Jess McGovern

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

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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?