Dogs, the new creatures
The one in the photo is Caldwell. This week his owner, Katie Brockman, won the Dog Photographer of the Year award at the 2026 Dog Photography Awards. It is the chosen photo from among all the winners of the different categories. It is not one of the major photography awards, but it has repercussions because images of beasts, especially if they are endearing, are grateful content for many media outlets.
Caldwell is a pit bull, one of those dogs classified as "potentially dangerous," and the photographer wanted to denounce the stigma they suffer. The photograph claims his good-natured expression, like a little king of the house. The hand holding his jowls shows that he is gentle and calm. While the press headlines that can be read on the paper crown the dog is wearing collect cases about the virtues of these beasts, those on the collar, also made of paper, show news about the aggression associated with this breed: "A ticking time bomb on a leash?", one news story asks. "Devil dogs," says another headline. Brockman explains that the biggest difficulty in taking the photo was getting Caldwell to look at the camera and not at her, as she was stroking his neck. She had to put a treat in front of him so he would fix his gaze on it.
Brockman has named the photo Loved and hated to represent this duality they provoke. An affectionate hand, on one side, and a strangling chain on the other. His physical presence is imposing. The unfriendly face he often makes, too. They say that the character of animals depends on their owners, but when you happen to come across one of these beasts, you also don't know what the human accompanying it is like.
A story of absolute love
The story of Katie Brockman and her dog is one of absolute love. Caldwell was found abandoned in 2015 and taken to the shelter. He spent five years there, but no one adopted him. He was included on the list of dogs to be put down, but a stroke of luck brought him to a shelter where Brockman was volunteering as a dog walker. She took him for walks every week, and when the dog began to have behavioral problems from spending so many hours locked in a cage, she decided to adopt him. Since she lived in an apartment that was too small and dogs of dangerous breeds were not allowed in the building, she ventured to buy a house where they could live together. One Christmas Eve, Katie had to take Caldwell to the emergency vet with an intestinal obstruction. He had to be operated on, and during the anguish of those hours, she thought that she hadn't taken many photos of her dog. She saved up to buy a camera and started keeping a photographic diary of her pet. She became fond of it and participated in specialized contests. She has turned her hobby into a profession, and she photographs all kinds of dogs and their families. Her catalog is a bit cheesy, but she has found a style that characterizes her. She humanizes the beasts and visually emphasizes that deep love they provoke.
The staging of the photo, with the paper crown, is reminiscent of children's birthday photos when they blow out the candles. Increasingly, dogs are the new children.
