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.
#1 I Took This Picture Of A Carpenter Bee Last Summer
Image credits: Crap wildlife photography
#2 Jump With Joy
Image credits: Oliver Hornberger
#3 That Time A Squirrel Gave Me The Finger
Image credits: Rachel Bernal
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.
#4 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
Image credits: Sebastian Stern
#5 Owl
Image credits: Crap wildlife photography
#6 I Give You Pizza Squirrel
Image credits: Crap wildlife photography
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.
#7 Costa Rica Ant Eater- Will Dance For Ants
Image credits: Becky Casner
#8 I Was In The Middle Of A Zoom When I Noticed This Bastard
Image credits: Crap wildlife photography
#9 Timed My Shot Perfectly. *sigh*
Image credits: Crap wildlife photography
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.
#10 Didn’t Know I Was Playing The Sims
Image credits: Crap wildlife photography
#11 Courtesy Of My Dad And His Ancient Phone... Little Owl Eating Lunch
Image credits: Crap wildlife photography
#12 Add Your Description
Image credits: Mark Oertel
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.
#13 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
Image credits: Tom Cunningham
#14 I Still Can’t Tell If This Is Crap Wildlife Photography Or Just Incredibly Cute Wildlife Photography
Image credits: Skye Moore
#15 "I Have No Idea What I'm Doing"
Image credits: Matthew Mackenzie
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.
#16 I Know, I Know, Puh-Lease. I'm The Cutest Thing Ever, Right?
Image credits: Sherry Aldrich Sineath
#17 He Really Did Have A Cute Face
Image credits: Deb Aselford
#18 Realizing I’d Made A Mistake
Image credits: Crap wildlife photography
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.
#19 When You Have An Encounter With A Rare Predator But Get Photobombed By A Magpie
Image credits: Crap wildlife photography
#20 A Most Majestic Tree
Image credits: Crap wildlife photography
#21 The Magnificent Sight Of An Elephant On The Dusty Plains Of Africa Scratching Its Balls On A Termite Mound
Image credits: Mike Redding
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.
#22 I Tried My Best, Ok
Image credits: Sheldon Grant
#23 The Majestic Woodland Caribou
Image credits: Katie Baillie-David
#24 My 11 Year Old Daughter Lilah Took This
Image credits: Meg Short
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.
#25 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
Image credits: Lindsay Sletten
#26 If 2020 Was An Eagle
Image credits: David Chang
#27 I'm New To This Group, Does This Count?
Image credits: Mary Findley
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.
#28 When Poles Fly
Image credits: Crap wildlife photography
#29 Took A Photo Of A Drill
Image credits: Crap wildlife photography
#30 I Spent Thousands Of Dollars And Several Days To Get A Chance To Photograph A Great White Shark. Here It Is
Image credits: Kevin Lamb
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.
#31 This Guy Pecks On Our Door Almost Daily And Brings Offerings Of Bugs Snakes And Lizards
Image credits: Justin Singleton
#32 Best Crap Shot I've Taken!
Image credits: Michelle Schwartz
#33 Some Get Magestic Hawk Shots... I Get These
Image credits: Wendy Reyn
#34 Long Story Short... I Was Trying To Photograph A Blue Jay
Image credits: Karen McGovern
#35 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
Image credits: Kimberly Holman Beltran
#36 Birb
Image credits: Kaliah Oszman
#37 The Campground We Stayed At Has A Bathroom Attendant. But All He Does Is Silently Judge Your Hand Washing Skills
Image credits: Jessica Burke
#38 This. Is. Sparta!!
Image credits: Jason FA Cole
#39 Aggressive Geese
Image credits: Ki Choi
#40 Dearly Beloved, We Are Gathered Here Today
Image credits: Emma Atticus Harper
#41 Was Supposed To Be A Pelican
Image credits: Emma McAleese
#42 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
Image credits: Steve Ransome
#43 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
Image credits: Trish Sutherland
#44 I Went Out To The Balcony To Photograph The Birds, But Instead Photographed A Fish
Image credits: Crap wildlife photography
#45 Tried To Get A Spread Wings Shot
Image credits: Crap wildlife photography
#46 I Can Show You The World
Image credits: Michelle Sobek
#47 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
Image credits: David Rennie
#48 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
Image credits: Carly Muench
#49 The Beautiful Whitetail Deer. Full Of Grace... And Our Idiot Cat Who Mistook Her For My Dog And Decided To Give Chase
Image credits: Madi Hagen
#50 Photobombed By A Bug
Image credits: Amanda McMillan
#51 Behold, The Majestic Manatee!
