• Delightful dogs in all shapes and sizes are captured in this year’s photography awards that had 1,400 entries 

By Summer Goodkind

Published: 09:34 EDT, 4 November 2023 | Updated: 09:49 EDT, 4 November 2023

The results are in for the 2023 Dog Photography Awards – and the shortlist includes everything from a Doberman in a tutu to a Sighthound showcasing its formidable speed.

The delightful collection, which is sure to put a smile on your face, is split into four categories; accepting entries for portrait and landscape snaps, action shots, studio images and dogs and people.

There was a grand total of 1,440 entries this year, from more than 50 countries – including China, Germany, Australia, and Canada – and this year’s prizes vary from photo equipment to €2,000 in cash.

This year the prize for winning studio portrait was awarded to Montenegro-based photographer Anna Averianova for her image ‘Ballerina’, which shows her pet Doberman dressed in a black tutu and pointing his paw like one of the elegant dancers.

Taking the top spot in the action photography category was Jacqueline Rüdiger, from Germany, for a shot of her Sighthound in ‘Stop your motion’.

She said of her work: ‘Have you ever seen a dog, or even better a sighthound, running in pure joy? You see the power, the play of the muscles and the perfect anatomy for running fast. 

‘In this picture I wanted to show the speed of this dog and capture it, but at the same time freeze the motion to show the anatomy of this beautiful dog. 

‘To get it you need a perfect timing of all components involved. The dog, the lights and for sure me as the photographer. The result is a stunning composition reduced to the only important thing, the dog.’

Bagging the prize for best portrait and landscape shot was Swedish photographer Sanna Sander, who submitted a photo of her pet azawakh girl Soleil sprawling across a log stack.

Aptly titled ‘Ascending Serenity’, she explained: ‘In the right light even the most mundane place emits magic.

‘I had the idea of this image in my mind for quite some time, driving past the log stack every day on my way to drop the kids of at school. And finally, on our way home from school one day, I stopped the car and asked my azawakh girl Soleil to hold the pose for a moment while I took the photo.

‘Already in the camera I saw that it had become something more than I had hoped for; a moment of clean stillness in the busy and messy everyday life, something more than a posing dog on a log stack. The image made me linger in the moment.’

For the dogs and people category, Australian Mercury Megaloudis took her inspiration from Italian painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, known as simply Caravaggio.

She used the ‘New and the old Inspired by Caravaggio the artist and new trends in steampunk with the love of dogs all in the studio’ for her work. 

Other winning photos from this year’s competition included a ‘man’s best friend’ posing alongside a man in a suit with an umbrella on the beach.

In another adorable snap, three weeks old Great Dane puppies cuddled up together under a warm studio light.

The competition is held annually, with other contests for dog photographers taking place on a monthly basis.

Audrey Bellot, DPA Founder said: ‘The Dog Photography Awards has once again showcased the remarkable talent within the world of dog photography. 

‘Witnessing emerging artists capture the essence of canine beauty with their stunning imagery remains the standout event of the year.’ 

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From Vogue’s cover of green jelly, to Pink Floyd’s The Final Cut album – with a host of celebrities including Grace Jones, Cary Grant, David Bowie, and Jerry Hall in between – photographer and filmmaker Willie Christie has captured it all. Now, his eclectic body of work has been gathered together for the first time, with the publication of new photography book Willie Christie: a very distinctive style: Then & Now by ACC Art Books, making for a vibrant retrospective.

‘I had wanted to do a book for some years,’ Christie tells us. ‘I scanned down all my images about 15 years ago and only then did I see a theme running through. A look where, although there were other influences, it was my work. I saw that all my images had their own individuality. I was asked initially whether I wanted to do a book “for Christmas” or to make some bigger statement. I had begun to think by then, that my work was of some interest within the world of fashion. And perhaps even outside of it. Time is a great observer. A friend mentioned that my work then, was relevant now. And that my work now (limited though it was) was also relevant now. So, the title was born. And so was the book.’

