This Facebook Group Is All About “Oof” Wildlife Photos, And They Are So Bad They’re Good
Capturing a breathtaking moment in wildlife is probably as hard as snapping a goofy looking picture of a Tokay gecko minding its own business in the Florida Everglades.
Just think about it—conditions have to be perfect, you gotta stumble on something you don’t often see and in the end the camera still sees things differently than you do, so you gotta compensate for it. It’s hard.
So, it’s only appropriate to celebrate both the good and the bad (and the so bad, it’s good), which the Crappy Wildlife Photography group definitely does.
This post may include affiliate links.
Photobombed By A Bug
We Have An Albino Squirrel In Our Backyard. I've Been Stalking Him For His Photo. Finally Got One. Isn't He Beautiful!
My 11 Year Old Daughter Lilah Took This
So, there’s a wildlife photography group on Facebook that celebrates moments in natural life that probably won’t go into the history books, but they will certainly go down in history as some of the “best” photographs of animals out there.
Yep, we’re talking about Crappy Wildlife Photography, which is home to over 455,000 crappy animal photography lovers.
My Photo Skills May Be Crap, But His Posing Skills Are Divine
Jump With Joy
If 2020 Was An Eagle
So, for context, what makes a photograph good or bad?
For the common Joe with a simple approach to enjoying pictures, it’s whether they like it or not. It’s a mere criterion of taste, which, while it can have objective determining factors, usually it’s subjective and that’s quite alright.
This Wild Boar Ran So Fast It Rendered Itself Into A Cave Painting
Timed My Shot Perfectly. *sigh*
Spent About 25 Minute Slowly Crawling On My Stomach Through Frozen Mud On A Cold Winters Morning, Lining Up The Perfect Shot For The Last Exposure On My Analogue Camera, After Standing Magestically For The Entire Time I Was Crawling, The Second I Take The Shot It Looks Directly At Me And Lets Out The Loudest Burp I've Every Heard
However, when you get into professional photography and the idea of practice makes perfect curses your eyesight forever to start seeing all that is bad in a piece, you begin to understand just how hard it is to pull off a good photograph.
Photographer Kevin LJ lists 5 key criteria that have to be mastered in order to make a good photograph: light and exposure, composition, color and tone, timing, and relationship.
This Is A Pic Of A Vine Snake, Taken By A Friend Of Mine
I Came In Like A Wreckingggg Ball
The Time I Took A Picture Of Two American Goldfinches Through A Window Screen And It Came Out Looking Like A Cross Stitch
Light is a must in photography. If there is none, there won’t really be a photograph, essentially.
Depending on the lighting, it could influence the quality and mood of the image. There’s soft light and hard light, the first of which comes from larger sources and produces gentle shadows and smooth transitions between the different lights, while the hard one comes from small sources and creates contrast.
I Took This Picture Of A Carpenter Bee Last Summer
The Magnificent Sight Of An Elephant On The Dusty Plains Of Africa Scratching Its Balls On A Termite Mound
That Time A Squirrel Gave Me The Finger
Then there’s composition. A word that’s self explanatory in and of itself, but, in photography, it’s taken to a new level. It’s a certain kind of game of what to include and exclude in the final image, and how to position everything to have meaning as well as to be engaging. It is supposed to guide the viewer’s eyes, show where the emphasis is, and to express its message.
I Was In The Middle Of A Zoom When I Noticed This Bastard
Costa Rica Ant Eater- Will Dance For Ants
Well Hi!
Another key criterion is timing. Timing is all about determining which is the precise moment that you want to capture. That entails understanding what the significance of the scene is and putting it into perspective. Timing can convey a mood, a narrative, or evoke a powerful emotion on the part of the viewer. All of this as part of the photographer’s vision and mission for the photograph.
This Guy Pecks On Our Door Almost Daily And Brings Offerings Of Bugs Snakes And Lizards
Realizing I’d Made A Mistake
I Know, I Know, Puh-Lease. I'm The Cutest Thing Ever, Right?
Color and tone are essentially the hues and shades of the image. They are a part of what gives images a look, a vibe, an atmosphere.
The two work together to create a visual interest, to evoke feelings and to improve upon the overall composition of the photograph. As such, these elements can be tweaked to create visually striking and resonant images.
What’s Your Problem?!
I Tried My Best, Ok
Saw The Cutest Critter On My Window. Tried To Get A Good Shot, But They All Just Made Me Giggle
Lastly, relationship. It is the connection between the photographer and the subject being photographed. And no, it doesn’t have to be an actual human being—it can be whatever that is in the photo.
This signifies the photographer’s understanding of and empathy with the subject, which influences how authentic and genuine the photograph will be in its message. It’s like reading between the lines, except with cameras.