Image credits: Danny Kiene
#52 I Found This Wizard Squirrel In A Pile Of Trash. It’s The Best Crap Photo I’ve Taken
Image credits: Sylvia Dove
#53 Have You Ever Laughed So Hard Water Squirted Out Your Nose?
Image credits: Mike Kane
#54 This Wild Boar Ran So Fast It Rendered Itself Into A Cave Painting
Image credits: Olle Hemmendorff
#55 Does This Deck Make My Butt Look Fat?
Image credits: Mini Brit
#56 Finally Found One Of Those Radioactive Spiders. No, It's Not Because Of The Flash
Image credits: Emmanuel Sanchez
#57 Beagull
Image credits: Jonathan Chen
#58 Meanwhile In Thailand
Image credits: Adam Liam McCleery
#59 What’s Your Problem?!
Image credits: Jonica Palmer
#60 Spotted This Guy While Delivering Parcels Down On The Beachfront Community. C A M O F L A G E
Image credits: Freya Hogan
#61 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
Image credits: Rachel Balding
#62 We Have An Albino Squirrel In Our Backyard. I've Been Stalking Him For His Photo. Finally Got One. Isn't He Beautiful!
Image credits: Sue Achterberg Auradon
#63 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!
Image credits: Kevin Frey
#64 Took A Photo Of This Lazy Fella A Few Years Ago
Image credits: Cindy Von Liebig Uemura
#65 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
Image credits: Paul Heaton
#66 Behold. The Best Fish Picture I've Ever Taken
Image credits: Paul M. T. Savoy
#67 I Came In Like A Wreckingggg Ball
Image credits: Gina DeGregorio
#68 Nailed It! Prints Are Available
Image credits: Chris Clay
#69 This Buck Was Having A Bad Hair Day
Image credits: Nick Yezek
#70 Almost A Cool Picture Of A Great Egret Catching A Fish, But A Bug Got In The Way
Image credits: Robert Otto
#71 The Majestic Sea Lion Slumbers
Image credits: Anna Smitten
#72 Grasshopper
Image credits: Crap wildlife photography
#73 I Accidentally Shot This Photo While This Little Bastard Was Attacking Me. Triggerfish Are The Best
Image credits: Martina Andrés
#74 Throwback To Taking A Poorly Timed Picture Of A Praying Mantis On My Windshield Before Leaving For Work
Image credits: Jerilyn Murr
#75 Oh S**t
Image credits: Vannah Willow
#76 Whilst I Was Attempting To Catch The Grace And Elegance Of This Magnificent Pelican, Percy Slipped And Face Planted The Rock
Image credits: Christine Hibbert
#77 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?"
Image credits: Karen McGovern
#78 When You Have A Wild Night And Forget Your Way Back Home In The Morning
Image credits: Alberto Curiel
#79 I Had This Strange Feeling I Was Being Watched
Image credits: Clifford Wilson
#80 Bottoms Up!...might Get This One Printed On A Canvas
Image credits: Ellen Hickey
#81 The Time I Took A Picture Of Two American Goldfinches Through A Window Screen And It Came Out Looking Like A Cross Stitch
Image credits: Ana Maria Vasconez
#82 Is He.. Giving Me The.. Bird?!
Image credits: Josh Beckner
#83 It Was Fast Not My Fault
Image credits: Muneer Al Shanti
#84 I Saw A Snowy Owl Today... I'd Say He Was Camouflaged Very Well
Image credits: Amy Baxter
#85 When Your Landing Is Just A Little Off
Image credits: Gina Spyker Fairfield
#86 Wt F'n F. ?!?! Lets Get A Bird Feeder She Said. It'll Be Fun She Said
Image credits: Miichael Murzyn
#87 2 A.m.—“Someone Is At Your Door” Notification
Image credits: Shannon Epperson
#88 Well Hi!
