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14 of the funniest photos from the 2023 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

Funny kangaroos, monkeys and more!

comedy wildlife photography awards, funny pet photos, nature photography

The 2023 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.

The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, known for being one of the most entertaining photography contests, has just wrapped up, and this year’s top prize goes to Jason Moore for his hilarious and brilliantly captured photo of a kangaroo, cheekily named “Air Guitar Roo.” Not only did this fantastic shot win the overall competition, but it also rocked the Creatures of the Land category, too.

Jason's photo stood out among a whopping 5,300 entries submitted by 1,842 photographers from 85 countries. Moore’s photo of the female western grey kangaroo was taken in the outer suburbs of Perth, Australia when Jason visited a field of wildflowers to snap some pics of the many adult kangaroos and joeys playing there.

“The shoot turned out to be a great session, and I am quite fond of several images that I captured,” Moore said in a statement. “Not many people know that kangaroos are normally fairly docile and even a bit boring most of the time if I’m honest. However, when I saw this roo striking the air guitar pose, it immediately brought a smile to my face, and I knew that I had captured something really special."

The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards was started in 2015 by Paul Joynson-Hicks MBE and Tom Sullam to create a competition focused on the lighter, humorous side of wildlife photography while assuming an essential role in promoting wildlife conservation.

Here are 14 of the big winners.

1. Overall Winner: "Air-Guitar Roo" (grey kangaroo) by Jason Moore, Australia

A kangaroo rocking out.

"On this day, I had been out with my camera photographing some waterfowl at a nearby lake. I had been up at sunrise to take advantage of the 'golden hour' light, but it turned out to be a disappointing morning on the water. After leaving the lake, somewhat dejected, I decided to swing past an area of open bushland, because there are often a 'mob' of Kangaroos feeding and sunning themselves in a field close to the road. ... The morning light was still favorable so I grabbed my camera and headed off to a spot where I could get down to eye level with my subjects. I ended up shooting about 40 or 50 frames of the kangaroos with various content including mum’s, joeys and also some action shots of them bouncing along through the yellow field. The shoot turned out to be a great session, and I am quite fond of several images that I captured. However, when I saw this animal strike this pose it immediately brought a smile to my face and I knew that I had captured something special." — Jason Moore

2. Creatures of the Air Award: "Unexpected Plunge" (heron) Vittorio Ricci, South Africa

A heron takes a dive.

"An unusual end of a perfect moment." — Vittorio Ricci

3. Creatures Under the Water Award: "Otter Ballerina" (smooth-coated otter), Otter Kwek, Singapore

An otter with perfect form.

"The otter was leaping while attempting to grasp the overhanging leaves, and during an unusual landing, it ended up in the Arabesque pose. I showed this photo to a ballet teacher, and she commented that the otter is a natural but just needs to tuck in its tummy a bit — precisely what a ballet teacher would advise." — Otter Kwek

4. People's Choice Award: "Dispute" (greenfinch), Jacek Stankiewicz, Poland

This greenfinch is very adamant about something.

"I caught this scene while watching birds in the Bialowieza Forest. My friends interpret this scene in two ways. One, a young naughty kid is arguing with a parent. Two, a kid is reporting to the parent that their brother did something wrong: 'Look he broke a window!'" — Jacek Stankiewicz

Highly Commended Winners

5. "The Happy Turtle" (swamp turtle), Tzahi Finkelstein, Antarctica

A turtle is about to have a meal.

"The swamp turtle is surprised and smiles at the dragonfly resting on its nose." — Tzahi Finkelstein

6. "The Monday Blahs" (great grey owl) John Blumenkamp, USA

This owl is so over it.

"While photographing the great gray owl shown in my image, I had been busy working to capture that majestic-looking pose. As the owl preened and then sat still for a short while, it stretched once more and for a quick moment gave the pose shown. As it did, I grinned and thought… now that’s funny!" — John Blumenkamp

7. "One for the Family Album" (gannets) Zoe Ashdown, UK

A proud family of gannets.

"At RSPB Bempton Cliffs, each year between March and October, around half a million seabirds use the chalk cliffs towering above the North Sea to nest and raise a family. Gannets mate for life and they return to the same nest year after year to raise their young. Lying safely at the top of the cliff face, I was able to observe the affection shown between the gannets each time one returned to the nest. They have a greeting ritual, they rub beaks and entwine their necks; it’s how they strengthen their bond. But it’s also a brilliant opportunity to catch them in various poses. I didn’t realize I’d taken this image until I got home, but as soon as I saw it I laughed out loud! They look like proud parents, posing with their baby." — Zoe Ashdown

8. "Don't Look Down" (Atlantic puffin), Brian Matthews, UK

A puffin doing the upside-down Snoopy routine.

