When Bad Photography Happens To Good People And Animals Alike
By Aakash M
Many of us are great at photography, but not everybody is a professional nature and wildlife photographer. We are talking about those people whose work is usually featured on Discovery, National Geographic, and other similar places.
When we come across wildlife, most of us only have our smartphones to capture those moments. Even if we have the necessary gear for wildlife photography, we never know the next move the animal might make. They’re really unpredictable, which makes wildlife photography very challenging.
One needs a lot of patience and skill to get a perfect photo of animals. Professional photographers are able to capture fantastic wildlife moments only because they have the talent, the patience, and the adequate gear.
But, sometimes, things don’t work out even for them. Even they take lousy shots once in a while, and trust us; it’s hilarious when they do. So, here are some of the moments when wildlife photography took an unexpected turn!
Horrified Terry
Meet Terry. He’s an egret, and he’s from Egypt. We don’t know the reason behind the shocked look on his face, but we can surely say that it’s alarming. Maybe, just maybe, he’s looking down at 2020 for the disastrous year it was.
Or, it could be that Terry was simply startled by having a camera aimed in his direction, even birds do not like always being the center of attention, and we think that Terry here is a little camera shy indeed.
Not a pipe
If there’s one thing that’s common in every single marriage, it’s arguments. They happen to all couples, irrespective of how strong the relationship is. The wife came home from work and started yelling at her husband about nearly tripping over the hose.
He swore that he had put the hose in the shed, and it was only when she went out with her phone to record the evidence of where he left the hose- that it started moving, scaring her and the anti-shake feature on her phone’s camera into another dimension.
The final shot
As we said in the intro, wildlife photography requires a lot of skill and patience. It’s as if it’s an art form in itself. Things become even more challenging when you’re using an analog camera and only have one shot left on your roll.
This photographer was in a similar situation, so you can imagine how intense things would’ve been. But, he thought of using his last shot to click a photo of a burping deer, of all things. It’s still a winner in our books, though.
Warnings are warnings
The warning signs that you see are there for a reason. Whenever you see an animal-related warning sign, be it for a dog or even for a goose, it’s best to acknowledge it and keep your distance. It’s also best to have a camera ready for what ever comes next.
The warning sign about the geese was meant to be taken seriously. Keep walking. Trust us! This photo also proves that a goose isn’t silly. In reality, they’re pretty aggressive animals, and this “nature shot” proves this point perfectly.
When catch went too far
Sometimes while playing catch, the ball goes a bit too far, and when that happens, you have to look here and there to find it. Often, the ball ends up in a gutter, or in the neighbours yard. But, imagine if it’s not stuck in a gutter but on someone’s roof this time.
And by someone’s roof, we’re not talking about a house. We’re talking about the antlers of a blacktail deer! That’s one of the rarest coincidences ever, and we’re glad to see an image of it! That ball is really sturdy since it didn’t burst. We just hope someone was able to remove it safely.
Striking resemblance
This one looks like a remake of the spaghetti scene from the movie Lady and the Tramp. We know that scene wasn’t set in a swamp, but there’s some resemblance here, right? Also, this photo involves two totally different animals.
Since this photo resembles that scene from that movie, we are wondering who dropped spaghetti in a swamp? Also, which genius would have thought that it would be nice to have a picnic near croc-infested waters? The turtle is just too cute, though.
Freezing cold
Canada isn’t a place that houses too many exotic animals, but this squirrel that was found roaming in the Northern Bruce Peninsula does look quite exotic, doesn’t it? We might have seen hairless cats, but we have never seen a bald squirrel!
Doesn’t this squirrel need a jacket? It must be freezing out there. We know there must be an interesting backstory here, but we arent sure we really want to know. What’s funny is that the poor guy has a totally hairless body, but the tail is still as bushy as can be, and we are glad someone was able to capture this cute although weird scene.
Let’s eat
Having a nicely decked out patio near the woods is great because it makes you feel like you’re communing with nature. It’s also a fantastic place to eat, relax, and vibe. But, in this situation, it looks like the owner of this patio isn’t the only one doing the communing.