Willie Christie book: ‘Every image has its own life’

Images from the mid-1970s join more recent work in the tome. ‘Although there is a style, every image is lit, composed, and according to how I saw it at that time,’ Christie adds. ‘Not because “that is what I did”. A while ago I looked through a photographer’s book and every picture was the same. The same technique. In a house on location, in the same house and in a different room, then another room all around the house. Yet everything looked the same. No early morning. Later afternoon or at night. Page after page of the same light. The same tricks. I realised that was not the way to go. Or at least not the way I wanted to go. Every image has its own life. Its own secrets.’

Christie’s images spotlight a particular moment of time, eschewing sentimentality for a cinematic portrayal of the 1970s and early 1980s. ‘I hope readers discover the feel, look, clothes and style of [the era]. The celebrities of then. I hope they will perhaps find images that they know and like, which they didn’t realise I had taken. I hope that they will find images they have never seen before that will evoke a distant memory particular to them. That they will find something in the “personality” of a subject, an empathy with a landscape. That they will feel something. But in the end, I just hope that they like my work and that they like the book. That the few stories from behind the shoots will be interesting and offer a glimpse into life as it was then.’

accartbooks.com

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By JULIA DEBES
Kansas Wheat

HUTCHINSON — From beautiful hand-crafted wheat weaving to stunning captured moments of the growing season to hefty jars and bags filled with wheat kernels, Kansas Wheaties brought their best entries to the Kansas State Fair. With ribbons awarded and entries taken home, Kansas Wheat recognizes the winners of annually sponsored contests at the statewide event, including the Market Wheat Show, Open-Class Division — “It’s All About Bread,” Kansas Wheat Photography contest and Wheat Weaving.  

“A little friendly competition can be fun, and the Kansas State Fair is the perfect statewide showcase,” said Cindy Falk, Kansas Wheat nutrition educator. “Kansas Wheat sponsors a wide variety of contests, so there’s something for everyone in the family to participate in and enjoy.”

Meeting the needs of customers is important to any business, and wheat farming is no exception. The Kansas Market Wheat Show exists to educate Kansas wheat producers of all ages on the factors that they can control, to some extent, to grow high-quality wheat.

Entries into the Market Wheat Show include five pounds of wheat grown by the exhibitor in the current year. Entries are then judged on protein, test weight, dockage, shrunken and broken kernels and milling and baking scores. Kansas Wheat also sponsors Division 121 – Wheat, which ups the sample size to 20 pounds of wheat in any container, all of which must be the same variety. 

In the Market Wheat Show, the division champion went to Jay Derley from Lewis with his entry of HRW wheat, with Greg Turek from Caldwell receiving reserve champion. Derley also won the Market Wheat Sweepstakes for Western Kansas and Turek won the sweepstakes award for Eastern Kansas. In Division 121, Cameron Peirce from Hutchinson won the division champion award. 

Market Wheat Show Results

Champion – Jay Derley, Lewis

Reserve Champion – Greg Turek, Caldwell

Market Wheat Sweepstakes

1. Eastern Kansas – Greg Turek, Caldwell
2. Western Kansas – Jay Derley, Lewis

Class 1 – All Hard White Wheat

1. Brad Whitman, Leoti

Class 2 – All HRW Blends

1. LaVern Potuzak, Agenda
2. Royden Derstein, Ford
3. Mat Mai, Russell
4. Larry Stude, Larned
5. Gerald Mai

Class 3 – All Other Private HRS

1. Brandon Riffey, Sawyer
2. Jaxten Fimple, Ness City
3. Emily George, Albert
4. Clark Greene, Larned
5. Ruben Blatz, Montezuma

Class 4 – All WestBred/Monsanto

1. Lyle Katz, Kinsley
2. Mark Baus, La Crosse
3. Gary Graff, Marienthal
4. Rick Sherer, Mullinville
5. Piper Brown, Russell

