Photographing animals imposes as set of different challenges. Unlike having a lovely lady stand in front of your camera, you cannot talk with animals to give them directions. With animals, photography is a lot more complicated than that; it would require a handful of patience and probably a bagful of treats to keep the subject perfectly happy. This is why I am always in awe when I see really amazing portraits of animals — whether standing still looking into the camera or floating majestically in a tank.
In this post, we are going to feature three photography series that feature cute and stunning portraits of animals we have found around online.
First on our list is the Wet Dog series by New York-based photographer Sophie Gamand along with the help of groomer Ruben Santana. The series features the hilarious and awkward photographs of dogs as if caught in the middle of a soapy bath session. The series is part of Gamand’s four-year project of photographing dogs as a part of a larger project to better understand humans. “Dogs mirror us and say a lot about our own solitude and the challenges we face in human society. To think that dogs were the first example of artificial selection is fascinating. That means they stopped being animals a long time ago, in my opinion. Now they are somewhat between animals and humans. They are pets. Companions.” Gamand said in an interview at Feature Shoot.
Next on our list is the gorgeous portrait series of Siamese fighting fish by Visarute Angkatavanich from Bangkok. The crisp images of fishes floating in space with their graceful fins and vibrant colors perfectly stands out from the stark, empty background. Angkatavanich told Popular Photography that his obsession in photographing the Siamese fighting fish was the result of a fish show trip he took a few years before. He got obsessed because of the great variety in shapes, sizes, colors, and patterns.
Last on our list is the charming and quirky series of birds by Leila Jeffreys. During her childhood, Jeffreys was taught by her father how to rescue and take care of the birds and nurse them back to health. This experience gave her a deep understanding of wildlife. Her portraits showcases human-like personalities and characteristics of the variety of birds such as eagles, owls, magpies, and cockatoos.
Did this post inspire you? Share your thoughts in the comments section below. Do you have any interesting portraits of your pets that you would like to share? Send them over! We’d love to put them on spotlight. As always, do not forget to connect with us on Facebook.