This fox was roaming around when it decided to sit down on the comfy sofa, and he looks right at home in the suburban setting. Also, it’s looking at the human as if it wants to say, “I’m sorry for barging in, but I wanted to tell you that I’ll be joining you for lunch after you get my best side on film.”
Head’s spinning
How many of you knew that birds could spin their heads at really high speeds? Well, that’s true, and this photo is proof of that. This bird was turning its head so fast that even the camera couldn’t keep up with its movements.
Because the camera couldn’t capture its face, it ended up looking as if it had some sort of a torpedo on its head, which, although fascinating, is kind of scary as well, like something out of a horror movie. The truth is that birds spin their heads to improve their sight.
Just chilling
How many of you know there’s a Facebook group solely dedicated to mistimed and lousy wildlife photography? This image is one of the many hilarious and creepy wildlife posts from that group. The photographer’s cat had run away from home.
So, this guy set up a trail cam. Well, we think just going out with posters of the cat would’ve worked as well. Anyways, that’s when he came across all of this. It basically looks like an image from a night safari, even though it’s just a cat hanging around with a crew of skunks, which is weird in its own right.
Bird illusion
For everybody trying to improve their photography skills with their phones, here’s what happens when you try to click pictures at f/16. As you can see, it creates a lot of depth, which helps make your object the key part of the photo, as you needed.
This bird isn’t a giant one. It’s as regular as a bird can be. This illusion is a result of the bird sitting on the hood of the photographer’s car and, of course, f/16. The bird was really close to the camera, thus, making it look like super sized.
Deer with the brow
As you can see, this deer was caught red-handed while helping himself to the treats in the bird feeder. But that isn’t the funniest part. Wait until you take a look at the deer’s thick eyebrows! That unibrow looks very eye-catching indeed.
He doesn’t seem to be even the slightest bit guilty for snacking away, in fact he seems rather proud of himself. He is literally smirking for the camera as it to say “What you going to do about it human?
Hitchhiking
Here is why you should always be very cautious while traveling in the wilderness. The first thing you should do is double-check that all the doors are locked before leaving your car. If you don’t do that, you might just be greeted by this.
So, if you don’t want to carpool with a bear in the boot of the car, always be cautious. Bears look really cute and goofy, but they’re extremely dangerous. In this case, the car owners were lucky since they called the park ranger to lure the bear, right after taking this shot, in case no one back home believed them.
Looking back at 2020
If 2020’s haven’t started off well for you (lets face it, they haven’t for most people), then maybe you feel like this guy, out of energy, and out of hope. The lack of exercise and the excess of stress eating have taken its toll on us all.
This elephant seal surely feels the way we’re all feeling. What happened is that some travelers were trying to spot these seals. When they had no success, they decided to return home. Luckily, they spotted this lazy unmotivated guy on their way back!
Happily married
Although Antarctica isn’t the usual holiday destination for the average tourist, many people visit Antarctica. One of the main reasons is to study the behavior of penguins. We bet nobody expected to see the wedding of two penguins while on expedition.
This photo has been taken from a safe distance so that the penguins aren’t bothered during the ceremony Now, there are three penguins here. The one with its back facing the camera is probably the one officiating the wedding, and the other two are obviously the happy couple.
Balance is everything
If you’ve watched National Geographic or any other wildlife TV channel, you must have also seen those mountain goats that scale the sides of steep mountains effortlessly. But have you seen a deer do something similar to that?
This deer is balancing on the top of a fence. We are as shocked as you are. Well, the truth is that the deer isn’t walking on the fence, and nor is it a really tiny one. That’s just an optical illusion that’s been created because of the distance and the angle of the camera.
Top-quality
The quality of this photo is so good that it’s almost annoying. Nothing to see here folks, it’s just a photo of an eagle answering nature’s call. From the looks of it, the eagle seems to be very proud of itself for doing its business on the ground instead of in the sky.
Just when the photo was about to be taken, this bug interrupted the moment by photobombing it. This guy might have been jealous, and he might not have wanted the flora to be the star of this show. In that case, the photobombing is somewhat acceptable.