Class 5 – KSU HRW Varieties

1. Dan Wimmer, Bushton
2. Jaiden Pfannenstiel, Hays
3. Greg Turek, Caldwell
4. Colten Katz, Lewis
5. Waymaster Farms, Bunker Hill

Class 6 – All Other Public HRW

1. Jay Derley, Lewis
2. Jason Hildenbrand, Stafford
3. Fred Newby, Pratt
4. Jason Howell, Preston
5. Allen and Beth Vogel, Wright

Division 121 – Wheat Results

Division Champion – Cameron Peirce, Hutchinson

All Agri-Pro/Syngenta HRW Varieties

1. Joshua Patterson, Whitewater
2. Nolen Hyde, Minneapolis

All Hard White Wheat Variety

1. Sterling Nichepor, Ness City
2. Cameron Peirce, Hutchinson 

All Other Varieties or Hybrids

1. Joshua Patterson, Whitewater
2. Doug Patterson, Valley Center

All WestBred HRW Varieties

1. Reed Nichepor, Ness City

KSU HRW Varieties

1. Cameron Peirce, Hutchinson

Other Public HRW Varieties

1. Steven Yust, Sylvia

For those with a keen eye, the Kansas Wheat Photography Contest is a perfect fit. The contest is open to both amateur and professional photographers, who are challenged to capture the story of Kansas wheat across all aspects of the industry from seeding to storage to wheat fields, harvest, grain trade, milling, baking and anything else that captures the photographer’s imagination. This year’s contest winner was Loribeth Reynolds from Hutchison. 

Kansas Wheat Photography Contest Results

1. Loribeth Reynolds, Hutchinson
2. Kimberly Coffey, Wichita
3. Ellie Just, Marion

Wheat weavers combine nimble fingers with pure artistry to make intricate creations from amber waves of grain. Divisions include everything from holiday designs to jewelry as these artists utilize traditional patterns and draw upon their creative talents to come up with new and contemporary designs. This year’s division champion was Angela Harlan from Viola, and the reserve champion was Donna Morgenstern from Salina.

Wheat Weaving Contest Results

Plaited

1. Marian Vavra, Norwich
2. Donna Morgenstern, Salina
3. Mary Thrower, Minneapolis

Marquetry

1. Marian Vavra, Norwich
2. Donna Morgenstern, Salina

Dimensional

1. Angela Harlan, Viola
2. Rita Peterman, McPherson
3. Donna Morgenstern, Salina

Jewelry/Pin/Corsage

1. Marian Vavra, Norwich
2. Donna Morgenstern, Salina

Swiss Work

1. Donna Morgenstern, Salina

Straw Pulp

1. Donna Morgenstern, Salina

Holiday Design

1. Mary Thrower, Minneapolis
2. Marian Vavra, Norwich
3. Rita Peterman, McPherson

And no state fair is complete without food. In the “It’s All About Bread” category, bakers exhibit their best recipes from sourdough bread, holiday bread and whole wheat quick bread. This year’s winners combined tasty ingredients with perfect technique to make winning entries of Rosemary Parmesan Sourdough Bread (Sourdough Division), Whole Wheat Honey Applesauce Pecan Quick Bread (Whole Wheat Quick Bread Division) and a Holiday Kolache Bouquet (Holiday Bread Division).

It’s All About Bread Results

Sourdough

1. Jayne Notin, Rosemary Parmesan Sourdough
2. Wilma Olds, Sourdough Bread

Holiday Bread

1. Wilma Olds, Holiday Kolache Bouquet
2. Betty Hawthorne, Snow Flake Pull Apart Monkey Bread

Whole Wheat Quick Bread

1. Betty Hawthorne, Whole Wheat Honey Applesauce Pecan Quick Bread
2. Wilma Olds, Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

While the contests and categories for the 2024 Kansas State Fair won’t be open for entry until next summer, there’s no need to wait to try out a new recipe, break out the camera to capture wheat planting in action or try your hand at a new craft. Check out eatwheat.org for ideas and inspiration.