This type of image is among the most successful in attracting and holding an audience’s attention.” As Jason Moore, this year’s winner of the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards for his photo of a kangaroo appearing to play the guitar, said: “I will always look for opportunities to capture examples of anthropomorphism. If comedy grows from subverting an audience’s expectations, then the more human the animal’s pose, the better. Funny animal photos are felt to be harmless yet retain a trace of the taboo: a conflict that stems from the knowledge that, as endearing and relatable as their behaviour may appear to be, we will never truly understand what’s going on in their minds. Does a cat mind if its overhanging belly casts a similar silhouette to that of an old gangster? Not a bit. Does a fish care that its teeth remind the viewer of a goofy cartoon character? It has no concept of it. Anyone who shares their life with an animal knows the strange infusion of affection, pathos and humour that flavours our interactions with other species. Perhaps these photos say more about our human whims. It bubbles up from the same well of comedy: a tension between an animal’s true nature and the human connotations they have unwittingly stumbled upon. From black-and-white snaps of chimps in suits and dogs with pipes, through home videos and Animals Do the Funniest Things in the noughties, to the present, when finalists from the annual Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards – well represented among this selection – routinely go viral, the appeal is evergreen. And these might be the very same animals, just moments apart.įor as long as there have been cameras, people have shared funny animal pictures. For every majestic stallion thundering impressively over the sand, there is a cantankerous nag pinning its ears to its skull as it snakes its head over the stable door. For every proud and noble hound, nose lifted to the breeze, there will be a gawky, graceless mutt scooting across the rug. Though all nature’s creatures have their own dignity, they also have a capacity for dim-wittedness, clumsiness and all-round foolishness.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |