golden hour fighting for parking! 🚗💨 Leslie and Ty (Haisai’s humans) were up for whatever, so off we went, deep into the middle of nowhere. I’m pretty sure they thought we’d lost it until we stumbled on a quiet little lake, almost empty.

The spot was gorgeous, and Haisai was such a good boy — even when the golden grass tickled his belly and the stickers got pokey. He looked a little sad but willing, like he was saying, “Okay, I trust you — let’s try it.” 🥹 We got one shot that makes me grin every time (hello, giant tongue!), but the balance wasn’t quite what I pictured.

Shoot Three: Rhodes — My Golden Dream ✨🐕‍🦺

Finally — my golden dream! I’ve been wanting to photograph a Golden Retriever since I started these challenges, and Rhodes was it. Calm, sweet, and mellow like a doggy Buddha — I could have photographed him forever. 🧘‍♂️🐶

The sky turned moody and dramatic, but the storms held off (just a sprinkle here and there — perfect!). It felt like all the puzzle pieces clicked: Rhodes looked amazing, the water and sky balanced beautifully, and the vibe was exactly what I hoped for.

But then… that little voice in the back of my head started to whisper: Does this actually fit the brief? Is there enough “land” in this landscape? 🤔 I asked the judges just to be sure.

Cue the Panic! 😅

The night before submissions closed, another photographer asked about their image — and something about the reply made my husband and me question everything. At midnight, I posted my Rhodes photo asking for clarity.

At 6 AM (and I am not a morning person — at all) I saw the comment: the Rhodes photo didn’t have enough land to meet the brief. Dang it. 😭 I had 18 hours left to find “the one” — a shot that ticked every box and felt true to my vision.

So, I went through every single frame from all three shoots (plus older ones for good measure), did rough edits, narrowed it down, hemmed, hawed, and leaned all the way into my inner Highlander: “There can be only one.” ⚔️

In the end, I landed back on my sunset shot of Sebastian. I love the warm glow of the water, the dramatic silhouette, that leading line pulling your eye right to him, and the reflection that ties it all together. 🌅🐕 Do I wish he were bigger in the frame? Sure. But sometimes you just have to trust your gut and hit “submit.”

Judge Feedback & Final Thoughts 📝🐶

So… the feedback came in, and it was exactly what I suspected — but you know what? I’m still over the moon about this image and everything I learned from it. 🌅💛

The judges really loved the sky and the overall vibe — which makes my sunset-chasing, beach-loving heart do a little happy dance. 🕺🌊 They did feel my image didn’t quite hit the mark for the brief this time because Sebastian was more of a silhouette than a detailed portrait, and he was on the smaller side in the frame. It was a good reminder that even in a big, dramatic landscape, the dog still needs to stay the clear star of the show — the connection, the details, and the presence all really matter.

One big lesson I’m tucking away for next time: when you’re balancing “tiny dog, epic landscape,” you’ve gotta make sure the pup still pops and pulls you in. Details matter — even in a silhouette — and that perfect balance is something I’m excited to keep chasing (and improving!).

In the end, did I nail it 100%? Nope. Did I come out of it with new tricks up my sleeve, a deeper love for dramatic skies, and a reminder that I can pivot when things don’t go as planned? Absolutely! 🙌🐕✨

I’ll always be a firm believer that every challenge, every bit of feedback, and every last-minute scramble makes me a better photographer (and a more patient human — okay, slightly more patient 😉).

So here’s to the next adventure — more beaches, more wagging tails, more epic skies, and a lot more learning along the way. Bring it on! 💥🐾🌈

Until next time… keep chasing sunsets, sand, and smiles! 📸✨🐶