Image credits: Dani Goodlett
#89 Abrakadabra!!!
Image credits: Pat Allegro-Smith
#90 We Had A Quick Trip To Scotland And We Saw Some Red Deer. There Was A Magnificent Stag. Behold
Image credits: Amber Lynn Daniels
#91 Well That's A Neat Trick
Image credits: Amanda Geahry
#92 I Got Lucky Enough To See The Rare Northern California Sea Potato! Butter And Chives Not Included
Image credits: Nikki Wolf
#93 Interesting Place To Coccoon
Image credits: Carolina Wolf
#94 Couldn’t Think Of A Better Place To Post This
Image credits: Kathleen Grace Nadeau
#95 Mine
Image credits: Billie Batek
#96 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
Image credits: Cindy Lane
#97 We Broadcast The Possum Signal Only In The Most Dire Of Garbage Emergencies
Image credits: Amy Fisher Rosaaen-McDonald
#98 Okay... So Maybe I Need More Practice Photographing Birds
Image credits: Jeff Dunn
#99 Caught This Guy Raiding The Bird Feeder At Night. Not Sure Why He Felt The Need To Cover His Private Parts
Image credits: Curt Finke
#100 Hi How Are Ya, Hi How Are Ya, Hi How Are Ya?
Image credits: Paul J Snow
#101 Next Time Starring On Squirrel P**n Is Ballsy The Squirrel
Image credits: Rachel Beth
#102 Check Out The Excellent Welds On This Steel Fencing
Image credits: Greg Lems
#103 I Was Trying To Take A Picture Of This Juvenile Seagull And This Sleepy Pigeon Waddled In And Stole The Show
Image credits: Jamie Andrews
#104 Took A Picture Of A Deer Today
Image credits: Andrea Kitson Vesper
#105 My Friend Found A Bobcat In Her Backyard Using Her Pool As A Toilet
Image credits: Teresa Mixon Gomez
#106 My Father-In-Law Mowed Half The Lawn, And Then Went To Empty Out The Collected Cuttings
Image credits: Kathy Padilla
#107 Me When The Tequila Hits
Image credits: Jimmy Golian
#108 Perfect Exposure? Great Focus? Worthy Of National Geographic? Crap Photo Of A Squirrel
Image credits: Michelle Gallacher
#109 My Photo Skills May Be Crap, But His Posing Skills Are Divine
Image credits: Sophie Newcomb
#110 This Is A Pic Of A Vine Snake, Taken By A Friend Of Mine
Image credits: Sherrie Moss
#111 Black Buzzards On Tombstones On A Foggy Morning
Image credits: Gary D. Ward
#112 This Dragonfly Found A Comfy Spot To Rest
Image credits: Joanna Rhodes
#113 Saw The Cutest Critter On My Window. Tried To Get A Good Shot, But They All Just Made Me Giggle
Image credits: Dixie Poe Brooks
#114 Yes! Yes! Pollinate Me, Baby!
Image credits: Josephine K. Parrilli
#115 This Little Guy Takes A Nap In The Same Spot Every, Single Day (And In Another Tree But He Loves This Nook)
Image credits: Mirgun Akyavas
#116 And Jean Was Never Seen Again. Authorities Suspect Fowl Play
Image credits: Jenny Gray Hough
#117 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
Image credits: Izzy Edwards
#118 Show Off
Image credits: Show off
#119 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
Image credits: Paula Northway Poland
#120 You've Heard Of The Blue Bird Of Happiness? This Ain't Him
Image credits: Clarette Ziesman
#121 Just A Bear Waiting For A Tasty Dumpster Deposit
Image credits: Valerie Crow
#122 Clearly, “Front Facing” Is Not The Best Way To Capture A Great Egret!
Image credits: Erica Shows
#123 I Wanted A Dive But He Just Wanted To Hang Out
Image credits: Adam Maniam
