About Embark
In 2024 I chose to participate in the Unleashed Education Embark Challenge to get some feedback on my photography and editing skills. This Challenge is a 6 month Challenge with very set briefs that need to be met with a Top 20 and Top 10. To rank in the Top 20, your photo needs to meet the specific brief, be well edited and be compositionally appropriate. To make the Top 10 you need to do all of this, and add a little something special to make it stand out from the crowd.
The Brief
Photograph your subject in a man-made environment, paying special attention to showing features of the location to create an urban feel in the image. The image can show large features such as buildings, bridges or city skylines, or the features can be on a smaller scale. As always, the dog should be the main star of the shot, with the location playing a supporting role.
City Slicker is such an interesting brief because it can be shot in so many ways. Because the focus is on a dog in a man-made environment, our interpretations on this is going to be unique to each photographer and the environment they live in.
For me, I’d imagined from the day I read this brief, I imagined taking my City Slicker photo in amongst some of Melbourne’s iconic historical architecture. Knowing I was looking for a very specific shot, but not being sure what dog would suit this best I held 3 Mini Shoots to give myself options. In the end, Sarge’s open and engaging expression (despite being wary of me to begin with) won the day.
Editing this photo was one of the easier edits I’ve done for Embark. When the lighting falls beautifully, and there are no harsh shadows impacting how we can focus on the dog – the edits become softer and more about shaping how we view the light.
The main focus of my edit was to soften the reflection on the tiles, while enhancing the warmth in Sarge’s tan fur and eyes; and in the stone architecture. The biggest work I did for this was to brighten Sarge’s darker face to enhance his eyes and show us the depth and contours of his nose.
The Result
Once again, while I was out and about, the feedback was released and I saw that I’d made Top 20 in the Facebook group while I was walking my dog. This time, I was really excited to see if I’d snuck into Top 10 and logged in on my phone to discover I’d made Top 10 again!
Once I got home, logged in and was able to watch the feedback, I was really happy to hear that the feedback focused entirely on small details to level up my photo. It was recommended that some blemishes in the pillar next to his head be removed (I’ve already done this in the above image), and Craig mentioned he’d love to have seen the lamp turned on. The final feedback they provided was:
The architectural details in this image give it a real sense of place, while the expression of the dog pulls the viewer in to his perspective on the place. Great use of harmonious colour throughout, too. Well done!