I’ve officially wrapped up the 2025 Unleashed Education Emerge Challenge, and if I’m honest, I’m walking away with a mix of pride, frustration, and creative energy that I didn’t quite expect.
Emerge isn’t about business or marketing – it’s purely about the craft of photography. It’s about seeing, thinking, and creating differently. About diving deeper into the why behind your images and in my case, confronting the skills you’ve been quietly avoiding.
As someone who’s always worked outdoors – chasing light, weather, and genuine dog energy – this program challenged me to think about photography in ways I hadn’t before. It made me consciously practice technical and creative aspects I’d often sidestepped, and it forced me to slow down, experiment, and evaluate what really makes an image work.
The Reality: Growth in Chaos
This year was anything but easy. Between my laptop dying, moving house, juggling renovations, finishing uni assignments, traveling, and setting up my business to thrive long-term – time was scarce.
I ran out of time to re-shoot a couple of Challenges that didn’t quite resonate how I wanted. That sucked. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned this year, it’s that growth doesn’t wait for the perfect timing.
Sometimes, the biggest lessons happen when life’s chaotic – when you’re squeezing in editing sessions at midnight (that happened more than I’d like this year…), or chasing light with a dog and a camera while your to-do list screams in the background.
Lessons Hidden in Each Challenge
Every single challenge this year taught me something different. Some felt effortless, making me question my choices. Others made me want to throw my camera off my deck. But each one gave me a clearer understanding of what I value most in my work: storytelling, connection, and intention.
Framed
My original submission for Framed was rushed. I knew it wasn’t what I wanted to submit, but time just wasn’t on my side.
My resubmission, however, was a completely different story – and one filled with laughter, and a lot of dodging spiders (which, as an arachnophobic, was an extreme act of bravery). I worked with a 12-week-old puppy in the forest, hunting for the perfect log for him to sit on and the perfect light. It came close to what I’d originally imagined – and, more importantly, reminded me that joy and persistence are as much a part of the creative process as capturing the original idea perfectly.
While it didn’t quite land the brief as I’d intended, I got some lovely feedback on how beautiful my use of colour and light were.
Highs and Lows
This one gave me grief from the start.
I ended up choosing a photo of a cheeky foster fail I’d photographed for the Starting Over Dog Rescue 2026 calendar. I don’t love the image because it didn’t have the same energy and emotional feel I usually aim for – but technically, I thought I did pretty well.
Some feedback I got on this one was that I could have pushed it further. Which was pretty scary for me because I thought I’d pushed it pretty far. It’s already kind of out of my comfort zone with how white and bright it is.
Clearly I prefer the darker tones – it’s a shame I wasn’t quite able to capture what I wanted to go for low key instead.
Pantastic
Trying to capture motion blur intentionally and make it artistic?
Brutal.
I don’t think I’ve ever spent so long fiddling with shutter speeds. I’m still not 100% confident with this style of image, but I’m determined to keep practicing. So if you’ve got a dog who loves to run – and you’re up for capturing that wild joy – let’s give it another go in a Session. I’ll keep learning (even if the feedback was really positive on this), one Session at a time.
All In The Details
This one’s a lesson in creative stubbornness.
I didn’t manage to re-shoot it, even though I wanted to refine it further. But I loved the image I’d already created, so I decided to agree to disagree with the feedback. Growth isn’t just about improvement — it’s also about owning your artistic choices and being proud of what you’ve made, imperfections and all.
Something I hear from mentors and judges is that artistic work that wins awards isn’t always what clients and photographers love. I love this photo because it shows off Bones’ heart shaped nose. And even if the depth of field doesn’t give Craig and Charlotte the separation they’d like, even if Charlotte got confused by Bones’ markings on his leg. None of that takes away from how much I love what I captured of my own dog.
I captured a piece of him most people don’t easily notice. But when they do, their response is always, “is that a love heart on his nose?”
When I pointed this out to Craig, his comment was “make it a square crop, don’t force the heart shape.” Even in my creative stubbornness, Craig always gives me solid advice to improve my work.
Mirror Image
This was one of my more experimental takes.
I photographed Cyrus in a rock pool at my local Warrandyte river location – not your typical setting for a mirror image, which is exactly why I loved the idea. Unfortunately, my original image didn’t quite meet the brief in Craig and Charlotte’s eyes, which was a shame because I’d really tried to bring a creative twist to the concept (seriously, who takes mirror images in a river?).
While I had an image of Bones that met the brief submitted for a bit, it just didn’t sit right with me to submit an image I hated just to meet a brief. So I found a photo of Cyrus that didn’t have the same issues they disliked in the original, edited that and ended up submitting something they really enjoyed.
Sometimes it pays to stand by your creative choices!
Bokehlicious
Now this one was a lot of fun!
I loved creating this image. It captured exactly what I’d envisioned – the feeling of having a beer with a mate on a warm summer evening as the sun sets.
The light, the mood, the sense of relaxed companionship – it all came together beautifully. This Challenge reminded me why I love working outdoors: the way light interacts with the environment creating and showing the emotions feels magical.
For me, this image was a creative win that will stay with me for a long time. Even if the feedback was to tone down how far I took the vignette and to remove the bits of bokeh under the deck railing.
The Final Results
Given how crazy my year had been, and that it felt like all of my images were hated. I was super surprised to find out that I had a Highly Commended portfolio in the end!
Knowing the high calibre of photographers who participated in Emerge from around the world, this is an amazing achievement!
How Emerge Has Changed My Work
Emerge has made me more intentional than ever. I don’t just capture what feels right anymore – I think about why it feels right.
The way light falls on fur. The story told through a single tilt of a dog’s head. The energy between handler and dog. The rhythm of a scene.
It’s made me more analytical without losing my instinct. And that balance – of deliberate technical control and emotional spontaneity – is where I want to continue to grow and improve within.
That storytelling focus is something I’m constantly working to refine, because it’s what transforms an image from “cute dog photo” into artwork you display in your home. It’s what makes people want to hang those portraits in their homes – and that’s what I’m striving for every single time I pick up the camera.
It’s about crafting images that make my clients feel something deep enough that they want it displayed where they can see and enjoy it every day. A quote a friend shared recently is “Your photos will look the way your photographer sees the world” (Carol Wang) and it made me realise that the artwork I try to capture is our dogs in our world, comfortable, happy but not reliant on us. Why?
Because that’s what I worked so damn hard for with Bones, and I want everyone to be able to enjoy and never forget those moments with their dogs. And I feel like I captured that in my Emerge portfolio.
What Comes Next: My 2026 Focus
Emerge has left me with a clearer path forward and three core goals that feel deeply true to where I’m heading:
- Tell stronger stories in every image.
Every photo should evoke emotion – joy, pride, nostalgia, peace. I want each image to be a story or a memory, not just an image. - Keep pushing creatively.
Comfort zones are for naps, not art. I’ll keep experimenting, failing, and learning – because that’s what keeps photography alive (even if it’s just editing techniques you probably won’t notice). - Create artwork worthy of walls.
My ultimate goal is to fill homes with meaningful artwork – not just photos, but tangible stories. I want every wall print, framed photo, or album to feel like a piece of the owner’s heart.
Closing Thoughts
Emerge didn’t change who I am as a photographer – it deepened my understanding of why I do this.
It forced me to confront the limits of my comfort, the reality of my distractions, and the stories I most want to tell. It reminded me that there’s always room to grow – and that growth often happens when you least have time for it.
So here’s to muddy shoes, failed images, magical light, and dogs who make every creative challenge worth it.
Each photo has a story – and that story is always worth chasing.