When photographer and visual artist Callie Soden (US) crafted the composite scene of her dog praying at an altar, she may well have envisioned the canine pleading with God for her to win the 2026 International Pet Photography Awards. Latest Videos From Digital Camera World Watch full video here:Image 1 of 4 (Image credit: © Copyright 2026 Callie Soden) Above: a selection Callie Soden's winning images (Image credit: © Copyright 2026 Callie Soden) (Image credit: © Copyright 2026 Callie Soden) (Image credit: © Copyright 2026 Callie Soden) Image 1 of 4 View Original Image 2 of 4 View Original Image 3 of 4 View Original Image 4 of 4 View OriginalThe eighth installment of the competition – which accepts standard as well as composite imagery, predominantly of dogs, cats, and horses – received a record 4,220 entries from 48 countries spread across 12 categories. In the “Commissioned Portfolio” category, Canadian photographer Shandess Griffin placed first with her cinematic series of a golden retriever on a scenic stroll in the magnificent British Columbia backcountry. Image 1 of 4 (Image credit: © Copyright 2026 Shandess Griffin) Shandess Griffin's cinematic winning series and Linda Glomb's winning frame (Image credit: © Copyright 2026 Shandess Griffin) (Image credit: © Copyright 2026 Shandess Griffin) (Image credit: © Copyright 2026 Linda Glomb) Image 1 of 4 View Original Image 2 of 4 View Original Image 3 of 4 View Original Image 4 of 4 View OriginalLaura Brockhoff from Austria won the “Equine Portrait” category with a documentary-style black-and-white scene of a curious horse interacting with an old US police car parked next to its field. As the 2026 International Pet Photographer of the Year, Callie Soden won an additional $500 (£370 / AU$715).