- Award Winning Photographs -

- Kennel Club Dog Photography Of The year 2018 -

Assistance Dogs Charity Category 1st Place Winner Dean Mortimer, United Kingdom

Title of image: ‘Reassurance’

Dog: Rocko, German Shepherd Dog

    My thought process behind this picture is one that is close to my heart. My brother is ex-military as are some of my friends. I have seen first-hand some of the issues that war can have on even the strongest of men. The ex-soldier in the photo suffered great loss in Afghanistan and suffers from PTSD so that’s when Rocko came to his rescue. Rocko the German Shepherd has been trained by his handler to help combat the effects of PTSD, the skills of which help calm and reassure the soldier when times get hard. In my photograph I tried to capture not just how this dog aids this PTSD sufferer but also to capture the kind nature of the dog and how he enriches this man’s life. I have been following and admiring the work carried out by Service Dogs UK, the charity I am nominating for this category prize donation from the Kennel Club Charitable Trust. I am amazed by how affective dogs can be in assisting an individual with their recovery. So I decided to base my entry for this category on this issue and hope that in doing so will raise awareness of this worthy charity.

Technical specification

Canon 1DX Aperture: f2.8 ISO Speed: 2000 Focal length: 200mm Exposure program: Av Exposure time: 1/160 sec Flash: No

Fantastic news!!!! We have won 1st place in the "Assistant dog category" of kennel club Dog Photographer Of The Year! Photographers from 70 different countries around the world entered with over 10,000 entries per category. We feel very lucky and overwhelmed. How very exciting!

- The Leica Fieldsports Photographer Of The Year 2015 -

    I received this award in 2015 and although it did not place it was awarded as a highly commended image. 

Technical specification

Canon 1DX Aperture: f2.8 ISO Speed: 1000 Focal length: 200mm Exposure program: Av Exposure time: 1/800 sec Flash: No