"A puffin does an inverted snoopy impression while watching jelly fish." — Brian Matthews.

9. "Boing" (grey kangaroo) Lara Mathews, Australia

Silly little joey!

"Taken at Westerfolds Park, a beautiful and surprisingly wild pocket of land in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, famous for its kangaroo population. The mob was enjoying some morning sunshine when this joey decided to get silly and try his hand at boxing." — Lara Mathews

10. "The Rainforest Dandy" (monkey) Delphine Casimir, Bali

A sophisticated monkey.

"This picture was taken in the monkey forest in Ubud, Bali, a crazy place where monkeys are king! This forest is special even magical and sacred to the Balinese people. Maybe our dandy is the reincarnation of a divinity?" — Delphine Casimir

11. "Look Right, Bro" (macaque, deer) Pratick Mondal, India

"And on my right, is a deer."

12. "That Wasn't Here Yesterday" (white-winged dove) Wendy Kaveney, USA

A white-winged dove disrupted mid-flight.

"A white-winged dove appearing to fly head-on into a cholla cactus skeleton." — Whitney Kaveney

13. "Snowball" (white grouse) Jaques Poulard, Norway

Why is that snowball alive?

"The white grouse is coming towards me and looks like a snowball with eyes." — Jaques Poulard

14. "Excuse Me Sir But I Think You're a Bit Too Young to Be Smoking" (grey fox) Dakota Vaccaro, USA

A grey fox that looks like it's enjoying a fine cigar.

"While I was working deep in the Virginian woods, a family of grey foxes took up residence under the deck of the abandoned cottage next to my work housing. One day, while practicing their hunting skills on bits of moss and branches, one of the kits lunged at a small chunk of wood and started rolling around with his prize. Tired after his hunt, the kit lounged on his belly still holding the wood in his mouth which gave the strong resemblance of a cigar." — Dakota Vaccaro

This article originally appeared two years ago.

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Education

A 3-word method can help you make relaxed small talk that doesn't feel like an interview

Injecting some personality can make things a lot more fun.

via Canva/Photos

A man and woman chatting over some wine.

A lot of people are uncomfortable making small talk, but it’s an essential skill that can make or break your love life, career, and social experiences. Many people believe that being good at chatting with others is something innate, but those who excel at it work at their craft and pick up small tips along the way to become better communicators.

One of the tricks that all great communicators know is that you will be more likable when you're more interested than interesting. Study after study shows that people love talking about themselves, and if you ask people more questions, they will like you a lot more than if you did all the talking. So, how do we do this without creating a one-sided conversation where your conversation partner learns nothing about you? The folks at the Science of People have shared the statement-plus question technique.

The statement-plus technique

“One of the smoothest ways to keep conversation flowing is to share a brief personal statement followed by a question,” the Science of People writes. “This technique accomplishes two things: it gives the other person information about you (making you seem more approachable and interesting) while also redirecting focus to them.”

small talk, conversation, office party, people talking, wine Coworkers having a nice conversation.via Canva/Photos

Here are some examples:

Instead of asking “What do you do for work?” say:

“I’m a writer for Upworthy, and I enjoy seeing my work read by millions of people. What excites you about your job?”

Instead of asking, “Where do you live?” try:

“I live in Long Beach, California, and it’s really nice living by the ocean. What do you love the most about where you live?”

Instead of asking, “How do you know the person who threw the party?” say:

“I met Sarah at a church meeting seven years ago. Do you remember the first time you met her?”

These questions enable you to discuss yourself while maintaining the focus on the other person. They are also open-ended, so you don’t just get a one-word answer. You learn their job and what excites them about it. You know where they live, and they get to brag about what they like about the city. The technique also broadens the conversation because, according to the psychological phenomenon known as reciprocal self-disclosure, people are more likely to disclose things about themselves after you share something about yourself.

- YouTube youtu.be

What is reciprocal self-disclosure?

“The most likely result of your self-disclosure is that other people will do the same. In the field of communication, we refer to this as 'reciprocity.' When you share information about yourself, the most likely result is that people will start to disclose a similar type of information from their own lives," communication coach Alexander Lyon says. "In our presentations, we talk about this as a magic wand. Disclosure is the closest thing we have to a magic wand in terms of a concept in communication. When you disclose, other people almost automatically reciprocate."

