Showing posts with label pets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pets. Show all posts

Funny Pictures of Dogs Shaking off Water

Dogs make hilarious subjects for photographs. Unlike humans, they are unhindered by shyness, modesty or fear of embarrassment. Dogs enjoy life from moment to moment, turning every activity into a fun pastime. One thing that dogs love to do is have a good shake, to rid their coat of water or simply to loosen up their fur and skin. The pictures below show what happens when a photographer captures a single moment of a dog's shake.

Davidson's Dogs Do the Shake
Carli Davidson is an award-winning photographer who creates artistic images of wild and domestic animals. Her pet photography is among the most appealing in the world, as her images perfectly capture an animal's ability to live in the moment. Some of her most popular art works are photographs of dogs shaking off water.
Davidson has worked with animals for years in animal shelters, zoos and nature reserves. Her experience with all sorts of animals, from chimpanzees to rats, allows her to communicate with the animals that she uses as subjects in her photographs. Davidson says that she spends large amounts of time rolling around on the floor with the animals, encouraging them to "open up" to the camera. As a result of this interaction, the pictures show animals who look relaxed and comfortable, able to simply be cats and dogs doing what comes naturally to them.
Carli Davidson's pictures of dogs shaking off water have a humorous appeal to them. Dogs can be quite goofy and silly at times, and these pictures capture this doggy essence perfectly. Davidson uses a variety of dog breeds as subjects. Dogs with long hair such as border collies and Labradors shake off water in a way that creates a spiraling spray of water droplets. Dogs with short hair but loose skin such as bull dogs and bloodhounds create less spray but the skin on their faces twist into funny expressions, perfect subject matter for funny dog pictures.

Above: A funny picture of a border collie shaking, by photographer Carli Davidson. The sheep dog's long hair creates a wonderful swirl around the centre of the picture, drawing the viewer's eye to the focal point; the dog's eyes. [source]

Above: This funny picture shows a bloodhound shaking off water. The dog's loose skin flops and flaps, creating a series of hilarious facial expressions for Carli Davidson to photograph. [source]

Above: A boxer dog shakes off water, sending his lips and ears flying to create a hilarious pet portrait. Perhaps dogs need to degauss too. [source]

A Comedy of Dogs and Water
Most dogs love water. They love to jump in and out of waves at the beach, swim in lakes and dams and run through rivers. And after all that running and jumping, dogs love to shake off the water. When viewed by the naked human eye, a dog's shaking seems to be a blur of movement concealed by a spray of water droplets. With the help of a high-speed camera, we can see exactly what's going on underneath all that spray; a funny comedy combo of dog and water.

Above: A golden Labrador retriever shakes off water after a swim in a river. The directions of the water droplets show how the dog shakes its head from side to side. [source]

Above: Pulling faces, blowing raspberries and shaking off water. This funny border collie is a multitasking sheep dog. [source]

Above: A beagle shakes off water after a bath, stretching one side of her face and squashing the other. Beagles are often used in comedy shots of animals because they have a lighthearted and fun personality. [source]



Antique Lolcats Photographs make Kitteh Historeh

The word 'lolcat' is created from the abbreviation 'lol' and 'cat', and is used as a label for any funny photograph of a cat. Often the photo is captioned with 'lolspeak', a misspelled language that was formed during the rise in popularity of lolcat pictures.

A Kitteh Historeh of lolcats
In the 1870s a British photographer called Harry Pointer created a series of photographs of cats. To add to the humor of the cat pictures Pointer would often add a funny caption, and thus the first lolcat pictures were born. Soon other photographers were using cats and other animals as subjects in photographs, often dressing the animals in human clothing and personifying them by posing them in human situations. Harry Whittier Frees is another notable antique lolcat photographer who created dozens of animal pictures that were a parody of human life.


