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Animals & Wildlife

I was orphaned in the Rwandan genocide. I found unexpected healing in squirrel photography.

"I see parts of myself in them."

Photos by Niki Colemont (used with permission)

Niki Colemont captures squirrels in their most delightful moments.

Niki Colemont was just four years old when his home country of Rwanda erupted into violence in 1990. To escape the civil war, which would eventually lead to the brutal genocide of more than 800,000 Rwandans in 100 days, Colemont and his older sister were sent away to Belgium. They would never make it back home.

Colemont grew up in an adoptive family in Belgium, learned English by watching TV shows and movies, and found an unexpected source of healing from his childhood trauma as an adult: photographing red squirrels. He is now an international award-winning nature photographer who travels the world capturing wildlife, and he shared some of his journey of loss and healing in an interview with Upworthy.

Q: How were you and your family impacted by the genocide in Rwanda?

A: I left Rwanda at a very early age, so I don’t have many direct memories of what actually happened. I only began to truly understand the genocide after watching the movie Hotel Rwanda. It had a deep impact on my family. My father was killed during the war, and my mother passed away shortly after giving birth to me.

Growing up without our parents gave me a constant feeling of loneliness and a sense of not really knowing where I belonged in the world. It also had a profound effect on my sister, who left Rwanda at the age of nine. She carried many questions about what happened and often wondered about our past. One of her biggest dreams was to return to Rwanda to find her birthplace.

For me, much of my early life was about trying to find my way in a new country while carrying the weight of a history I was still learning to understand.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Q: You were close to your sister, who died in 2019. (I'm so sorry.) Can you share a bit about her and the impact she had on your life?

A: She was a familiar face in a not-so-familiar country, and it was a privilege to have her in my life. What I loved most was her personality. She was always happy, always smiling, and she carried so much knowledge about our past and our family. She often knew the things I never thought to ask, and now that she’s gone, so much of that information feels lost with her.

Her passing left me with a sense that part of my past disappeared too. There are so many questions I wish I could ask her, things I’ll never get answers to. Even recently, when I discovered that I have a brother—something my adoptive parents had kept a secret. I immediately thought of how much I would have wanted to share that moment with her. She had such an impact on me, and her absence is something I still feel deeply every day.

Q: How has your photography work helped you process that loss?

My photography has helped me process loss in ways I didn’t expect. A big part of it has been the reactions I receive from my community, especially on Instagram. People connect with the images sometimes in really touching ways. I’ll get comments like, ''This is the best thing I’ve seen on the internet today,' or a parent will share that their child loved a particular photo, like the one of the squirrel with the dinosaur. Those responses mean the world to me. They give me the energy to keep creating, even on difficult days.

I never started out expecting anything to come from my photography; I just followed ideas as they came to me. But realizing that my work can bring joy and inspiration to others has been deeply healing. Combined with the support I’ve received from my girlfriend’s family, it’s given me a sense of belonging and purpose. Photography has helped me not only process grief, but also discover where I fit in the world.

niki colemont, photography, squirrels, wildlife, nature, animals Hey, whatcha got there, pal? Photo by Niki Colemont (used with permission)

Q: Have you ever gone back to Rwanda? If not, do you have a desire to?

A: I haven’t gone back to Rwanda yet. For a long time, I told myself I wouldn’t return—I felt almost guilty for having the privilege of a good life elsewhere, with reliable healthcare and a steady job, while so many others back home didn’t have the same.

But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve seen how much Rwanda has changed—stronger schools, fewer financial struggles, and a real sense of growth. Now that I’ve found my passion in wildlife photography, I’ve been thinking a lot about visiting the Virunga Mountains to capture its incredible wildlife.

Returning also carries a deeper meaning for me. My sister always dreamed of going back to reconnect with her roots. She was saving to make that trip before she passed away. I feel like going back to Rwanda, to the place where I was born, would be a way to honor her dream as well as discover more of my own.

niki colemont, photography, squirrels, wildlife, nature, animals, Squinderella? Cindsquirrella? Photo by Niki Colemont (used with permission)

Q. You say photographing squirrels has helped you heal from trauma. What is it that makes squirrels so special?

A: Squirrels have such unique personalities. They’re chaotic, persistent, and endlessly curious. They can also be surprisingly clumsy, like when they misjudge a jump or forget where they buried their stash of nuts… which is how we end up with unexpected walnut trees!

They have incredible skills that set them apart from other animals. For example, they can rotate their ankles 180 degrees, which allows them to hang upside down or escape danger quickly. They’re also surprisingly human-like in some ways; they can push and carry things, they’re highly intelligent, and I’ve even seen them wipe their mouths on branches and groom their tails. They’re actually very clean animals.

I think what makes them so special to me is that I see parts of myself in them. I’m also a bit clumsy, forgetful, and chaotic so when I watch squirrels, I feel a sense of connection. Photographing them has been both healing and joyful because it’s like capturing little reflections of my own personality in nature.

niki colemont, photography, squirrels, wildlife, nature, animals A squirrel reflects.Photo by Niki Colemont (used with permission)

Q: How did you discover that you enjoyed photography?