Honestly, it’s a good thing because there’s nothing more annoying than a bird pooping on you while you’re going somewhere on foot. So, it’s nice that this eagle was respectful of that… Now put the camera down, and let him do his thing in peace… We all need a bit of privacy in those moments.
Straight outta folklores
Let us give you a warning before you go on to take a look at what’s happening here. This photo could give you nightmares. Now that you’re looking at it, that’s what a lady found in front of her door upon hearing a noise.
She thought that it was a raccoon going through her trash cans for food. But that wasn’t it. Who would’ve thought that it was a Wendigo? We’re just kidding. Although this photo does look like a scary Wendigo from Canadian folklore, it’s just a stray deer.
Natural tree topper
We are in 2022, and we don’t think that Xmas trees need to be topped with stars anymore. Considering that, going with more natural options like the one in this image is way better. It’s lean, it camouflages, it isn’t stationary, and most of all, it’s a stick bug!
We were just joking around. Anyways, we think that this little guy must have come with the tree. That’s probably why he also decided to stick around. That’s quite an elegant position as well. He looks as if he’s conducting an orchestra.
Be very afraid
Well, yes, this little guy is cute, he looks calm, and he also looks pretty innocent. But we can assure you that that’s not always the case. The lady who clicked this photo was lucky to stop him at the right time or else she shouldn’t be crossing him.
Oops.. too late.. because this was the last photo the lady managed to click before that calm, cute, and innocent badger chased her up a hill. Crazy, right? The lady wanted to take a photo of a hawk when she realized that the badger was right there. Gladly, she found her husband, and they drove safely away.
Curious little baby
What are your first impressions after looking at this picture? Can you also try to guess which animal it is? Well, it surely isn’t a penguin or a dog, although there’s a weird resembalance there. It’s an elephant seal pup.
To be more precise, it’s an adorable elephant seal pup that’s peeking through the fence. The way it’s peeking, it looks like it’s quite curious and fascinated after it saw the humans behind the cameras. What a cutie to pose so sweetly like that!
Time to intervene
Nature always has its own methods of surprising you. Take this image as an example. This shot was just meant to be that of this flower waiting to blossom. This beautiful magenta was just about to bloom into a stunning flower.
Just when the photo was about to be taken, this bug interrupted the moment by photobombing it. This guy might have been jealous, and he might not have wanted the flora to be the star of this show. In that case, the photobombing is somewhat acceptable.
Life is good
Animals are simple beings. Most of them only need two things in their life. Those two things are food and shelter. This bird’s happiness is visible by the way its feet are positioned. It’s almost as if he is strutting his stuff with joy and a carefree joie de vivre.
It actually was really happy, and the reason for his glee is that hethe photographer just fed it before this image was clicked. Well, we told you. We are all simple beings. Also, we couldn’t help but notice that the background makes the shot even better, even though we can only see his butt.
Could have done better
This photographer would have surely learned his lesson by now: never to click a photo of an animal from behind. That’s because you won’t really be getting the best angle for your photography. You can pretty much see, well, a little bit of everything here.
Yes, this moose is just drinking water peacefully, minding his business and there’s no real problem with that. But, we just think that the same photo would’ve been much better from the side, or from the front, maybe even from the other side of the river.
Completely shocked
That is one shocked eagle. He looks like he has seen a lot, but when you take a good and close look at it, the more you’ll realize that something is quite wrong here. It’s as if this eagle is weary beyond his years.
Basically, this photo captured a darkness that is probably not real. It’s not really black or white. It’s gray. This eagle looks like one of those uncles at a party who is always drunk and sitting in the corner of the room, staring into the past, and reminiscing about the one that got away.
Caught mid-air
We just had one question, and we’re sure you might be wondering about this as well. What should we be focusing on while looking at this image? It’s getting really confusing to understand here. So, there’s a bird feeder and a squirrel.
The bird feeder is suspended mid-air, and so is the squirrel. It doesn’t seem like it is a flying squirrel, yet, it somehow looks as if it’s airborne. Maybe the sound of the photographer’s footsteps scared the squirrel enough to get him going?