When You Have A Wild Night And Forget Your Way Back Home In The Morning
Add Your Description
I Knew There Were Raccoons In The Tree But I Couldn’t See What They Were Doing Until The Flash Came On/Pictures Came Out
Needless to say, these factors overlap and collaborate in a sense to create a single unified and harmonious image. So, all of them ought to be managed and tweaked accordingly.
But, if that fails, hey, there’s ample locations where your anti-talents and less than successful work can find meaning. The internet is full of these places.
The Majestic Woodland Caribou
Dearly Beloved, We Are Gathered Here Today
Grasshopper
So, what are your thoughts on any of this? What are some moments in wildlife photography that you wish you saw more because it makes you giggle uncontrollably? Share your takes and stories in the comment section below!
And if you want more, we’ll give you more.
Mine
His missus made him sleep in the doghouse after he was late home again
I Had This Strange Feeling I Was Being Watched
I Can Show You The World
Courtesy Of My Dad And His Ancient Phone... Little Owl Eating Lunch
He Really Did Have A Cute Face
Nailed It! Prints Are Available
"I Have No Idea What I'm Doing"
Please keep your bird in the upright position, we'll be landing soon.
I'm New To This Group, Does This Count?
I Still Can’t Tell If This Is Crap Wildlife Photography Or Just Incredibly Cute Wildlife Photography
Tried To Get The Perfect Picture Of A Deer In The Rain. Instead I Get A Picture Of It Bolting, And It Looks Like It Has A Bird Nest With A Single Egg Instead Of An Ass
Wt F'n F. ?!?! Lets Get A Bird Feeder She Said. It'll Be Fun She Said
Long Story Short... I Was Trying To Photograph A Blue Jay
What You Get When You Are Running A 90 Second Night Exposure At 2000 Iso And The Red Ass Firefly Is Attracted To Your Red Light On The Camera
I Spent Thousands Of Dollars And Several Days To Get A Chance To Photograph A Great White Shark. Here It Is
I would have cried and probably tried to go after it. I've always had a fascination with sharks, my dad had a boat we would use off the Georgia coast, I've seen Tiger sharks and Black Tips, but never a White. I want to see Deep Blue.
Car Camping In Idaho A Few Years Ago. Bull Elk Came Up On The Car In The Middle Of The Night And I Had My Own Jurassic Park T-Rex Experience
Didn’t Know I Was Playing The Sims
Aggressive Geese
Best Crap Shot I've Taken!
Was Supposed To Be A Pelican
Some Get Magestic Hawk Shots... I Get These
When You Have An Encounter With A Rare Predator But Get Photobombed By A Magpie
The Beautiful Whitetail Deer. Full Of Grace... And Our Idiot Cat Who Mistook Her For My Dog And Decided To Give Chase
The Toad Saga Continues. We Cleaned The Back Porch And I Haven't Fed Them For A Few Days And These Two Assholes Just Came Up And Literally Knocked On The Glass Like "Wtf, Karen?"
You've Heard Of The Blue Bird Of Happiness? This Ain't Him
Abrakadabra!!!
I Went Out To The Balcony To Photograph The Birds, But Instead Photographed A Fish
We Broadcast The Possum Signal Only In The Most Dire Of Garbage Emergencies
"Emergency Meeting up at the Lodge! Moose Thompson got stuck in the culvert again!"
Behold, The Majestic Manatee!
Have You Ever Laughed So Hard Water Squirted Out Your Nose?
Not water, but I have had Gatorade go through my nose. It burns a lot. Definitely don't recommend that.
My Friend Found A Bobcat In Her Backyard Using Her Pool As A Toilet
The Campground We Stayed At Has A Bathroom Attendant. But All He Does Is Silently Judge Your Hand Washing Skills
I Was Photographing A Penguin, Put The Telephoto Lens On And It Waddled Over To Stand Less Than A Meter Away So All I Could Get In The Frame Was Its Foot
Caught This Guy Raiding The Bird Feeder At Night. Not Sure Why He Felt The Need To Cover His Private Parts
Perfect Exposure? Great Focus? Worthy Of National Geographic? Crap Photo Of A Squirrel
I Accidentally Shot This Photo While This Little Bastard Was Attacking Me. Triggerfish Are The Best
This. Is. Sparta!!
Posted This On A Bird Watching Group Thinking It Was A Cracking Photo. Not A Single Person Liked It At All. Must Be Crapper Than I Thought
Interesting Place To Coccoon
Well That's A Neat Trick
A Most Majestic Tree
Whilst I Was Attempting To Catch The Grace And Elegance Of This Magnificent Pelican, Percy Slipped And Face Planted The Rock
This Great Horned Owl Was Chilling On The Roof Behind Our House. I Raced Around The Block Where The Light Was Better And Got This!
