Photographer Shares Why His Animal Portraits Are Shot Backside Up

Photographer Andrius Burba captures his animal portraiture from the underside up. That’s not simply an expression—it’s the idea of his ongoing challenge (now model) often known as Underlook. The premise is straightforward, however the logistics might be advanced: Burba locations a cat, canine, reptile, and even horse on a chunk of glass after which pictures their bellies, toes, and no matter else they care to share with us.

The photographic outcomes present a placing, clear view of fur, scales, and hooves, permitting us to know and absolutely respect the anatomy of those creatures. “Underlook is not just about ‘cute’ or ‘funny’ images for me,” Burba tells My Modern Met, “it’s about expanding the way we see the world.”

While we expect now we have a good suggestion of what our pet seems like—in any case, we dwell with them—the reality is we’re doubtless lacking one thing as a result of we largely view them straight-on or from above. “When you photograph [animals] from underneath, you suddenly discover things you’ve never really noticed,” Burba explains. “How a cat folds its paws, how a dog distributes its weight, how a rabbit’s fluffy feet look softly pressed against the glass, or how big animals rest on surprisingly small contact points.”

Shot with a stark, black background, Burba’s setup affords us a helpful alternative to review the entire elements that make the creature complete. In this fashion, the images are as instructional as they’re gorgeous.

We spoke with Burba about his journey into images, his most memorable picture, and the challenges of photographing beneath a horse. Scroll down for My Modern Met’s unique interview.

How did you begin your images profession?

I’m at the moment based mostly in Vilnius, Lithuania, and my journey into images started after I was a teen. At first, I used to be merely fascinated by cameras and the technical aspect of how a picture is created. That curiosity slowly was a ardour—I began experimenting with gentle, completely different types, and realized that images may present issues we don’t usually discover in on a regular basis life.

What first impressed the Underlook challenge, and what had been you photographing earlier than that?

Before Underlook, I labored as a vogue and promoting photographer. It was attention-grabbing, however over time, I began to really feel that I used to be simply repeating what many others had been doing—the identical form of pictures, simply with completely different garments, areas, or lighting. I used to be lacking a way of
discovery.

The thought for Underlook was born the day I noticed a do-it-yourself picture on the web of a cat sitting on a glass espresso desk, photographed from beneath. It regarded humorous, nevertheless it was additionally the primary time I spotted I used to be seeing one thing I had by no means been in a position to see in actual life. One of the cats was sleeping with its paws folded beneath its physique. I grew up with a cat who slept precisely like that, however I had by no means understood the place these paws “disappeared.” For the primary time, I may really see them.

That second modified every little thing. I understood that this was solely potential as a result of the cat was on a clear glass floor and photographed from beneath. Naturally, a thought got here to me: what else may I uncover about cats if I photographed extra cats from beneath? That thought finally grew into the Underlook challenge and have become my full-time work.

Your collection started with pets however has branched out to all kinds of creatures. Which one have you ever discovered probably the most difficult to {photograph}?

The most difficult topics thus far have undoubtedly been horses.

Why is that?

Photographing cats, canine, or rabbits is unpredictable and typically chaotic, however technically it’s nonetheless manageable—the glass is smaller, the development is lighter, and the dangers are decrease. With horses, every little thing turns into an engineering challenge.

For the Under-Horse collection, the glass alone weighed round 400 kilograms (881 kilos), and it needed to safely maintain a horse of about 900 kilograms (1,984 kilos). We needed to design a particular construction, collaborate with an engineer, and even dig a 3-meter-deep pit into the bottom so I may place the digicam on the right distance with out utilizing a fisheye lens. I didn’t need distortion—I wished the horse to look actual and highly effective, not like a caricature.

On high of that, security was an enormous concern—for the horse, for the group, and to be trustworthy, for myself. Even understanding that the glass may technically maintain round 1,500 kilograms (3,307 kilos), when the heaviest horse (900 kilograms) stepped on it for the primary time, I instinctively climbed out of the pit, simply in case. So whereas zoo animals, reptiles, or bugs every deliver their very own challenges, horses stay probably the most advanced mixture of engineering, logistics, and braveness.

Can you describe the shoot setup for us?

The core of the setup is at all times the identical: a custom-made glass platform with the digicam positioned beneath it. In actuality, although, it’s way more advanced than simply “an animal on glass.”

The glass is an important ingredient. It must be very robust, completely steady, and completely clear—as a result of the animal is actually standing on the “last lens” of my digicam. Every little mud particle, scratch, or hair turns into seen within the last picture. So throughout a shoot, we’re continuously cleansing and checking the floor.

