Ok, someone stop us—because Mabel and I are on a roll!

This month’s Embark Challenge theme was Dogscapes, and I couldn’t have been more excited. It gave me the perfect excuse to combine two of my biggest passions — photographing pets and capturing beautiful landscapes. But this one was also personal.

My grandpa used to work at Badlands National Park way back when, and he always spoke fondly of Sheep Mountain Table — it was his favorite spot in the park. So when I set out to create a Dogscape image for this challenge, I knew that’s exactly where I wanted to take Mabel. Not just for the view, but for the memory. It felt like a small way to honor him and carry that connection forward through my own work.

Plus, there’s just something about those dramatic ridgelines, wide open skies, and otherworldly textures that scream “epic.”

And yes, before anyone comes for me, Mabel was not off leash. The leash was removed in post, and we were never more than 20 feet from the road. We followed the rules, I promise.

Now for the chaos.

This time around, my poor husband drew the short straw and had to be out the door by 4:30 AM so we could catch the 5:30 AM sunrise. We headed to the Sheep Mountain Overlook Road, partly for the view but mostly for the peace and quiet. Mabel tends to get a little too excited by, well… anything that moves. Sheep Mountain gave us space and serenity—and unfortunately, mud.

Because what happens when you plan a sunrise shoot in the Badlands after a storm? You get stuck. The roads become impassable, the ground turns slick, and the mud is basically peanut butter. But we were already up, already there, and I was not going home empty-handed. Thankfully, the first stretch of the road is gravel. No epic view from the top that morning, but we managed to find a somewhat safe spot to set up the shot—and Mabel delivered.

She was so excited to explore a new place full of new smells, but I was incredibly proud of her for holding her poses and listening to me. These shoots have become fantastic training for her, and it's been rewarding to see the effort pay off with each new adventure.

Because of the storm, I didn’t get the cotton candy clouds I had dreamed of as the light was being blocked just enough, but we still managed to catch some soft, dreamy sunrise light. I was lucky to have any clouds at all. They always seem to vanish at the worst time.

But in the end, it was all worth it—our image placed Top 10, and I’m so excited to share what the judges had to say:

“A very definite sense of place here. Great lens choice for this big open sky and for having the dog nice and big in the frame.”

Check out the full Top 10 winner list here:
👉 https://www.unleashed.education/blog/embark-2025-dogscapes-top-10

These challenges continue to stretch me creatively and give me the perfect excuse to spend more time with Mabel in the places I love most. I’d love to take you and your dog on an adventure session too—mud optional.

Stay tuned… there are still plenty more challenges to come.

—Erica (and Mabel, official mud tester and sunrise supervisor)