Jess McGovern

The multi-award winning photographer will speak twice at The Photography Show this month. Niall Hampton finds out what's in store...

Recently crowned the overall winner of the 2024 Societies of Photographers 20×16 Print Competition and, having won a hatful of previous awards, Jess McGovern is a leading practitioner of dog photography. Her beautifully composed images reveal the soul of her subjects and capture the deep emotional affinity that humans have with canines. Self-taught, McGovern is passionate about giving back and has helped 500,000 photographers develop and grow, both in-person and via her online photographic community.

She is giving two talks at The Photography & Video Show: ‘Lights, camera, lick!’ and ‘Catch! Creating classic dog action shots’. We caught up with McGovern to find out more about her and her photography…

Why did you become a pet photographer? 

Animals were always my safe space when I was a teen, and I was given a camera as a Christmas present so the two sort of fell together. It was an Olympus E-420, an entry-level DSLR, with a kit lens. I like to know how things work and why things work, so enjoyed using it. When I needed some help, a couple of people on the internet gave me some feedback: ‘If you try doing this, you might find it easier’. It was helpful advice, so that’s why I offer free online tutorials now.

‘Never work with children and animals’, as the old saying goes, but you’re proving otherwise. What’s the secret of your success?