Em Boyle Photography

22/06/2026

Oh my goodness, the last twenty-four hours have been an absolute whirlwind of competition results and I am still pinching myself because I just found out that I received six silvers and one bronze in the first half of the 2026 WPE International Photography Awards. These results have actually placed me at 14th(!) in the global Top 100 Photographers leaderboard, which is the highest ranking I have ever managed to achieve in a single round. There are thousands of incredibly talented photographers entering from all over the world, in all genres of photography, in each of the three rounds every year, so to see my name sitting up there on the leaderboard is just the most surreal feeling!

And then on top of that, last night I also got the monthly results through from the Guild of Photographers where I received another silver award and a few bronzes too. It was especially special this time because my amazing pup Fin got the silver! I rarely enter images of Fin and Jake anymore as my clients always come first with editing these days, so it’s an extra special silver and from a magical foggy morning with the doggos.

Behind the scenes of these awards, there is so much work that goes on because every single one of these images goes through hours and hours of incredibly detailed editing. My wonderful clients might not spot the tiny differences at first glance (spot the difference for adults perhaps?!), but the competition versions are tweaked and refined in very specific ways to make sure I am meeting the criteria of the judges, and it typically takes weeks of preparation before I finally hit submit. I absolutely love the whole process because competition pushes me to keep learning and growing as a photographer, and because this prep takes so much time, I usually select a small handful of images to go into a special 'pot' for the whole awards season, which is why you might notice some of these photos carrying a few different badges from different awards.

There are always so many other beautiful doggos and sessions that I wish I could enter, but I want to say the biggest thank you to every single one of my amazing clients... Whether your pup has an award badge on their photo or not, you all trust me with your incredible dogs and allow me to push my creative boundaries every single day, and I am just so incredibly grateful to have the best job in the world!

08/06/2026

🐾 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘄𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟳 🐾

Each year I photograph a collection of Wellington dogs for a fine art charity calendar, with 100% of proceeds going to a local dog rescue. This year I'm absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Chance 4 Change! ❤️

For 2027, the project is bigger than it's ever been – 48 dogs across four categories, including a brand new rescue category with spots reserved specifically for Chance 4 Change rehoming success stories.

The second round is now open for applications: 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗼𝗴𝘀 (𝟬-𝟭𝟰𝗸𝗴).

📍 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀:
• Sunday 5 July, 8:00–10:15am (Lower Hutt)
• Sunday 12 July, 8:00–10:15am (Wellington)

🐶 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀:
• A complimentary fine art photography mini session
• One high-resolution digital image (also featured in the calendar)
• $200 wall art credit

12 dogs will be selected for this round, with selection based on breed/mix, age and colour diversity. Every application is read before any decisions are made.

𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘳 𝘗𝘢𝘸𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦.

👉 Applications close 16 June. Full details and the application form can be found in the comments below.

31/05/2026

🐾 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲'𝘀 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵: 𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗘𝗦 🐾

In honour of my boy Finlay, who turns eight today (an incredibly emotional day as it was a miracle when he even made seven!), June is dedicated to collies – Border, Rough, Smooth, Bearded, Smithfield and more!

I'm looking for four collies of various sorts to be selected as June's Breed of the Month and photographed during a specially planned session designed around this breed group.

📍 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀:
• Saturday 27 June (early morning) in Wellington
• Location and timing are fixed.

🐶 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝗴𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲:
• A complimentary mini photography session (15-20 mins)
• One high-resolution digital image of their choice
• $200 wall art credit

This is a photographer-led project, with selection based on suitability for the planned location and creative vision. Purebred collies and mixed breeds with a visible collie breed are welcome to apply.

𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘳 𝘗𝘢𝘸𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦.

👉 Applications are open now and close 7 June. Apply via the link in the comments below to be considered.

15/05/2026

Paws Project applications for large dogs (30kg+) close tonight! 🐶

Do you have a large breed dog?

Entries for the 2027 Paws Project Calendar by Em Boyle Photography are open now - but applications close TONIGHT!

This beautiful fine art charity calendar is supporting us in 2027, and we’d love to see some of our supporters and rehomed dogs involved.

Full details and the application form can be found here: https://www.emboylephotography.co.nz/paws-project

13/05/2026

🐾 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝘄𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗴𝘀? 🐾

A matriarch who rules with quiet authority. A Swedish Vallhund who argues back under his breath when he gets told off. A Springer x Lab who helps himself to exactly one slice of bread. And a cattle dog x who was rescued from a chain at eight weeks old and now shows her belly to the people she loves. ❤️

These dogs helped raise over $1800 for Ellie's Canine Rescue through the 2026 Paws Project Calendar. 📅

✨ Applications are still open for large dogs (30kg+) for the 2027 calendar too!