A: I first discovered my love for photography in a very simple way with an iPhone 4. I started taking black-and-white landscape shots, just experimenting without any specific subject or real knowledge of what I was doing. Still, I felt a strong pull to keep going, because every picture, good or bad, seemed to leave a footprint and tell its own story.

In 2010, I began a relationship with my girlfriend, and that’s when I met my father-in-law. He owned a Nikon D3100 DSLR, and I was instantly intrigued by this big, professional-looking camera. I borrowed it for a year and dove into experimenting. I learned everything by making mistakes, and it took me quite a while to figure out how to shoot manually.

During that time, I saved up for my own camera. By 2015, I felt ready and bought my first DSLR, a Nikon D5200. With it, I’ve been fortunate to win a few photography awards.

Looking back, I realize it was my father-in-law who gave me that initial spark to start this journey. That spark grew into a passion that continues to inspire me every time I pick up my camera.

Q: What is one of your wildest photography experiences?

A: One of my wildest photography experiences has to be winning the National Geographic Public Choice Award in 2022 and the fact that it was for one of my squirrel photographs made it even more special. I had been a finalist back in 2019, but actually winning was on a whole different level.

It was the biggest boost I’ve ever had in my photography journey, not just because of the recognition, but because it touched something deeply personal. For a long time, I believed my work wasn’t good enough to achieve anything significant. That feeling was tied to my background. I was adopted and have always been incredibly grateful to my adoptive parents for giving me a second chance in life. But I also felt like I owed them something, that I had to support them no matter what, and that nothing I did was ever enough.

As a child, when I made mistakes or had disagreements, I was warned that I could be sent back to Rwanda. That fear stayed with me, and it made me scared to fail. I lost a lot of self-confidence because of it.

So when I won that award, it wasn’t just a trophy, it was proof to myself that I could achieve something on my own terms. It gave me the confidence I had been missing, and it made me believe in my work in a way I never had before.

Q: What do you hope people take away when they see your work?

When people see my work, I hope they feel the same happiness I felt while creating it even if it’s just for a split second. I want my photographs to give them a moment where they can forget the bad things in life and simply enjoy the beauty in front of them.

For me, it’s not just about taking pictures; it’s about spreading joy and, in my own way, raising 'squirrel awareness.' Squirrels are incredibly intelligent and full of personality, and I love showing the world just how special they really are.

niki colemont, photography, squirrels, wildlife, nature, animals Squirrels ride dinosaurs? Who knew?Photo by Niki Colemont (used with permission)

Q: What are your dreams and wishes for the future?

I’m a pretty simple guy and tend to take life as it comes. But if I had one wish, it would be to spread even more squirrel awareness all around the world. I’m not someone who enjoys being in the spotlight but for my squirrels, I’m happy to make an exception, because they truly deserve all the glamour. :p

My dream is to keep sharing my story and my photographs on a global scale, reaching more people who can appreciate these amazing little animals. And honestly, I’d be grateful if people could find their way to my Instagram, because that’s my favorite place to spread joy and connect with others through my work.

You can follow Niki Colemont on Instagram to see more of his delightful photography.

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Modern Families

36-year-old grabs and flips the camera during 'Happy Birthday' song. It's actually genius.

Who needs a boring video of a grown adult staring at a cake when you can have this?

Canva Photos

The birthday girl grabbed the camera and turned it around while party guests sang—and the result was amazing.

No proper birthday celebration is complete without an off-key rendition of "Happy Birthday" sung by a number of friends and family members of various vocal talents. Even as an adult, you may not have an elaborate party, but it's still nice to enjoy that small moment: A small cake, cupcake, or other treat, and 30 seconds of love and recognition from the people who mean the most to you.

Inevitably, someone will whip out their phone to record the occasion. If you've been the birthday person recently, you know it's a little uncomfortable to have someone filming you as you stare at the cake and smile politely, waiting for the song to end. And besides, who wants to watch that video back anyway?

One woman is going viral on social media for giving the dry, overdone "Happy Birthday" video a clever twist.

birthday, birthday party, aging, selfies, photography, pictures, memories, family, love, culture, smartphones A good reminder to never take it for granted when you have people to help you celebrate. Photo by Bave Pictures on Unsplash

Deniz Kayiket recently posted a reel captioned: "It took me 36 years to realize you're supposed to record birthday videos the other way around."

In the video, she's shown sitting at a table as someone presents her with a cake that's adorned with lit candles, including a fancy, sparkly one in the middle. Kayiket then reaches out for the camera phone, taking it away from whoever's filming, and spins the camera around to capture the audience of friends and family in attendance.

The result is so joyful and full of life I can't believe everyone doesn't take videos like this.

The clip went mega viral to the tune of over 10 million views and hundreds of thousands of responses.

People found the idea of Kayiket capturing not her own celebratory milestone, but the people who had gathered to help her make it special, so overwhelmingly beautiful.

