948 Images entered
770 Photographers
55,500 Ratings
Like most of the time, it has been a hard decision to choose the winner but on the other hand this photo fits the brief so well, is nicely composed and subtly processed that it immediately had an impact. As a bonus it has this great reflection as well. You can see it in the animals' and humans' eyes that this journey is no walk in the park.
This photo really stood out from the rest of the submissions and it manages to move and make the viewer think about how the animals feel working for us humans, and it could even make us reflect about ethics. Whatever other viewers think, it's a technically fine and well composed shot fitting the brief too.
A slightly lower point of view, and a slightly different composition placing the spaniel a little more to the left could have helped to improve the overall impact of the technically well shot photo. The lower point of view would narrow the area of sharp vegetation, because the foreground would get more blur. This would probably make the star of this photo stand out more.
Brief
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Animals have lived and worked alongside humans for thousands of years – and many still do. The majority of working animals are involved in the fields of agriculture and transport, and it's common to see working and guide dogs in our day to day lives. Working animals offer companionship, herding, tractive force, search and rescue; they can provide years of service and make our lives much easier in the process.
Meet the expert judge
A nicely captured scene like this could be easily be converted to an at least commended photo. Imagine the point of view moved around 20 or 30 meters to the left and lowering it. You could have all the camels seen from the side with enough space to the left border of the frame. The lower point of view would bring the camels completely in front of the clear sky and the harsh contrasts would make great silhouettes.
