A Galactic Pup: Jane Thomson – 2025 Dogs & People Category Winner
Jane Thomson recently captured hearts and judges alike with her playful and cinematic portrait, “May the Fur Be With You.” The image stars Petunia, a rescue dog with a remarkable story, who is transformed into a stoic Yoda alongside her trainer-turned-Princess Leia. What began as a contest called “My Fabulous Weirdo” to celebrate unique-looking dogs turned into a meticulously planned photoshoot full of creativity, patience, and improvisation. From multiple costume adjustments to hairstyling on sensitive skin, Thomson’s preparation and flexibility brought the concept to life, earning her first prize in the People & Pets category and continuing Petunia’s remarkable winning streak.
How did you get to meet Petunia and her owner?
I had this idea to run a contest to photograph more unique-looking dogs, since Vancouver is full of Doodles, Labs, and Corgis. I love photographing all dogs, but I was craving something a little different—something along the lines of the “World’s Ugliest Dog” contest in California, though I didn’t want to use the word “ugly” in my title. So I came up with the “My Fabulous Weirdo” contest and shared it on Instagram with my followers.
Petunia’s owner, Liesl, follows my account and entered Petunia. She runs an amazing rescue organization in Oregon called Luvable Dogs. She saved Petunia from a hoarding situation in Las Vegas and gave her an incredible new life.
Petunia ended up taking first prize in my contest, and her special trainer, Shannon, brought her all the way to Vancouver for her winning portrait session. Fun fact: just a week after I announced Petunia as the winner of my contest, she went on to be crowned the World’s Ugliest Dog in California. And now this portrait has taken first prize here in the People & Pets category. Petunia is definitely on a winning streak!
Can you walk us through your creative process for your winning image, “May the Fur Be With You”?
I had a Zoom call with Shannon and Liesl from Luvable Dog Rescue to learn more about Petunia. I already knew one of the portraits would feature her as Yoda. On the call, Shannon asked if she could be part of the session too. We started talking and realized she’d be perfect as Princess Leia—she even had the right hair for it.
There wasn’t much time before the shoot, but her costume was simple enough, so we went for it. My biggest challenge was learning the art of hairstyling while also being a photographer! I wanted the final image to feel stoic and cinematic rather than comical. They both delivered brilliant performances that brought the idea to life.
Throughout the project, what posed the greatest challenge for you?
Petunia’s skin is very sensitive, so I made three versions of her cape to find one that wouldn’t irritate her. The one in the final portrait fit best and stayed in place, but since dogs move around a lot, there was plenty of adjusting between takes.
How was working with Petunia?
Petunia is young and spent her first 18 months living in a crate, so she’s still new to training. I had to be patient and hope she’d stay in position, keep her cape on, and look right into my lens. In the end, she absolutely nailed it… they both did.
From your experience, what’s the most important mindset or approach that helped you achieve this recognition?
Preparation is everything for portraits like this. Since I often haven’t met the dog before their session, I make sure I have a plan B, C… sometimes D. We had two versions of Princess Leia’s outfit, three capes for Petunia, and several surface options in case she wasn’t comfortable sitting on one. Flexibility is just as important. Dogs aren’t robots and they don’t have long attention spans, so I’ve learned to pivot quickly. Confidence is also key—knowing I’ll create a strong portrait no matter what challenges arise.
More about Jane Thomson: www.janethomsonphotography.com/