"Ohhh how i wish this happened when I was a kid! What i wouldn't give to see those people again"

"Sometimes it's hard to simply realize, those that you surround yourself with may not always be there. But cherish each moment with them. Life's too short for arguments, negativity, or past problems. You never know when's the last time you'll see someone you love."

birthday, birthday party, aging, selfies, photography, pictures, memories, family, love, culture, smartphones No party is too small to make a great memory. Giphy

The comments kept rolling in on TikTok, where the clip racked up another nearly three million views:

"Im jealous on what you get to look back on. I never made my birthdays relevant enough to remember"

"Why is this the sweetest thing ever"

"The fact that she thought to do this shows how aware and appreciative she is for everything she has. This is not someone who takes things for granted"

Some commenters claimed that the real 'trick' is to be in the moment and focused on the people around you without any phones or cameras at all. But that sentiment, while valid, misses the point.

"Whenever I watch the videos and photos of my past birthdays I feels so grateful for taking them, memories fade, photos and videos stay," someone astutely noted.

In an era where photos and videos have become so ubiquitous, it's crucial to find ways to make them really count.

With 91% of Americans owning an iPhone or equivalent smartphone, we have the capacity to take a nearly unlimited number of photos and videos. It can be a great thing. You'll never miss a moment anymore! You'll never be unpleasantly surprised to find your film print ruined by bad lighting or a thumb over the lens (which happened to me too many times when I was younger). But there's also something about the unlimited-ness of it all that has made photos and video less special.

(There was something amazing about the era of old photo albums, where you might have one good picture of a birthday party, or just a handful of shots with a relative who died when you were young. It's nice to have more, but those felt incredibly meaningful. Now the average user has upwards of 2000 photos stored on their devices, and even that seems like a conservative estimate.)

When I watch Kayiket's video, I can't help but think of the old photography advice that says something to the effect of, "If a photo doesn't have someone you love in it, you'll never look at it again."

I think about it all the time when I'm trying to capture a sunset or take in a breathtaking view. The photo never does it justice, anyway, and I never go back and look at them. But I do want to see photos of my friends and family in meaningful moments, big and small. I definitely don't need a zillion more photos of myself, but I would pay really good money to have a video like hers from birthdays past of my parents, relatives who have since passed away, and old friends who got together to sing and congratulate me.

So, if you're a grown adult with a birthday coming up, try this cool trick. Grab the camera and flip it around while your loved ones clap and celebrate. It'll be a unique and amazing video to look back on one day.

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Wellness

12 unforgettable side-by-side photos of people over 100-years-old with their younger selves

A truly beautiful reminder of how delightful aging can be.

via Jan Langer/Aktualne

Jan Langer's incredible photos are timeless.

Czech photographer Jan Langer's portrait series "Faces of Century" shows them in a different light: as human beings aged by years of experience, but at their deepest level, unchanged by the passing of time. In the series, Langer juxtaposes his portraits with another portrait of the subject from decades earlier. He recreates the original pose and lighting as closely as he can — he wants us to see them not just as they are now, but how they have and haven't changed over time. That is the key to the series.

These are the rare faces of people who have lived through two world wars, a cavalcade of regimes, and the rush of advancements in modern life. These photos, and the stories of the lives lived by the people in them, show not only the beauty of aging, but how even as we age, we still remain essentially ourselves.

All photos by Jan Langer.

1. Prokop Vejdělek, at age 22 and 101

aging, photos, older people with their younger selves, aging process, 100 years old Prokop Vejdělek, at age 22 and 101via Jan Langer/Aktualne

Vejdělek is a former metallurgical engineer who will never forget the taste of warm fresh goat's milk.

2. Bedřiška Köhlerová, at age 26 and 103

via Jan Langer/Aktualne

Originally born in Merano, Italy, Köhlerová wishes to visit Italy one more time.

3. Ludvík Chybík, at age 20 and 102

via Jan Langer/Aktualne

Chybík is a former postal carrier and says he will never forget the route he worked every day.

4. Vincenc Jetelina, at age 30 and 105

via Jan Langer/Aktualne

Jetelina spent eight years in prison after World War II. Now, he just wants to live the rest of his life in peace.

5. Antonín Kovář, at age 25 and 102

via Jan Langer/Aktualne

Kovář is a former musician whose daughter comes to visit him every day. He wishes to play the clarinet once more.

6. Anna Vašinová, at age 22 and 102

via Jan Langer/Aktualne

Vašinová will always remember the day her husband was taken away by the Nazis. She wishes to be reunited with him after death.

7. Stanislav Spáčil, at age 17 and 102

via Jan Langer/Aktualne

Spáčil was an electrical engineer throughout his life and thinks that it's too early in his life to think about the past.

8. Anna Pochobradská, at age 30 and 100

via Jan Langer/Aktualne

Pochobradská was a farmer. She now lives a quiet life and is thankful that her daughter visits her every weekend.

9. Antonín Baldrman, at age 17 and 101

via Jan Langer/Aktualne

Baldrman was a clerk early in life and keeps up with current events by reading the newspaper.

10. Marie Burešová, at age 23 and 101

via Jan Langer/Aktualne

Burešová loves talking to her family and wishes to have them all together again.