Why did you interrupt my reading time?
We’ll be honest here. We did a double take and so will you, and at first glance it looks like a creature reading the latest novel perched up in a tree. We needed to do some research to figure out exactly what he was.
It turns out that this animal is called a kinkajou, and it’s a rainforest mammal. It’s also commonly called a honey bear. That’s a really cute name now. Sorry for disturbing your reading little guy… We only wanted a photo.. Carry on..
Say what?
The squirrel definitely looks all adorable and curious, but he’s not the main highlight of this story. The father of the person who uploaded this image has dementia. Thus, he also has a problem remembering that squirrels are squirrels.
So, he came up with an idea, which was that he’d call them by his own nickname for the creatures. Here comes the punchline. This particular squirrel has a really peculiar nickname, and we don’t know the reason behind it. Its nickname is A-hole.
This guy needs camouflage classes because he’s clearly doing the worst job possible at it. Although it looks really hilarious, it’s not gonna be that funny when a predator shows up. Well, we hope that day doesn’t come soon.
Time to post
Many of you might be thinking that teens on vacation are constantly only seen snapping selfies to post them on Instagram. We used to think so, and even this Facebook user shared that same thought. But, we all were wrong this time.
Instead of clicking self shots for Instagram, this teenager decided to click an image of the footprints of a sea bird on the sand! It’s weird that the teenager would click a picture of this just after the bird had left his business visible on the sand. We are suddenly thinking a selfie would be preferable to bird poop.
Easy there, fella
We challenge you to guess what kind of animal is this one accurately. Whoever wins gets five points. We, for one, couldn’t really certainly make the right guess. We don’t know whether that thing is a dog, a cat, or a raccoon.
But, we also don’t know what’s so fascinating for this animal that it just went and stuck its head inside the trash can. Whatever this creature is searching for, we hope it gets it. Also, we hope the photographer gave the guy a hand out of there after taking this shot.
Is that a stalker?
From the looks of it, there’s a Peeping Tom near the window, and he’s curious to take a look at the daily activities of this working lady. Also, he’s so interested that he doesn’t mind the fact that he’s literally hanging on for dear life.
We will never know the actual story. Maybe he was just eyeing the turkey sandwich the lady was eating for lunch, and he was just trying to grab a bite from that. Or, maybe he wasn’t curious at all, and he was just posing for this awesome photo.
No offense to bird watchers, but sometimes, their groups do get a little snobby. Sure, their knowledge of birds is on another level, and it’s great that they can tell so many birds apart effortlessly. But, take this image as an example.
Pretty please!
The timing of this photo is a bit strange, so what would you do if a goose came up to you this way with a seagull in its mouth? It’s pretty bizarre, but it almost feels as this is a dog with its favorite plushie in its mouth.
On closer inspection though, we are relieved to say that no birds were harmed in the making of this shot, its all a rather clever optical illusion and both birds are perfectly fine. It was all down to the exact moment the photo was taken, and its clear why this made it on to our list of crazy bad nature photos.
The grumpy king
That is a squirrel, but it looks like it’s trying to be a grumpy old man. Well, he’s succeeding perfectly. The only thing that’s left for it to do to become a grumpy old man is to yell at the kids to get off the lawn because he needs to be alone.
Also, no offense, but this guy is a bit on the chonky side. It isn’t really the best thing for him. We can tell that he’s protective of his territory/ and his food stash by the looks of him. It must be a lonely life, but if he learned to share, he might slim down.
Literal chills
Certain animals have exceptional night vision. Technology is nearing that, but not many phones have that high calibre flash at night yet. Can you guess which animal is in this image? Well, it’s a bobcat. This image was captured with a phone camera.
Honestly, a photo like that is just terrifying. Imagine you’re in the wild, and you take your phone out to click a picture of the wilderness at night. But, when you look at the image you clicked, you notice those cold and glowing eyes staring right at you.
Ouch!
That right there is painful. Looking at that image is difficult. A few coworkers were just doing their work on a typical winter day. Their job was to check the wood duck boxes. It’s a pretty straightforward task, but they didn’t know what fate had in store for them.
