2024 Documentary Dog Photographer of the Year – John Fabiano

My earliest inspiration is my father. He loves film photography and I spent many of my younger years learning how to load film, point, focus, and shoot on his camera. He exposed me to the rush of excitement that occurs after capturing a lasting image. I’ve spent my whole life dabbling in photography but decided to get serious during the pandemic. I invested in my first DSLR camera and learned shortly after that there is no subject I love photographing more than dogs.

This photograph is part of my project, Wags Around the World, which explores and documents the varying relationships between dogs and humans in different cultures. I traveled to Northern Greenland to document how Greenlandic Inuits use huskies for survival. During this sled ride through a blizzard, we were traveling to Qaanaaq from Siorapaluk, which is the northernmost indigenous village in the world. At various points, the ropes attached to the dogs would get intertwined. We would have to stop so my guide, Ilannguaq, could untangle the ropes before we continued our journey. I used these opportunities to hop off the sled, warm up my body, and snap photos. Luckily this stop was directly in front of a massive iceberg, which made for the perfect backdrop.

First and foremost, the cold! I spent a lot of time sitting on sleds trying to maintain feeling in my toes. As for photography, the greatest challenge was making the most of my time around the dogs. There was a full language barrier between my hosts and me, so I wasn’t able to give any direction as a photographer. I was along for the rides and allowed to document the dogs in their natural state, so most of my images from Greenland were unplanned and captured on the fly.

This award is a massive confidence booster. I have followed the Dog Photography Awards for years, but this was the first year I felt I had images that could compete. I draw inspiration from the work of your judges, so I am truly honored that they have recognized my photography. This award will push me to continue pursuing my passion for photographing dogs.

I am currently spending time in Costa Rica with my girlfriend, Steph, and my dog, Viola. I am working on a book about my travels and, as always, photographing dogs along the way.