11. Vlasta Čížková, at age 23 and 101

aging, photos, older people with their younger selves, aging process, 100 years old via Jan Langer/Aktualne

Čížková cooked in the dining room at the airport in the small village of Vodochody. She'll never forget reciting her own poetry at wedding ceremonies.

12. Ludmila Vysloužilová, at age 23 and 101

aging, photos, older people with their younger selves, aging process, 100 years old via Jan Langer/Aktualne

Vysloužilová stays active every day by chopping wood, shoveling snow, and doing work around her house.

The photographer Langer was initially inspired to document the lives of elderly people because of what he saw as the media's lack of coverage of them. He decided to focus on people over the age of 100 — a very rare demographic indeed. The 2020 U.S. Census recorded 80,139 people aged 100 or older, a 50.2% increase from the 53,364 centenarians counted in 2010. As our aging population continues to increase, and technology evolves along with it, it's likely these incredibly photo essays will become far more common. But for now, they are an incredible reminder of how precious and valuable life is, sometimes especially when we reach our golden years.

“One should live every single moment according to their best knowledge and conscience because one day we will see clearly what has a real value," Langer says of what he learned from his subjects while photographing them.

The series was originally part of a story that Langer did for the Czech news outlet aktuálně.cz. You can see more photos from the portrait sessions by following the link.

This article originally appeared seven years ago.

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Mental Health

Woman discovers trick to instantly feel better about how you look in photos: 'ZOOM OUT I beg'

"I promise you’ll look back at those photos ... and see the bigger picture."

Canva Photos

25-year-old woman urges people to stop zooming in on photos.

Millennials in the early 2000s were really enjoying the perks of digital photos and cameras, which were relatively new at the time. I know, it's hard to imagine. We had small, physical cameras with memory cards that we'd carry around with us on a night out, even just to the bar. We would take photos all night—hundreds and hundreds of them. They were blurry, poorly lit, and candid. People were always making awkward faces in the background or being shown at unflattering angles.

We didn't care. We posted every single one of them to a Facebook album, tagged our friends, and let them live there permanently. Can you imagine?!

Things work a little differently now. Our online lives are a lot more curated. We don't post every photo we take, and in fact, all of us intuitively utilize a careful vetting process when we take group pictures or selfies. We snap the pic, or a few, and immediately go to look how it turned out. If it doesn't meet the standards of how we want ourselves to look in a public facing photo, it doesn't get posted. Worse, it might be deleted on the spot, the memory of that moment vanishing forever.

body image, selfies, photography, photos, body positivity, self esteem, self worth, psychology, technology Take me back to when we hardly cared what we looked like in selfies. Giphy

25-year-old Emma-Kirsty Fraser has a theory on why we seem to be so much more selective, even flat out disgusted, with pictures of ourselves these days: It's the damn zoom.

In a recent Instagram reel, Fraser posted a photo of herself as the camera zoomed in the parts of her body she tends to over-examine in photos: Her arms, chin, midsection, and legs.

"Image the brainwashing required to get us to see this," she says as the camera bounces around to all the most self-critiqued parts of her body. "Instead of this!"

The camera then cuts to the full photo, of Fraser laughing and chatting with friends. It's a fun and beautiful moment, full of life. It captures a moment in time, friendship, love, and joy. No one in their right mind would see the photo and have any thoughts whatsoever about the shape of her chin or the size of her arms. But we've all been conditioned to hyper-analyze every pixel when it comes to our own body and how we think we come across in photos.

"ZOOM OUT I beg ... I think it’s quite terrifying when you realise how much brainwashing it took to get you to zoom in and criticise yourself in so much detail? Like if you showed 8 year old Emma a photo of herself there’s no way she would zoom in," Fraser captioned the post.

"There is so much more to life than the way your body looks and I promise you’ll look back at those photos (because you’re not going to delete them anymore!!!) and see the bigger picture, not your skin/body/blemishes."

Believe it or not, "pinch zooming" in on photos is a relatively new phenomenon that cropped up within the last 20 years.

Most experts credit (or blame, depending on your point of view) the iPhone with innovating and popularizing the feature around 2007. In a few years, it was available on Android phones as well. It didn't take long from there for us to ditch our Nikon Coolpix cameras and start exclusively taking photographs on our phones, quickly learning that we could spot and delete our double-chin moments before anyone saw them.

(Smartphones with cameras officially overtook digital cameras around 2007 but didn't become completely ubiquitous until about 2012-2013.)

The world, and our body image, was never the same.

body image, selfies, photography, photos, body positivity, self esteem, self worth, psychology, technology Resist the urge to zoom in on your most sensitive features. Photo by Antoine Beauvillain on Unsplash

Fraser's post went viral, racking up 30,000 Likes on Instagram and over three million views.

Commenters were so grateful for the message they so desperately needed to hear:

"the fact i saw this picture and ONLY thought about how it was such a beautiful candid & captured your vibe perfectly"

"At first ... I saw nothing wrong with her. But if this was a photo of ME, tell why would I suddenly see all the flaws?"