They never knew which creature would jump out at them when they were opening those boxes. That’s a mouse, and that image although perfectly timed, is just wrong. Mice often nest in those boxes during winter, and that mouse doesn’t look happy to have its privacy invaded.
Just another day
Look at these vultures just hanging out on that ledge as if nothing’s new. Well, seeing pigeons or crows hanging out in groups of two on a balcony or on a ledge is normal, but if you ask us, we will freak out if we see vultures just chilling out, they don’t have a reputation for nothing.
Vultures are quite ominous creatures, considering the fact that they’re always digging into a carcass or circling around it. That’s also what’s shown to us in pop culture as well. All in all, they’re considered to be bad omens, so being worried upon seeing them is normal. We would have run in the opposite direction instead of taking a photo.
Possum for the rescue
We are surprised at how the possum isn’t bothered the least bit even after that much light is being directed right on it. It’s almost as if the possum is volunteering to be a surface for the light. That surely reminds us of something.
It reminds us of how the bat signal is projected in to the night sky. This one is more like a possum signal. This little guy will save the day whenever the possum signal is blasted on trees. He’d largely be called for garbage emergencies.
0/10 for camouflaging
This guy needs camouflage lessons because he’s clearly doing the worst job possible at it. Although it looks really laughable, it’s not gonna be that funny when a predator shows up. Well, we hope for his sake that day doesn’t come soon.
If we take a good look at what could’ve happened, then this bunny might have tried to hide behind that small tree after hearing the sound of the approaching photographer. It could’ve scared this little guy. If only we could tell him that his camouflage was working.
Need some help?
It’s understandable that sometimes, we all just want to be left alone. So, there’s nothing wrong with eating alone, going to the movies alone, or even taking a walk in the woods by yourself if you are safe and secure. What you’ll see here is surely safe, but it’s funny and annoying, too!
This guy must have tried to take a normal photo of the vegetation and soggy ground while this bird stole his shot. The bird just wanted his 15 minutes of fame, and insisted on being in the photo. He looks kind of offended to have been excluded in the first place.
Upside down
What a poor little thing. This duck had woken up thinking that this day won’t be any different than other days. It will just be a peaceful day at that pond. But, little did the duck know that the stream had different plans for her.
That’s the reason why she’s all turned up. We can only hope that she hasn’t been in this condition for a long time and that she is rescued and happy now. The person who clicked this photo did a good job at it since looking at it would make you chuckle as well.
Big bite coming
Don’t look away in shock, because it’s not as bad as it seems to be. You are now looking at the inside of the mouth of a pelican. This is no biology class, but you can see the right from the inside of his humongous beak to his tonsils.
To get a photo like this one, the photographer must have needed some exquisite timing and patience. We think that this pelican might have been hungry, and upon seeing the photographer’s camera, it might have opened wide thinking that it was edible.
Serene
No offense to bird watchers, but sometimes, their groups do get a little haughty. Sure, their knowledge of birds is on another level, and it’s great that they can tell so many birds apart effortlessly. But, take this image as an example.
This image is surely breathtaking, but guess what? When this image was posted on a Facebook group, nobody even gave the photo a single like. We don’t know what’s wrong with the community or the people, but this image surely deserves more.
Stereotypical
There you go. This photo is the embodiment of the raccoon stereotype, as you can see the raccoon going through trash cans in public. We never know what makes these critters so happy rifling through trash, well, actually we do… the thought of food.
Leftover pizzas and burgers? Maybe a chicken salad? Or an unfinished bottle of Coke? The truth is that only raccoons know that trash bins are a total buffet for them… What ever a trash panda desires, a trash panda shall find, and by the content look on his face… Dinner is served.
Clueless and confused
We have seen quite a few raccoon images, and they’re all adorable. On that note, here’s another one of the classic raccoon images. During the day, these guys dig through our trash cans in search of food. That’s what we know for certain.
But, here’s an image of what happens in the evenings and and late at night. Thanks to the flashlight of this phone for giving us a close up of this interesting scene. This raccoon is balancing itself between trees, or it’s walking on stilts. Either way, it’s surprising.