I Give You Pizza Squirrel
Throwback To Taking A Poorly Timed Picture Of A Praying Mantis On My Windshield Before Leaving For Work
I Found This Wizard Squirrel In A Pile Of Trash. It’s The Best Crap Photo I’ve Taken
Hi How Are Ya, Hi How Are Ya, Hi How Are Ya?
This Buck Was Having A Bad Hair Day
Took A Photo Of This Lazy Fella A Few Years Ago
We Had A Quick Trip To Scotland And We Saw Some Red Deer. There Was A Magnificent Stag. Behold
Birb
Beagull
Why do seagulls fly over the sea? Because if they flew over the bay, they’d be baygulls (bagels). Ba dum tss.
Yes! Yes! Pollinate Me, Baby!
Meanwhile In Thailand
No Outside Light On When I Got Home, Cursed Husband For Leaving Pipe I Tripped Over On Path To The Front Door. Once Inside, Husband Vehemently Denied Any Pipe Misdemeanor, So I Turned On Outside Light To Prove Him Wrong
Me When The Tequila Hits
I Did Not Take This Picture However I **am** The Woman On The Shore Appearing To Be Handing Off Something To A Prehistoric Era Seagull
This Dragonfly Found A Comfy Spot To Rest
This Is An Emu That Attacked My Car Window Several Years Ago At A Wild Animal Park In Oregon. Barely Got My Window Rolled Up Before This Demon Seed Tried To Attack Me. Note: It Was Light Outside But For Some Reason My Flash Went Off, Adding To The Drama
Spotted This Guy While Delivering Parcels Down On The Beachfront Community. C A M O F L A G E
I love when they do this. I used to have a cotton tail bunny in my front yard who tried so hard to hide. He always turned into a perfectly spherical bunny ball except for the two rather large ears sticking straight up.
Is He.. Giving Me The.. Bird?!
Black Buzzards On Tombstones On A Foggy Morning
Almost A Cool Picture Of A Great Egret Catching A Fish, But A Bug Got In The Way
This is one of those photos when you share with friends, they all ask, "Didn't you see what was going on in the background?"
I Was Trying To Take A Sweet Photo Of A Sparrow Having A Bath. I Appear To Have Taken A Photo Of Two Sparrows Committing A Murder
This Little Guy Takes A Nap In The Same Spot Every, Single Day (And In Another Tree But He Loves This Nook)
Last Year On A Hot Summer Day I Took My Hiking Boots Off Because My Feet Were Getting All Sweaty While Trying To Photograph Wild Foxes
"Never criticise a man until you've walked a mile in his shoes, because then he'll be a mile away with no shoes on."
I Was Trying To Take A Picture Of This Juvenile Seagull And This Sleepy Pigeon Waddled In And Stole The Show
My Father-In-Law Mowed Half The Lawn, And Then Went To Empty Out The Collected Cuttings
Awe was she in there when the lawn mower was running? Poor thing was probably so scared for her and her babies if so. Glad he spotted them.
Clearly, “Front Facing” Is Not The Best Way To Capture A Great Egret!
Couldn’t Think Of A Better Place To Post This
Oh S**t
Does This Deck Make My Butt Look Fat?
Behold. The Best Fish Picture I've Ever Taken
Check Out The Excellent Welds On This Steel Fencing
When Your Landing Is Just A Little Off
2 A.m.—“Someone Is At Your Door” Notification
And Jean Was Never Seen Again. Authorities Suspect Fowl Play
She was later found dazed and wearing a diaper, dropped off at Andre the Giant's house.
Took A Photo Of A Drill
?? A drill? Because it's shaking it's head? Interesting title choice
Finally Found One Of Those Radioactive Spiders. No, It's Not Because Of The Flash
Of *course* not! Radioactive Spiders are Spider-Man's origin, not The Flash!
Show Off
Part Of The Magic Of New Zealand’s Caves Is Due To The Spectacular Display Of Glow-Worms, As Illustrated In My Award Winning Photo
Just A Bear Waiting For A Tasty Dumpster Deposit
The Majestic Sea Lion Slumbers
Bottoms Up!...might Get This One Printed On A Canvas
Tried To Get A Spread Wings Shot
It Was Fast Not My Fault
I Saw A Snowy Owl Today... I'd Say He Was Camouflaged Very Well
When Poles Fly
Okay... So Maybe I Need More Practice Photographing Birds
I Wanted A Dive But He Just Wanted To Hang Out
Next Time Starring On Squirrel P**n Is Ballsy The Squirrel
I Got Lucky Enough To See The Rare Northern California Sea Potato! Butter And Chives Not Included
Took A Picture Of A Deer Today
I think that we can conclude from this list that squirrels have excellent, uh, nuts.
I think that we can conclude from this list that squirrels have excellent, uh, nuts.