Ultimately, people love to talk about themselves, and if you give them the opportunity, they will like you more for it. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t reveal some aspects of yourself at the same time while keeping the focus on them. The statement-plus question technique allows you to reveal some things about yourself while making the other person feel seen and comfortable telling you more about themselves. It’s sure to elevate your small talk to something more substantial in a relaxed way that doesn’t feel like an interview.

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Internet

3 questions to ask that one person who's 'always right' that'll instantly stop the argument

Hint: logic and facts aren't gonna work.

Photo credit: Canva

Two people arguing

We all know that person. The one who always has to be right, who can turn even the most innocuous disagreement into a never-ending debate, leaving you emotionally exhausted and wondering why you ever opened your mouth in the first place.

It could be a coworker, a friend, maybe even someone in our own family—and if we’re really honest with ourselves, perhaps we’re guilty of it too sometimes. But not as much as the other guy!

But here’s the good news: Dr. Jeff Bogaczyk, a communication expert who holds a Ph.D. in rhetoric (that’s literally the science of persuasion) says there’s actually a way to reach the know-it-alls in our life, all while maintaining your own peace.

It all starts with just three questions.

Don't waste your time arguing.

According to Dr. Bogaczyk, also known as MindForLife on TikTok, arguing with someone who's always right feels impossible because it is. Attempting to use logic and facts to persuade them is a fool’s errand because it doesn’t just challenge their opinion, it challenges their identity.”

arguing, conversation, small talk tips, persuasion, talking, communication, debate, winning an argument A woman in flight-or-fight modePhoto credit: Canva

Numerous psychological studies have shown that criticisms of beliefs can feel like personal attacks, causing people to go into fight-or-flight mode. Logic shuts down, and defenses go up immediately because you’re no longer having a conversation. You’re thrust into battle.

The three questions that can turn a stalemate argument into an actual conversation

Dr. Bogaczyk suggests that instead of trying to win an argument, you ask questions that invite reflection. This can nudge folks out of that defensive, reactive part of the brain and into the calmer, more thoughtful part. From this place, they’re better able to listen.

arguing, conversation, small talk tips, persuasion, talking, communication, debate, winning an argument Two men having a conversationPhoto credit: Canva

Here are his go-to questions:

1. “Is there anything that could actually change your mind?”

This question moves the conversation from confrontation to curiosity. It signals to the other person that they’re not under threat, leaving them far more likely to open up and inadvertently “give you back the key that might unlock their perspective.”

2. “If you were wrong, where would you be wrong?”

This question is admittedly more triggering, but that’s the point. It helps them see their argument as a structure that can be examined, not a fortress that must be defended.

3. “What do you think is the weakest part of your argument?”

Similarly, this question might cue some defensiveness. You might initially receive a response like, “There is no weakness.” However, Dr. Bogaczyk notes that gently guiding the thoughts back to simply reflecting on what could be the weakest part provides a potential opening for humility to slip through.

@mindforlife How to argue with someone who’s never wrong? #Communication #communicationskills #communicationtips #bettercommunication #argue ♬ original sound - Mind For Life

Why this works

As Dr. Bogaczyk puts it, these questions “disrupt the feedback loop” of defensiveness. They give people a chance to think rather than react. Sometimes, that’s all it takes to quiet down that lizard brain and bring empathy, logic, and higher reasoning back to the forefront. And that’s where real progress happens.

Of course, there will always be individuals for whom this strategy will not work. You can’t change everyone’s mind. But sometimes, it’s not truly about changing minds. It’s about maintaining our own energy even in the midst of conflict.

So the next time you find yourself in an argument that’s going nowhere, pause, take a breath, and ask a question.

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Mental Health

Happiness researcher explains how making a 'reverse bucket list' can change your life

Counterintuitive in our culture, but effective.

Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons

Harvard researcher Arthur C. Brooks studies what leads to human happiness.

We live in a society that prizes ambition, celebrating goal-setting, and hustle culture as praiseworthy vehicles on the road to success. We also live in a society that associates successfully getting whatever our hearts desire with happiness. The formula we internalize from an early age is that desire + ambition + goal-setting + doing what it takes = a successful, happy life.