👇 Link to the blog post is in the comments below.

08/05/2026

🐾 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘄𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟳 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 🐾

Each year I photograph a collection of Wellington dogs for a fine art charity calendar, with 100% of proceeds going to a local dog rescue. This year I'm absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Chance 4 Change! ❤️

For 2027, the project is bigger than it's ever been – 48 dogs across four categories, including a brand new rescue category with spots reserved specifically for Chance 4 Change rehoming success stories.

The first round is now open for applications: 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗴𝘀 (𝟯𝟬 𝗸𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿).

📍 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀:
• Saturday 30 May, 8:00–10:15am (Upper Hutt)
• Sunday 31 May, 8:00–10:15am (Lower Hutt)

🐶 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀:
• A complimentary fine art photography mini session
• One high-resolution digital image (also featured in the calendar)
• $200 wall art credit

12 dogs will be selected for this round, with selection based on breed/mix, age and colour diversity. Every application is read before any decisions are made.

𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘳 𝘗𝘢𝘸𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦.

👉 Applications close 16 May. Full details and the application form can be found here: https://www.emboylephotography.co.nz/paws-project

06/05/2026

⏳ A quick reminder that applications for May's Breed of the Month close tonight! ⌛️

This month I'm celebrating Rare Breeds, those gorgeous pups you don't see every day out and about. If your dog is a less common breed and you'd love to be considered for a fine art portrait session, I'd love to hear from you.

The main shoot is happening in Wellington on Saturday 16 May, with mini sessions in Upper Hutt the following day on Sunday 17 May. I'll be in touch with the chosen dogs shortly after applications close.

To apply, head to the link in the comments below.👇

30/04/2026

🐾 𝗠𝗮𝘆'𝘀 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵: 𝗥𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗗𝗦 🐾

May is dedicated to rare breeds – Afghan Hounds, Irish Wolfhounds, Deerhounds, Pulis, Xoloitzcuintles, Basenjis and more! Basically any breed that isn't common in NZ, there's no super strict criteria for this one, if in doubt, pop in an application!

I'm looking for one rare breed dog to be selected as May's Breed of the Month and photographed during a specially planned session designed around this breed group.

𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗛: I've also been struggling to narrow it down to one dog from all the applications each month, so some Breed of the Month months will now include an extra day to accommodate some mini sessions. Dogs offered a mini session will, like the main winner, receive an included digital file and wall art credit. This month is one of those months!

📍 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀:
• Main session: Saturday 16 May (early morning) in Wellington
• Mini sessions: Sunday 17 May (early morning) in Upper Hutt
• Location and timing are fixed.

🐶 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲:
• A complimentary photography session (40–60 mins for one selected dog, and 15-20 mins for the handful of mini sessions)
• One high-resolution digital image of their choice
• $200 wall art credit

This is a photographer-led project, with selection based on suitability for the planned location and creative vision. Purebred rare breeds and mixed breeds with a visible rare breed are welcome to apply.

𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘳 𝘗𝘢𝘸𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦.

👉 Applications are open now and close 7 May. Apply via the link in the comments below to be considered.

16/04/2026

🐕 𝗟𝗼𝗹𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲'𝘀 𝗙𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗴 🐕

I first met Lola at a Wellington on a Plate event, where she was enthusiastically working her way through the infamous dog burger from 4Paws Empire, and I knew immediately that she was going to be an absolute delight to photograph! 😍

She's a French Bulldog with a strong love of life, food, people and her lovely owner, Tracey. Our original session date got rained out, which turned out to be a real gift as the rescheduled evening gave us the most beautiful golden hour light, and a relaxed, happy Lola trotting behind Tracey's heel. ❤️

Tracey ended up with two panoramic montages and an artisan canvas with the gold frame to beautifully showcase this truly gorgeous pup! 🖼️

The full session write up is over on the blog now. Link in the comments below 🐾

13/04/2026

Have you met April's Paws Project Calendar dogs yet?

This month features five dogs from three households, and honestly what a group! Amber the Schnauzer who runs the house, Jasper and Onyx from the same family but completely different personalities, Pip the rescue Kelpie who has her own bedroom (queen bed, recliner, the full set!), and seven-month-old Ember who is already very aware of how charming she is. 🐶

Full introductions on the blog. Link in the comments below. 🐾