"At first, I thought we were talking about the tattoos, the accessories, etc. because I saw nothing wrong with her. But if this was a photo of ME, tell why would I suddenly see all the flaws?"

"I'm 41, I still really REALLY struggle with this, I zoom in on every photo and criticise every flaw and a "bad" photo can bring down my body image for days. But I've started refusing to delete and coming back to photos after a day or so and slowly I'm learning to realise they often aren't as "bad" as my initial reaction would suggest."

"I struggled to see what you were talking about but then I imagined if it was me and I could see what might be perceived as issues. Kinda sad."

Fraser's words really struck a nerve, and she managed to capture a feeling and phenomenon that we all intuitively understand but rarely talk about.

When we look at photos of others, we see the big picture. We see their smile and the emotion of the photo, we take in the moment. We don't nitpick. So why do we do it to ourselves?

Body image and pressure to look "perfect" is about as bad, or worse, than its ever been—in part because the online world is so heavily curated. Real people are quieter and harder to find on social media, and instead we see more and more perfect-looking influencers and celebrities. Photos are easy to edit, touch up, or apply filters to. The real, blurry, awkward photos of the early 2000s are gone and probably never coming back.

But we can fight back in one very simple way. Just zoom out. Don't inspect your belly, your smile, or whatever your perceived flaws are. Enjoy the picture for what it is, a snapshot of a moment in time. Try to view it like a stranger would. And, for the love of God, don't be so quick to delete the memories that you can't get back.

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Pets

17 outrageous, side-splitting photos from the Comedy Pet Photo Awards

The 2021 crop of winners remains legendary.

via © Jakub Gojda/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021 and © Zoe Ross /Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021

17 of the funniest photos from the Comedy Pet Photo Awards

If kids say the darndest things, it's safe to say that pets do the darndest things. One of the great joys of having a cat, dog, or other small animal to call your own is the endlessly entertainment they bring you. The way we communicate, and miscommunicate, with our pets is magical and hilarious. When you're lucky enough to capture some of that magic on film, you get the memory of a lifetime.

Taking photos are also an expression of love. It's no secret that pet owners are obsessed with snapping candid photos of sleeping dogs, yawning cats, and anything that looks cute, cuddly, or hilarious.

The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards are a fun-filled competition created by Tom Sullam and Paul Joynson-Hicks to promote positive awareness of animal welfare issues. Past winners include a well-timed shot of a monkey who appears to have hurt the family jewels on a suspension wire. (Don't worry folks, no monkeys were harmed for the awards.) The competition has been so successful, the duo decided to branch out and create the Comedy Pet Photo Awards, where photographers can submit pictures of their furry friends for a £2,000 ($2650) prize.

Donations generated by the competition go to Animal Support Angels, an animal welfare charity in the U.K. The 2024 winner features a dog shoving his head through a way-too-small cat door. In 2023, the champion was a kitten caught redheaded trying to sneak attack his brother.

But even several years later, the crop of winners from the 2021 contest remains one of the best ever. The overall champion was Zoe Ross for "Whizz Pop," a photo of her labrador puppy Pepper who appears to be tooting bubbles.

“We never ever thought that we would win but entered the competition because we loved the idea of helping a charity just by sending in a funny photo of Pepper," Ross said in a statement. "She is such a little monkey, and very proud of herself, bringing in items from the garden and parading past you until you notice her. She is the happiest puppy we’ve ever known and completely loved to pieces.”

Here are the rest of the winners of the 2021 Comedy Pet Photo Awards.

Overall Winner: Zoe Ross "Whizz Pop," Penkridge, U.K.

pets, animals, wildlife, comedy, dogs, cats, funny, photography, photos, viral photos, photography competition Overall Winner: Zoe Ross "Whizz Pop," Labrador puppy, Penkridge, UK © Zoe Ross /Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021

Did this puppy swallow a bubble? Either he drank some bubble solution or this photographer just happened to have remarkable timing.

Best Dog Category: Carmen Cromer "Jurassic Bark," Pittsboro, North Carolina

pets, animals, wildlife, comedy, dogs, cats, funny, photography, photos, viral photos, photography competition Best Dog Category: Carmen Cromer "Jurassic Bark," Pittsboro, North Carolina © Carmen Cromer/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021

"My golden retriever, Clementine, loves to stick her face in front of the hose while I water the plants. Her expression in this photo made me think of a tyrannosaurus rex, hence the title, "Jurassic Bark." Duh nuh nuuuh nuhnuh, duh nuh nuuuh nuh nuh, dun duh duuuh nuh nuh nuh nUUUUUUhhhh." – Carmen Cromer

Best Cat Category: Kathrynn Trott "Photobomb," Ystradgynlais, U.K.

pets, animals, wildlife, comedy, dogs, cats, funny, photography, photos, viral photos, photography competition Best Cat Category: Kathrynn Trott "Photobomb," Ystradgynlais, U.K. © Kathrynn Trott/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021

Jeff stealing the limelight from his brother Jaffa. What is it that cats love so much about photobombing?