But as Harvard University happiness researcher Arthur C. Brooks has found, in his studies as well as his own experience, that happiness doesn't follow that formula. "It took me too long to figure this one out," Brooks told podcast host Tim Ferris, explaining why he uses a "reverse bucket list" to live a happier life.

bucket list, wants, desires, goals, detachment Many people make bucket lists of things they want in life. Giphy

Brooks shared that on his birthday, he would always make a list of his desires, ambitions, and things he wanted to accomplish—a bucket list. But when he was 50, he found his bucket list from when he was 40 and had an epiphany: "I looked at that list from when I was 40, and I'd checked everything off that list. And I was less happy at 50 than I was at 40."

As a social scientist, he recognized that he was doing something wrong and analyzed it.

"This is a neurophysiological problem and a psychological problem all rolled into one handy package," he said. "I was making the mistake of thinking that my satisfaction would come from having more. And the truth of the matter is that lasting and stable satisfaction, which doesn't wear off in a minute, comes when you understand that your satisfaction is your haves divided by your wants…You can increase your satisfaction temporarily and inefficiently by having more, or permanently and securely by wanting less."

— (@)

Brooks concluded that he needed a "reverse bucket list" that would help him "consciously detach" from his worldly wants and desires by simply writing them down and crossing them off.

"I know that these things are going to occur to me as natural goals," Brooks said, citing human evolutionary psychology. "But I do not want to be owned by them. I want to manage them." He discussed moving those desires from the instinctual limbic system to the conscious pre-frontal cortex by examining each one and saying, "Maybe I get it, maybe I don't," but crossing them off as attachments. "And I'm free…it works," he said.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"When I write them down, I acknowledge that I have the desire," he explained on X. "When I cross them out, I acknowledge that I will not be attached to this goal."

The idea that attachment itself causes unhappiness is a concept found in many spiritual traditions, but it is most closely associated with Buddhism. Mike Brooks, PhD, explains that humans need healthy attachments, such as an attachment to staying alive and attachments to loved ones, to avoid suffering. But many things to which we are attached are not necessarily healthy, either by degree (over-attachment) or by nature (being attached to things that are impermanent).

"We should strive for flexibility in our attachments because the objects of our attachment are inherently in flux," Brooks writes in Psychology Today. "In this way, we suffer unnecessarily when we don't accept their impermanent nature."

What Arthur C. Brooks suggests that we strive to detach ourselves from our wants and desires because the simplest way to solve the 'haves/wants = happiness' formula is to reduce the denominator. The reverse bucket list, in which you cross off desires before you fulfill them, can help free you from attachment and lead to a happier overall existence.

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Learning

Neuroscientist breaks down the 5 simple steps of true manifestation, without the 'woo woo'

It might seem like magic, but there's real science behind it.

Photo credit: Canva

James Doty breaks down what manifestation actually is from a neurological standpoint.

Manifestation can be an off-putting concept for myriad reasons, but arguably the biggest complaint is that it feels unrooted in any scientific reality. However, many experts in the scientific community recognize that manifestation is actually rooted in very real neuroscience. The recently passed neurosurgeon and author Dr. James Doty was certainly one of them.

Doty, who passed away in July 2025, dedicated the better part of his life to explaining the science behind manifesting and visualization—why it works, how it occurs in the brain, and how to do it effectively. This includes an incredibly simple routine for manifesting, “without the woo-woo,” as he put it.

Steps for Manifestation

1. Have an intention.

2. Write it down.

3. Read it silently.

4. Read it out loud.

5. Visualize it over and over and over again.

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A post shared by Mel Robbins (@melrobbins)

This process might look bare bones, but Doty attests that it uses “all of your sensory organs as much as possible” to embed your intention into your subconscious. All of which activates different parts of your brain, including the part of the brain that repeats self-talk about our identity. So much of how we create habits is tied to the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves, after all.

The caveat that Doty adds, which contradicts the “good vibes only” mantra promoted in many manifestation circles, is that negative self-talk “is not going to 100% go away.” However, with practices like this, even amongst the negative self-talk, you’re able to stay emotionally resilient and not let it “overpower you” by causing you to ruminate.

“In a lot of ways, it’s like accepting the shadow self," says Doty, referencing a term coined by Carl Jung, another pioneer who bridged the gap between metaphysical, spiritual principles, and clinical psychology.

Doty also notes that, contrary to popular opinion, manifestation is not primarily about acquiring things, but rather about gaining detachment from the need for external validation, which ultimately causes suffering.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

“I like material things. I drive a Porsche, I live in a very nice house. But the difference, though they’re wonderful to have, they're not necessary. If these things were taken away from me, it has no impact on who I see myself as.”

