According to Wood, from the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards project which focuses on humor and conservation, there are a few main reasons why animal photos are such a deep part of internet culture. One of these factors is the format itself.
"It is easy to create the content to start with," she said. "To take the photo, you just need a smartphone, which most people have access to."
What also helps is the current state of the internet. "Online platforms have made it so easy to share content nowadays," Wood told Bored Panda that it's incredibly easy to share one's work with friends, colleagues, and followers alike.
"A visual image is immediately accessible, there are no barriers like language and culture. You can understand it instantly. And then who doesn’t love a cute puppy or a naughty cat—our love for animals stretches across the globe. It’s fun to share this connection."
In Wood's opinion, animal photos won't be going away anytime soon. They're here to stay. "Let's hope so, anyway," the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards team member said.
In the meantime, we were curious to get her take on photographers sharing their work online, which is a big part of marketing one's talents and skills. After all, quite a few creatives might feel shy or even outright scared of showcasing their work on the internet, due to potential criticism.
According to Wood, every situation is personal. "Everyone deals with exposure and criticism differently," she said.
"I would suggest starting slowly, build up your following gradually with content that you are really happy and proud to put your name to, engage with fellow creatives in your area, the internet can be a positive and supportive tool, and don’t be put off by negative comments."
To see some more inspiring and humorous animal photos, be sure to take a peek at this year's Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards finalists. Don't forget to vote for your favorite in the People's Choice Award on their website.
The new TikTok photo trend is fairly simple to participate in. What you do is post a voiceover of a man saying “I’m a photographer and I took this photo,” alongside some whimsical music, and then add a picture you took that contrasts with that tone.
That might be a hilarious picture of your pet, a total mistake that you made while making the shot, or something beyond bonkers. The point is to surprise the audience in some way and to have fun while doing it.
Many people who are completely new to the trend naturally think that what they’re about to see are gorgeous, highly professional images, taken by professional photographers. So they’re in for a bit of a shock and a giggle when they get the opposite. This small twist, this moment of humor is what has helped the trend go so viral.
The popularity of the trend on TikTok and other networks has been nothing short of phenomenal. While some of the clips have garnered only a few thousand views each, others, which kicked the trend into overdrive, boast literal millions of views. And the photos are definitely worth all the attention they’re getting.
The fact of the matter is that no matter how great and experienced a photographer you are, you’ll still make mistakes. It’s inevitable. It’s human. And it can be downright hilarious if you have the courage to share your ‘failed’ and unflattering snaps with your followers. It really helps if you have a growth-oriented mindset and embrace your errors, instead of shying away from them.
When you admit to having made a blunder—and maybe blush and laugh at yourself a bit—you seem far more human as a professional. Laughing at your mess-ups is also a far better alternative to internalizing all of that frustration and embarrassment and letting it transform into deep-rooted shame.
Unfortunately, some photographers are perfectionists, just like many other artists and professionals in other fields. Let’s get one thing straight, though, first. It’s completely fine to have standards for your work and to edit and iterate it until you create something that’s truly high quality. However, if you constantly obsess about never being ‘good enough’ and you’re scared of showing your work publicly because some tiny details might be off, then there’s a problem.
