In celebration of National Dog Photography Day, we are saluting the unsung people behind the lens who capture everything from the mundane to the extraordinary in the lives of dogs. Some of these images have become iconic and are burned into minds around the word. Other photos are captured by folks risking life and limb leading the way into dark and forbidding places, while a dog in front of the camera takes all the credit. And some pictures are just a quick snapshot shared on social media to bring a smile. Whether you’re a professional dog photographer, or someone simply capturing a moment with a point and a click, we thank you all for sharing your dog photos.

Asa and I would especially like to thank our Mom, who has made it her mission to take a photo of us every day of our lives. Although she has missed a day or two each year due to illness or family emergency, she has surprisingly managed to stick to her goal. Sometimes at the expense of her dignity though. Thanks Mom for your willingness to lay on the ground, or balance precariously up high on a rock to capture us at just the right angle, and for not being embarrassed to make squeaky noises in public to get our attention. Also thanks for for patiently waiting for your turn after getting us to pose at a scenic location, while fellow tourists step in front to take their photo of us, or smiling politely while an adoring fan interrupts to pet us. Speaking of posing, our apologies too for not always being patient with you, and for the occasional artistic difference in how the photo should look. We’d also like to say sorry for the times when we accidentally knocked Mom down while capturing the perfect action shot, not to mention that one time we broke your camera. So with that said, we give Mom permission to share some of our outtakes today, to show how much work it takes photographing dogs.