Under-dogs: dogs photographed from below give rise to truly sensational images
A photographer who had the brilliant idea of photographing animals from below is Andrius Burba, a Lithuanian artist who has made this unique perspective his trademark. He started with cats, then moved on to rabbits and even horses, and finally landed on bottom-up photographs of dogs. And so he started his "Underlook" project, documented on social media and even in some photography books. What, then, does the "Under-Dogs" photo gallery consists of? As the name suggests, it involves placing a camera under a transparent plate, and placing the dogs on top of it, so that they can be seen from a new perspective for any viewer.
Even if we may pick up our furry friends, it is difficult to see them clearly (from below) and in a static position, resting on all four legs, from this perspective. The only way, in fact, is to recreate the conditions of Burba's photographic studio.
In recounting his experience, the photographer said: "The cats were great, but the dogs are more playful. They are also more obedient, which helped us create much more interesting photos."
Anyone who enjoys photography might consider copying this idea - if the dog cooperates, of course.
The postures the dogs end up taking, and especially the expressions on some of these dogs faces, are really hilarious.
"While some dogs were playful on the floor, once placed on the glass plate they changed completely, remaining motionless like statues," says Burba.
"Others weren't afraid at all of standing on the glass, which made the whole job easier and much more fun." Anyone who has had to lift a dog onto a vet's table will know how they when they have to stand on a similar surface, even if the conditions in the photo studio are certainly not that which the animal will encounter at a vet.
For the photographer, the experience of capturing the images of animals from below was enlightening: "I learned two fundamental things from this type of animal photography. First, cats believe they are gods because people feed, love and offer them a home. Second, dogs see humans as gods because they feed them, love them and give them a home. "
It's not impossible to recreate similar conditions at home to replicate these photos, but it definitely takes some planning: "I designed a glass table that was then made specifically for photographing larger dogs," Andrius said. So maybe if you have a very sturdy glass coffee table and your dog - or cat - is small (and most of all cooperative), you could do this without having to invest in extra materials.
One way to get dogs to look down might be to put something to eat on the glass, or something they can lick, and then take the picture as soon as they finish eating. The important thing is to have a dark background that does not alter the lighting conditions negatively and that the glass top is completely transparent and clean.
It is fun to see our furry friends from this new perspective!
On the photographer's website you will find many other hilarious images of dogs (and not only of dogs!) photographed from below. And if you're curious about how these photographs are taken, check out the backstage video.
