The International Pet Photography Awards stands as the world’s largest professional competition dedicated to honoring the artistry and expertise of pet photographers from every corner of the globe. This prestigious event features an esteemed panel of 25 specialist judges, encompasses eight distinct categories, Canine Portrait, Equine Portrait, Feline Portrait, Open Portrait, Action, Creative, Documentary, Pets and People, and offers winners cash prizes, trophies, and certificates, along with valuable feedback from two judges on each submitted image.
A unique aspect of the awards is its accreditation system, where a photographer’s top ten highest-scoring images each year contribute points towards their International Pet Photographer Accreditation. As these points accumulate over time, photographers advance through various accreditation levels, recognizing their continuous dedication to professional growth and the refinement of their skills within the specialized field of pet photography.
The entry fees for the International Pet Photography Awards are as follows:
Earlybird Entries (18-31 May)
- Single Image $25
- 5 Images $100 ($20 each)
- 10 Images $180 ($18 each)
- 20 Images $320 ($16 each)
Regular Entries (1-30 June)
- Single Image $27
- 5 Images $110 ($22 each)
- 10 Images $200 ($20 each)
- 20 Images $360 ($18 each)
If you are a Premium Member of Unleashed Education you will receive one free entry. If you are a Lifetime Member of Unleashed Education, you will receive two free entries.
Important Dates
1 April – 2025 Rules, Judges and Categories revealed
12 May – Pre-Awards critique call – register here
18 May – Earlybird entries open
1 June – Regular entries open
30 June – Entries close
15 July – 22 August – Online judging open
1 September – Finalists announced
10 September – Online Awards Ceremony.
13 September – All scores and feedback released to entrants
Image Submission Requirements
Entries into the International Pet Photography Awards must be submitted digitally.
- Entries must be finalised and submitted in the International Pet Photography Awards Portal by 5pm AEST on Monday 30 June, 2025
- JPEGs are the only accepted file type. TIFF, PNG, PSD or RAW files are not accepted.
- Image format and size requirements are as follows:
- 4000px on the longest side
- 72ppi resolution
- sRGB colour profile
- Maximum quality JPEG
- Metadata must include Creation Date
- RAW or other original capture files for every element of your entry must be uploaded for vetting at the time of entry.
- There are no required naming conventions – entries will be automatically renamed on upload.
Overall Winner
- $500 cash
- One-hour private mentoring with Charlotte Reeves and Craig Turner-Bullock from Unleashed Education
- One-year Premium Membership to Unleashed Education
- Two-hour private mentoring session with Mark Rossetto from the Professional Photography Business Network
- One-year membership to the Professional Photography Business Network
- Title of ‘International Pet Photographer of the Year”
- 250 Accreditation points
- Trophy
- Digital certificate and badge
Finalist
- $250 cash
- One year Premium Membership to Unleashed Education
- One year membership to the Professional Photography Business Network
- 100 Accreditation points
- Trophy
- Digital certificate and badges
If you are under 18 at the time entries opened, you can enter the awards and you will be eligible to win trophies and certificates, along with categories and overall titles, however any cash prizes cannot be awarded.
Feedback
Constructive feedback from peers is one of the most powerful tools for growth as a photographer. That’s why every image entered into the International Pet Photography Awards receives written feedback from two experienced judges – at no extra cost.
This critique is based on each judge’s personal perspective and professional experience, and is always delivered with the goal of helping you improve your skills and grow as an artist. Whether you’re just starting out or years into your journey, thoughtful feedback can shine a light on both your strengths and areas for development.
We’ve created the International Pet Photography Accreditation Program to celebrate and honour the high-quality work of photographers in this genre. We aim to inspire and motivate photographers to remain committed to their craft through entering the awards, earning recognition for their achievements.
Each time a photographer enters the International Pet Photography Awards, their ten highest scoring awarded images earn accreditation points. The points match the score – for example, an image scoring 84 earns 84 points towards their accreditation levels.
Images that do not meet award level (lower than Bronze) do not count towards accreditation.
Category winners receive 100 bonus points and the overall winner receives 250 bonus points.
Points accumulate from year to year until the requirements for an accreditation level are met. Once achieved, the photographer officially advances to the next level and receives a digital badge, certificate, and medal.
How Accreditation Works
- Enter your images and receive valuable feedback from the judges
- Each year, your top 10 scores from awarded images (Bronze or higher) are converted directly into points
- Earn bonus points for category (100 points) or overall (250 points) wins
- Reach accreditation levels when point and accreditation conditions are met, which for higher levels means you will need a certain number of Gold and Silver awards, and completion of the upcoming IPPA Pet Handling and Safety Course (available 2025)
- Keep tabs on current points in the Awards Portal
Earning Points from Awarded Images
Each entry is judged by five judges, who each provide a score between 60 and 100. These scores are averaged to give the final score, which may result in an award.
The judges assessment criteria includes visual impact, technical excellence and emotional response. Also assessed is the level of originality, vision and creativity. Judges take into consideration the animal’s body language and behaviour displayed in the images.
Images not awarded do not receive accreditation points.
Copyright of all images entered will remain the property of the entrant.
The International Pet Photography Awards reserves the right to use images entered, whether awarded or not, for the purposes of marketing, promotion or education in relation to the International Pet Photography Awards only. Images will be credited to the photographer wherever possible.
Disclaimer: Although we make every effort to provide accurate information, we advise a thorough review of the competitions rules and details to ensure your understanding and acceptance before proceeding with your entry.
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