Best Horse Category: Mary Ellis, "I Said 'Good Morning,'" Platte River State Park, Nebraska

pets, animals, wildlife, comedy, dogs, cats, funny, photography, photos, viral photos, photography competition Best Horse Category: Mary Ellis, "I Said 'Good Morning,'" Platte River State Park, Nebraska © Mary Ellis/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021

"I like to visit the stable horses before I begin my hike at the State Park. This is the reply I received when I said 'Good morning.'" – Mary Ellis

When they say you should never look a gift horse in the mouth, maybe this is what they had in mind.

All Other Creatures Category: Sophie Bonnefoi, "The Eureka Moment," Oxford, U.K.

pets, animals, wildlife, comedy, dogs, cats, funny, photography, photos, viral photos, photography competition All Other Creatures Category: Sophie Bonnefoi, "The Eureka Moment," Oxford, U.K. © Sophie Bonnefoi/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021

"Cutie and Speedy are two chicks hatched from eggs placed in an incubator at home in August 2020. They spent their first few weeks indoors. In the photo, they are just over two weeks old. They were curious about everything. This is the day they discovered their own shadow. It was hilarious to see them wondering and exploring that 'dark thing' that was moving with them!" – Sophie Bonnefoi

Junior Category: Suzi Lonergan, "Sit!" Pacific Palisades, California

pets, animals, wildlife, comedy, dogs, cats, funny, photography, photos, viral photos, photography competition Junior Category: Suzi Lonergan, "Sit!" Pacific Palisades, California © Suzi Lonergan/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021

"Our granddaughter gave the command to sit. Beau is very obedient." – Suzi Lonergan

Anyone who's ever owned an oversized dog has been here before. This snapshot absolutely reflects the hilarious reality of keeping a gentle giant in your home.

Pets Who Look Like Their Owners Category: Jakub Gojda, "That Was a Good One!" Czech Republic

pets, animals, wildlife, comedy, dogs, cats, funny, photography, photos, viral photos, photography competition Pets Who Look Like Their Owners Category: Jakub Gojda, "That Was a Good One!" Czech Republic © Jakub Gojda/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021

"This photo was taken by accident during the photography of my ex-girlfriend with her beloved mare. For this cheerful moment, I thank the fly that sat on the horse's nose and he instinctively shook his head." – Jakub Gojda.

The resemblance is uncanny!

Highly Commended: Chloe Beck, "Hugo the Photobomber," Walsall, U.K.

pets, animals, wildlife, comedy, dogs, cats, funny, photography, photos, viral photos, photography competition Highly Commended: Chloe Beck, "Hugo the Photobomber," Walsall, U.K. © Chloe Beck/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021

"This is my best friend Faith, her husband Alex, and their cheeky Sproodle, Hugo. Faith wanted a photograph to mark a special occasion—her first outing after shielding at home for 14 months. Hugo jumped into the frame at just the right moment!" – Chloe Beck

Highly Commended: Luke O'Brien, "Mumford and Chum," Coventry, U.K.

pets, animals, wildlife, comedy, dogs, cats, funny, photography, photos, viral photos, photography competition Highly Commended: Luke O'Brien, "Mumford and Chum," Coventry, U.K. © Luke O'Brien/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021

"Losing the opportunity to play with my human bandmates during lockdown, Flint, my rescue dog, soon taught me that we didn't just have sharp bones in common, but musical ones, too. He soon became the perfect substitute for a collaborative stomp up at home, so much so that we felt we deserved our own band name (Muttford and Chum). With my camera set up remotely during this shoot, I think it's fair to say that the image is proof that his conviction as a performer matches my own." – Luke O'Brien.

Luke and Flint could have been strong competitors in the lookalike contest, if you ask me.

Highly Commended: Kathryn Clark, "Wine Time," Cichester, U.K.

pets, animals, wildlife, comedy, dogs, cats, funny, photography, photos, viral photos, photography competition Highly Commended: Kathryn Clark, "Wine Time," Cichester, U.K. © Kathryn Clark/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021

"It's that time of day again! Little Blue enjoys it almost as much as me." – Kathryn Clark.

This cat just gets it.

Highly Commended: Diana Jill Mehner, "Crazy in Love With Fall," Paderborn, Germany

pets, animals, wildlife, comedy, dogs, cats, funny, photography, photos, viral photos, photography competition Highly Commended: Diana Jill Mehner, "Crazy in Love With Fall," Paderborn, Germany © Diana Jill Mehner/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021

"This is Leia. As you can see, she definitely loves playing with all the leaves in autumn. It was really tricky to take this picture because you never know what the dog is going to do next." – Diana Jill Mehner.