Lighting is one other huge problem. I normally gentle the topic from beneath or from the edges, directing the sunshine upward, however flashes and softboxes simply mirror within the glass. They can even illuminate objects beneath the platform that I don’t need to see within the last picture. Controlling these reflections and preserving the background clear is among the most troublesome elements.

The precise setup adjustments relying on the animal:

• For small animals, the system is compact and comparatively easy.
• For huge animals like horses, it turns into a full building website with heavy glass, help beams, pits within the floor, and an entire group round.

Generally, how lengthy do you must {photograph} an animal earlier than it decides it’s accomplished being a mannequin?

It actually is dependent upon the species and character. Sometimes I get the proper shot within the first 30 seconds, typically it takes a couple of minutes. Cats are normally cautious and analytical—they have an inclination to face nonetheless, making an attempt to know what’s occurring, which supplies me a brief however very centered window to shoot. Dogs are way more playful and pushed by meals, so with treats, I can work longer and experiment with completely different
poses and expressions. With zoo animals, I typically solely have a really temporary second—we place the animal on the glass, I take a collection of pictures as shortly as potential, after which we return it to its enclosure to keep away from stress.

In common, I attempt to work quick and respect the animal’s limits. When it begins to lose curiosity or present indicators of stress, the photoshoot is over.

Can you inform us about your favourite picture from Underlook?

My favourite and most significant picture is from the Under-Horse collection—the brown horse with the lengthy mane, named Epas, also called “Rabbit.”

This picture is vital to me on a number of ranges. On knowledgeable degree, it was chosen among the many high 80 photographs out of 171,000 entries on the Sony World Photography Awards 2018. That was my greatest recognition as a photographer and a powerful affirmation that this uncommon perspective may stand subsequent to extra conventional images on a worldwide stage.

But the emotional aspect of this picture is even stronger. Epas was a rescue horse—he was purported to be put down, however the steady determined to avoid wasting him and provides him a second likelihood at life. He lived many extra years surrounded by individuals who actually cared about him. He’s a Lithuanian Heavy Draft, and his mane was formally recorded because the longest horse mane in Lithuania.

When I photographed him from beneath, it felt like capturing power, vulnerability, historical past, and survival in a single body. Technically, it was probably the most difficult shoot I’ve ever accomplished. Emotionally, it turned a logo of what Underlook is about: revealing one thing we’ve by no means seen, but in addition telling a deeper story hidden inside one picture.

Are there any animals which are in your images want record?

Yes, undoubtedly—I’ve a form of “dream list” that I’m slowly turning right into a long-term plan. I’ve set myself a five-year aim to create three main Underlook initiatives with massive animals:

• Under-Cows: Exploring these mild giants of the countryside from beneath.
• Under-Tigers: Capturing one of the majestic predators from a very special approach.
• Under-Elephants: Which might be the last word dream, each technically and symbolically.

Each of those animals brings distinctive challenges—from engineering stronger glass and constructing greater constructions to collaborating with specialists and ensuring every little thing is protected for the animals.

Beyond that, I’m at all times interested by extra zoo animals and wild species. I’d wish to proceed exploring creatures that we hardly ever see up shut, and virtually by no means from beneath—not only for the visible shock, but in addition for what they will train us about anatomy, evolution, and habits.

Aside from being visually compelling pictures (and cute ones at that), what do you hope that individuals take away from viewing your pictures?

Underlook is not only about “cute” or “funny” pictures for me—it’s about increasing the way in which we see the world.

We assume we all know what animals appear to be, as a result of we see them each day from the identical acquainted angles. But whenever you {photograph} them from beneath, you out of the blue uncover belongings you’ve by no means actually seen: how a cat folds its paws, how a canine distributes its weight, how a rabbit’s fluffy toes look softly pressed in opposition to the glass, or how huge animals relaxation on surprisingly small contact factors.

I hope that when folks have a look at my photographs, they really feel a way of curiosity and marvel. I need them to understand that there’s at all times one other aspect to every little thing—even to the issues we expect we already know very effectively. Sometimes viewers discover particulars that elevate questions: for instance, why is a tiger’s stomach fur white whereas its again is camouflaged? Those small discoveries can spark greater ideas about nature and the way it works.

Emotionally, I need my work to make folks really feel one thing—pleasure, shock, nostalgia, possibly even tenderness towards their very own pets. Some folks chuckle, some are shocked, some even cry after they see their animals from this new perspective. For me, that emotional connection is an important end result.

If my photographs can remind those that the world continues to be stuffed with unseen angles and hidden magnificence, then Underlook is doing its job.

Underlook: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to function photographs by Andrius Burba.

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