Above: Antique lolcat photograph by Harry Pointer, with the caption "Bring up the dinner Betsy" [source]

Above: An antique lolcat postcard from 1905. The photograph was taken by Harry Whittier Frees, who added the caption "What's delaying my dinner?" In modern lolspeak, the caption would probably be along the lines of the classic; "I can has cheezburger?" [source]

Postcards of pets in costumes with captions were a novel concept in the early 20th century and became a popular way to communicate with loved ones who lived far away, as postcards included a picture and were cheaper to send than letters. Often the lolcat postcards were sent in place of birthday cards, to the delight of the children who received them. Even a century ago, lolcats were a popular form of humor.

Makin da Kittehs seem Hooman
Anthropomorphism is the act of giving animals or objects human characteristics and personalities. Harry Whittier Frees was a master of anthropomorphism who didn't just pose his animal subjects in human situations, but waited for a seemingly human expression to pass across the animals' faces before he took a photograph. Often the facial expressions were ones of resignation or exhaustion as it must have been tiring for the animals to sit for the camera in uncomfortable positions for what could be hours. 

Above: A Frees photograph of a feline teacher and her pupils. Lolspeak hadn't yet been invented, so antique lolcat photographs often implied that cats were as intelligent as humans. If this were a modern lolcat picture, the alphabet would probably be jumbled and the title of the teachers book would be something along the lines of "spalling book". [source]

Above: Another of Harry Whittier Frees's antique lolcat pictures. Part of the appeal of Frees's images was the fact that props had to be made to size. At the time doll collecting was becoming a popular hobby which meant the doll-like effect of these antique lolcat pictures was well-received by the public.


Lolcats as an Antique Art Form
Before the art of photography was created, humorous pictures were either painted or illustrated. A notable cat illustrator of the late 19th century was Louis Wain. Wain's drawings of cats in human situations captured the imaginations of the people at the time and were published in newspapers as a form of entertainment. 

Above: Like the lolcat photographers of the time, Wain chose to pose his feline subjects in human situations, personifying them with human emotions such as humor, frustration and surprise. [source]

Above: Louis Wain's cat characters were often cartoonish in nature, sporting caricature facial expressions that made them seem more human. [source]

Although websites like lolcats.com and icanhascheezburger.com are modern inventions, the art of funny cat pictures has existed for over a century. Over time lolcats have been given their own language and their own attitude toward life.



Funny Underwater Photographs of Dogs Swimming

Using a combination of technology and swimming skills, these photographers have captured high quality, funny images of dogs swimming. The moment where a dog dives into water is not often seen beneath the splashing water, making these photos a rare treat.

Man's Best Friend Underwater
Some dog breeds are notorious for their swimming skills, whereas others tend to shy away from water. These pictures capture the reactions of the dogs as they plunge suddenly into cold, clear water, often in the act of chasing a ball.





Funny Dog Photos
Humans tend to personify dogs, attributing them with feeling the same emotions and having the same attitudes as humans. At times, dogs can have almost-human facial expressions. Because of this, dogs are a favorite household pet, as people feel that they can empathize and connect with dogs.
Dogs lack the inhibitions of people, and will run, jump and play without feeling embarrassed or ashamed of their actions. Photos of dogs caught in a funny moment are popular online, leading to the advent of sites such as icanhascheezburger.com







10 Funny Photoshop Dogs

Man's best friend sometimes becomes Photoshop's best subject, resulting in funny Photoshopped art works of dogs and puppies.



Dogs in Art
For centuries, dogs have been domesticated as herders, guardians and pets. People ascribe a number of human emotional attributes to dogs, such as loyalty, affection and devotion. Because of man's affinity for canines, dogs are a favorite subject for use in art.
In digital art, dogs are often portrayed in a humorous manner, lending digital art works a friendly, funny attitude. The familiar shape of dogs makes them an easy artistic subject to work with. Photoshop artists can easily exaggerate facial features to create funny caricatures and parodies of man's best friend.

Above: If the wacky world of Photoshop were real, this bird dog would guard your home and learn to say, "Polly wanna cracker!"