Highly Commended: Christine Johnson, "Boing," Crosby Beach, U.K.

pets, animals, wildlife, comedy, dogs, cats, funny, photography, photos, viral photos, photography competition Highly Commended: Christine Johnson, "Boing," Crosby Beach, U.K. © Christine Johnson/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021

"I was busy playing with my dog on the beach and this dog came to play. I liked the shapes he was making in the air." – Christine Johnson

Highly Commended: Manel Subirats Ferrer, "Ostrich Style," Platja del Prat de Llobregat, Spain

pets, animals, wildlife, comedy, dogs, cats, funny, photography, photos, viral photos, photography competition Highly Commended: Manel Subirats Ferrer, "Ostrich Style," Platja del Prat de Llobregat, Spain © Manel Subirats Ferrer/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021

Nuka playing hide and seek at the beach. Hey, we've all buried our head in the sand at one point or another.

Highly Commended: Colin Doyle, "Nosey Neighbor," Bromsgrove, U.K.

pets, animals, wildlife, comedy, dogs, cats, funny, photography, photos, viral photos, photography competition Highly Commended: Colin Doyle, "Nosey Neighbor," Bromsgrove, U.K. © Colin Doyle/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021

"According to Ozzy, we need a new fence panel ASAP. He is fed up with Chester our nosy next door neighbor spying on him every time he has a meal." – Colin Doyle.

There's a lot going on in this one, but the hidden camera is what really makes it a winner.

Highly Commended: Corey Seeman, "A Warm Spot on a Cold Day," Michigan

pets, animals, wildlife, comedy, dogs, cats, funny, photography, photos, viral photos, photography competition Highly Commended: Corey Seeman, "A Warm Spot on a Cold Day," Michigan © Corey Seeman/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021

"Two of the morning regulars at the dog park are Gary (hound mix with the jacket) and Kona, one of the most chill dogs ever." – Corey Seeman.

Highly Commended: Lucy Slater, "So What?" San Diego, California

pets, animals, wildlife, comedy, dogs, cats, funny, photography, photos, viral photos, photography competition Highly Commended: Lucy Slater, "So What?" San Diego, California © Lucy Slater/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021

"This is how I like to sit!" – Vincent the cat

Highly Commended: Mollie Cheary, "Photobomb," Poole, U.K.

pets, animals, wildlife, comedy, dogs, cats, funny, photography, photos, viral photos, photography competition Highly Commended: Mollie Cheary, "Photobomb," Poole, U.K. © Mollie Cheary/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021

'"Bailey was so excited to see her friends, she couldn't sit still for a photo!" – Mollie Cheary

The photos are hilarious and adorable, but you might wonder: What's the point of all this?

The founders have actually given that quite a bit of thought. According to the website:

"Lots of people ask us why we do the competition and what we are trying to achieve. This is an epic question. So, we’ve had a really good think, (with tea and biccies obvs) and come up with this: 'Through the Comedy Pets, we want to promote positive awareness of animal welfare issues and celebrate the incredible and valuable contribution that pets can and do have on our lives.'"

So you're actually doing a lot of good by viewing, laughing at, and even sharing these photos. Great work!

This article originally appeared four years ago. It has been updated.,

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Kids

A mom was told her daughter was too girly to play sports so she planned epic photoshoot

Girls don't have to choose between sparkly or sporty.

HMP Couture Imagery

Some of the HMP Couture sports models showing off their girly and athletic sides

We're lucky to live in a time where women's sports are getting serious attention. Thanks to breakout stars like Serena Williams, Caitlin Clark, Simone Biles, and more, women's athletics is actually starting to get the respect it deserves. More and more young girls are now able to see themselves competing at the highest levels, and they have the role models to follow in order to get there.

But, frustratingly, girls in sports are subject to double standards that men don't have to give a second though. One major issue is that girls who are too "pretty" have trouble being taken seriously as athletes, and they're constantly criticized and underestimated. (All the while, being too muscular or "manly" opens up athletes to a whole different kind of scrutiny.)

So this one's for the girls who know you don't have to chose between sparkles and sports. For too long, girls have been sent the message that they have to be either/or. You're either a girly-girl or a tomboy. You're either into sparkly princesses or sports practices. From the early days of childhood, we're told in bold and subtle ways to squeeze ourselves into separate boxes. But those boxes are bullspit, and most of us know it. Girls don't have to choose between feeling beautiful and being badass. We can be both at the same time.

Perhaps that's why a portrait shoot shared by HMP Couture Imagery showing girls dressed up in fancy dresses and sports equipment has gone insanely viral.

The shoot is called "Because you can do it all," and since its posting it has been shared over 200,000 times.

The woman who photographed the shoot says a comment from a fellow mom sparked the idea.

Heather Mitchell, the photographer from Alabama who runs HMP Couture Imagery, told Upworthy how the portrait shoot came about.

"My youngest daughter is 8 and she is trying softball this year for the first time," said Mitchell. "We were at practice a few weeks ago and I was talking with the other moms. I was saying that I hoped Paislee learned to love the game because she was athletic. One of the moms told me that she was not athletic, that she was a girly-girl."

"I couldn't sleep that night," Mitchell continued. "All I could think was, 'Why does she have to choose?' I played every sport my school offered and wore lipstick to every game. So the next day we went to the studio and created her shot."

Mitchell says she only spent about three minutes shooting because she knew exactly what she wanted to create. After she posted the photos of Paislee to her personal Facebook page, she got a ton of requests from other parents for the same kind of shoot. After adding two days to the schedule, they sold out in an hour—and the requests just keep on coming.

