Bored Panda contacted biologist Gina Zwicky, who came up with the Twitter thread. We found out that Gina finds awkward animal pictures much more entertaining than cute ones, and I can’t argue.
She believes that “Bad photos of pets are less common than cute, posed photos, especially in the Instagram era where people can make a living off professional-looking pictures.” Gina said that she doesn’t think that polished pet pics are “what most people enjoy about their own pets.”
Gina also said that her own cat makes a much more fun little furball to look at when “they’re acting silly and less composed.” So she took a pic of it, and after it turned out funny, Gina “posted it with the caption—not much thought went into it!” Soon, she realized her cat is far from the only one looking kinda off on camera, but that’s the whole cute point of it.
Not a single pet owner has signed up for a crappy picture of their beloved furball. I mean, who would ever want to stuff their phone with thousands of pics you can’t even post on Facebook without getting a fair share of remarks? Like, your pug looks like a well-maintained chupacabra.
But that doesn’t mean you are not capable of getting that pitch-perfect shot, even if it takes practice. Bored Panda reached out to Virginie Petorin, a London-based dog photographer who runs the studio E5 Dog Photography, to find out what it takes to make your pet look attractive not just for you, but for your camera too.
Virginie explained that taking pictures of animals is essentially the same as photographing kids and for that reason, “it has to be a game.”
She suggests that you “forget about posing and take your pet as it is.” Remember that pets aren’t very patient too, so you should prepare some treats and toys to keep their attention set on the shoot.
The professional animal photographer also said that English bulldogs are among the most naturally photogenic dogs, so it may be easier for them to look good at any angle.
But let’s be real. Taking a good pic of your pet should realistically take more effort than simply pressing the capture button and hoping for the best.
Bark Post suggests trying out a couple of tricks: first, bring your dog to smile and get his attention. Then, change your camera’s perspective to fit the dog’s angle.
Another thing to remember is making sure your shutter speed is right. “Balance this out based on how much natural lighting you have available—outdoor photos with fast shutter speeds make for beautiful portraits, but indoors (with low light), you’re at a huge disadvantage.”
Lastly, remember that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and if your pug does indeed resemble a chupacabra after a haircut, then let it be. You still love it anyways, so who really cares?