Above: It's a dog's life. Even Michelangelo's cherubs have given up their heavenly jobs so that these two canine cuties can take over.

Above: It's a bird! It's a plane! No! It's a flying beagle!

Above: While humans fail to be able to lick their own elbows, genetically advanced Photoshop dogs can lick their own eyebrows, from behind.

Above: Not quite a hot dog, the Photoshop burger dog is the perfect companion for people who like to play fetch with their food.

Above: Googly human eyes add to the humor of this man animal hybrid.

Above: A pug loaf, baked in Photoshop from one part pug dog and two parts wholewheat bread flour.

Above: A car advertisement shows a Photoshop beagle crammed into a gap in the car seat. 

Above: A Photoshop Jack Russel sports his latest morph - the removal of two legs and his torso. His owners have called him Skippy.

Above: Could this be a form of animal cruelty? Cross-specie bullying? This nasty Photoshop artist has placed a cat's face on a chow chow's body.


Gulp! Swallowed Objects Revealed by X Rays

Spoons, rubber duckies, keys and engagement rings. If it’s small enough to swallow, you can bet that someone, somewhere, has swallowed it.

Above: An X ray reveals a metal spoon that has been swallowed by the patient.


Pica Chew

Pica is a medical disorder which compels a person to eat non-nutritive objects or substances. Pica is often a side-effect of pregnancy, when a woman’s body needs more vitamins and minerals. A pregnant woman will sometimes crave sand, ash or wood, “foods” that would normally not interest them. This craving is due to the body’s need for nutrients that are found in these substances.

Pica has also been attributed to mental illness. Pica is often only part of a more obvious disorder, and has often been linked to obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Mental health patients will sometimes swallow any item that is small enough to fit into their mouth, as a trip to the hospital to have the object removed means a change of scene for the patient. The image below shows a college created by a mental health patient suffering from Pica, using the foreign objects that the patient had swallowed.



X Rays of Swallowed Objects

Non-food items can be swallowed accidentally, as a prank or on purpose. However the object is swallowed, one fact remains clear - only an X ray can reveal how the item is lodged within the body.


Prisoners are prone to swallowing foreign objects, though these acts of swallowing foreign objects are not often related to mental illness. Leaving the prison grounds for a hospital visit means either a break from prison life or a chance to escape.


X Rays of Objects Swallowed by Animals

Humans are not the only ones who swallow foreign objects. Dogs, cats and snakes are known to gobble up a variety of things. Dogs often swallow foreign objects, though these are usually items such as sand, small stones and twigs that pass naturally through the animal’s body. The images below, however, show X rays of dogs who have managed to swallow, between them, a rubber ducky, a toy cat, a spoon, a plush toy dog, and a Christmas decoration.





Man-made objects that can be electrically warmed are a hazard for snakes that swallow their food whole. A warm object can easily be mistaken for a meal, as with this python, which swallowed an entire electric blanket, and a pine snake below, who swallowed two light bulbs.




Drinking Objects

Chris Foster, a student at Bournemouth University, had an alcohol-induced moment of genius. In an attempt to prevent his friends from taking him home after a night of partying, Foster ingeniously hid his room key. By swallowing it.



A Marriage Proposal X Ray

Simon Hooper wanted to propose to his girlfriend and so he went shopping for an engagement ring. Seeing a ring that he liked, Hooper waited until the shop assistant was distracted before swallowing the ring. Authorities X rayed Hooper’s stomach and spotted the ring, which Hooper claimed was a piece of tinfoil that he had swallowed by accident. Police had no option but to hold Hooper until nature had run its course, at which time the diamond ring was retrieved.



Swallowed in Safety

A woman swallowed an open safety pin, which then became lodged in her esophagus. The X ray image below reveals how the woman was unable to tilt her head forward without further damaging her throat.



Read More on Art-Sci:
 10 Funny Photoshop Dogs
 Glass Sculpture Gives a Clear View on Design