The sparkly-sporty shoots continue to be one of Mitchells most popular bookings.

Mitchell hopes that girls see these photos and realize that they don't have to choose one identity.

The idea that crinoline and cleats can't exist in the same mental space is silly, but common. Girls (and boys for that matter) can love pretty things and kick butt at sports. They don't have to be one thing or the other.

"My parent taught me that I could be anything I wanted growing up," Mitchell told Upworthy. "I didn't realize till I was much older that everyone is not that blessed."

The photos going so viral has not only been good for the photography business, its helped spread the message far and wide.

These photos are an excellent reminder to questions our assumptions and not place unnecessary limits on anyone—and an empowering example for girls who don't fit neatly into a socially constructed box.

After all, even someone like Caitlin Clark likes to wear a fancy dress every now and then. And her athleticism and impact on the sport is not up for debate because of it.

"I hope that every little girl that sees this series can see that there is no box," says Mitchell. "Whatever their dreams are they can achieve."

This article originally appeared six years ago. It had been updated.

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Celebrity

Ken Griffey Jr's incredible Masters photos prove his second career is no gimmick

He's 'masterfully' transitioned from being in front of the camera to behind it.

Keith Allison, Flickr & Canva Photos

Ken Griffey Jr. retired from baseball at 40. At 55 he's a successful photographer.

You don't have to be a baseball fanatic to know who Ken Griffey Jr. is. His name is synonymous with the MLB as he was the centerpiece of the league for decades. ESPN has him as the 13th best pro baseball player of all time, but his fame at its peak went far beyond just the baseball world. He was one of the most famous athletes in the world in the 90s and early 2000s. In the end, Griffey Jr. played 22 seasons and breezed into the Hall of Fame easily.

Except, it wasn't the end! Ken Griffey Jr. retired from professional baseball in 2010 at the age of 40. And he wasn't content to just disappear and watch his fame and fortune slowly dwindle away. There was a lot of life yet to live, and Griffey Jr. was intent on living it.

Now 55, Ken Griffey Jr. is grabbing headlines for what he's doing off the field. Notably, and surprisingly, he's taken up photography.

ken griffey jr, ken griffey, mlb, baseball, pro baseball, athletes, sports Ken Griffey Jr. was one of the most famous athletes on the planet in the late 90s.By clare_and_ben - 00451_n_12ag9rg4vb0460, CC BY-SA 2.0

For so much of his life, Griffey Jr. was used to being in front of the camera. Now he's spending his time behind it. It's a fun little hobby — a 'hobby' that recently took him all the way to the Masters at Augusta National as a formally recognized photojournalist.

His photos from the event are terrific, his talent and hard work evident. People who haven't been paying attention to his journey and second career are shocked to find out that not only is Ken Griffey Jr. a good photographer, it is decidedly not a hobby. And it's not a gimmick.

X users reacted to the photos:

"I guess he's just good at everything," one user joked.

"Such joy on his face!" noticed another.

Ken Griffey Jr. first picked up a camera to document his own children's sporting events, according to an interview with Golf.com.

He found that shielding himself behind a big camera allowed him to hide from onlookers and fans and just enjoy the game and enjoy being there for his kids. With a big enough lens, he could even hang back from the crowd a bit to wait for the perfect shot. He found that he fell in love with photography and learning all the intricacies of the artform.

From there, and after his pro career ended, it was an easy segue into professional sports. He's shot games and events for Major League Soccer and the NFL, IndyCar events, and even done wildlife photography. Though his name recognition certainly helps him land assignments and access, Griffey Jr. prefers to be treated like a normal photographer.

James Colgan for Golf recounts how Griffey struggled to keep up with the seasoned pros in the photo pit at the 2025 Masters. These were some of the best sports photographers in the world.

“How would these guys feel if we all got into a batting cage, and I was sitting there critiquing them? It’s the same thing," he said.

But he hung in there and got a number of terrific shots for his effort.

Being a professional athlete can be an extremely glamorous job. That makes it hurt even more when it comes to an end.

There's fame, often a good chunk of money, and tons of excitement as an active player. But what we don't often see is that the career of a professional athlete is usually incredibly short. Most are lucky to play for just a few years. Even the best of the best are often retired by the time they reach their 30s. There's a lot of life left after that! And they're often dealing with injuries, money running out, dwindling notoriety, and more. Retired athletes can lose purpose and their sense of identity, fall into depression, make risky investments, and generally struggle to find their footing during their second act.

Ken Griffey Jr. is showing young athlete that there's a better way, and he's an inspiration for anyone who thinks it's too late to change the path their life is on. Learning something new, and potentially failing, is intimidating. But we only get one shot on this Earth, and there's absolutely no time to waste.

“I mean, I’ve been this way since I was a little kid,” he says. “I learned how to fly a plane. I got my pilot’s license at age 36. I learned to scuba at age 30. You owe it to yourself to go out and find something you love, and you have to be willing to start somewhere.”

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