A few other tips, which Doty goes into detail about in his book Mind Magic: The Neuroscience of Manifestation and How It Changes Everything, include beginning with some gentle breathing exercises to get into a calm state (which releases stressors like fear and doubt which can hinder manifestation), followed by focusing on the joy and awe of being alive (putting you in a receptive mode), and taking aligned action after embedding an intuition (after your brain is rewired to search for possibilities).

At the end of the day, Doty’s five-step routine, and really his work in general, is a great way for the more cynical among us to still experience the benefits of manifesting, even if we don’t gel with the way it’s normally portrayed in pop culture.

“There is no magic here; this is fundamentally basic neuroscience, and it’s something we all have the ability to master.”

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Learning

27 English words people have a hard time enunciating properly, even native speakers

"The word I notice people struggle with is 'vulnerable'. Something about that N following an L is tricky."

Image via Canva/Povozniuk

English words that are difficult to enunciate.

The English language is hard to master, even for native speakers. With over an estimated one million words in the language, not only are English words hard to memorize—they can be hard to properly pronounce and enunciate.

On the subreddit r/words, a person posed the question: "What's a word you've noticed many native English speakers have difficulty enunciating even though the word is used fairly often?"

Turns out, there are a menagerie of words people notoriously stumble over. These are 27 English words that people say are the hardest to enunciate.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"The word I notice people struggle with is 'vulnerable'. Something about that N following an L is tricky." - common_grounder

"Rural." - Silent-Database5613

“'Nucular' for nuclear." - throwawayinthe818

"Remuneration v renumeration (first one is correct)." - RonanH69

"Exacerbated vs exasperated." - SNAFU-lophagus

"I hear grown adults calling wolves woofs and they're not doing it to be funny." - asexualrhino

"'Asterisk'. A lot of people wind up inadvertently name-checking Asterix. I think it's best for those who struggle to use the alternative name for that punctuation mark, the 'Nathan Hale', after the American patriot who famously declared, 'I can only regret that I have but one asterisk for my country!'" - John_EightThirtyTwo

"Jewelry." - weinthenolababy

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"Mirror. Some people pronounce it 'meer'." - weinthenolababy, diversalarums

"I realized recently I have always mispronounced mischievous. It's mis-chiv-us, not mis-chee-vee-us. I don't know if I've ever heard anyone pronounce that correctly." - callmebigley

"ET cetera, not 'ect' cetera. I think people are used to seeing the abbreviation etc and since there is no diphthong tc in English their mind bends it into ect." - AdFrequent4623

"February. It sounds like you're pronouncing it like it's spelled Febuary. But it's spelled February." - SDF5-0, ShadedSpaces

"'Supposebly' [supposedly]. Drives me up the wall." - BlushBrat

"Library. My coworker knows I hate it, so he’ll say Liberry every time." - Jillypenny

"The amount of people who say Pacific when they're trying to stay specific is pretty alarming. I'm not even sure if they know it's a different word sometimes." - Global-Discussion-41

"Then there was my old boss who would confidently and consistently use the word tenant when he meant tenet." - jaelith

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"'Mute' for moot. A good friend of mine, who's extremely intelligent and articulate otherwise, says that. Unfortunately, it's a word she likes to use. I haven't had the heart to tell her she's pronouncing it incorrectly, and it's been three decades." NewsSad5006, common_grounder

"Probably." - Rachel_Silver

"I can’t say the phrase 'rear wheel' without considerable effort." - ohn_the_quain

"Anthropomorphize is a word I have to use semi-frequently with limited success each attempt." - ohn_the_quain

"Turmeric. People drop the first R. It drives me nuts!" - Jillypenny

"Oh, and it’s espresso, no X [ex-presso]." - Jillypenny

espresso, espresso gif, sipping espresso, espresso drink, drinking espresso sipping modern family GIF Giphy

"Also cardamom with an N." - nemmalur

"Crayon 👑. My ex pronounced it 'cran'. Drove me up a wall." - rickulele, premeditatedlasagna

"Contemplate. It's one of those word I hear people stumble over more than anything, often it comes out as Comtemplate, Contempate or a combination of both." - megthebat49

"Pumpkin (punkin)." - evlmgs

"Eraser (erasure, but they're talking about the pink rubber thing)." - evlmgs

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