Wildlife Photographer Reveals How Elegant Birds Look a Lot Sillier From the Front

Funny Bird Photos

Spoonbill

The simple shift of a camera can make a portrait look completely different—especially when it comes to our feathered friends. We're used to seeing birds photographed from a profile or three-quarter view that highlights their glorious beaks. But as photographer Ruurd Jelle van der Leij shows in his series Frontals, capturing birds from a straight-on vantage point significantly alters how they appear—and it just might make you laugh.

When photographed from the front, a bird's beak becomes distorted. Suddenly, their air of elegance is diminished (if only a little bit). The pointed snouts droop in front of them, giving a silly expression that looks like they are either grimacing or totally confused. The results reveal more about their personalities as we experience new sides to these seemingly always-graceful creatures.

Frontals is an ongoing project that has spanned a decade. “The series started basically when I started my career as a wildlife photographer,” Van Der Leij tells My Modern Met. “In the first pictures I took, I directly noticed that the frontal gave a weird perspective of the birds. After realizing this I just started to focus on it more.” He has since collected enough of these photographs to fill a book with no plans to stop now.

So, does Van Der Leij have a favorite in all of the bird images he’s snapped? It turns out that he does. “To me, the great bittern or Eurasian bittern is my favorite,” he admits. “It’s also one of my favorite birds. They are hard to see due to their camouflage and that's where frontal comes in handy.”

Photographer Ruurd Jelle van der Leij captures a sillier side to birds with his Frontal series that reveals straight-on views.

Straight-On Bird Photos

Great Bittern

Straight-On Bird Photos

Great Egret

Funny Bird Photos

Black Stork

Wildlife Bird Photos

Bearded Tit

Wildlife Bird Photos

Oystercatcher

Wildlife Bird Photos

Ringed Plover

Wildlife Bird Photos

Common Snipe

Wildlife Bird Photos

Water Rail

Straight-On Bird Photos

Marsh Tit

Wildlife Bird Photos

Grey Partridge

Straight-On Bird Photos

Wood Pigeon

Wildlife Bird Photos

Common Whitethroat

Wildlife Bird Photos

Hawfinch

Wildlife Bird Photos

Bluethroat

Wildlife Bird Photos

House Sparrow

Wildlife Bird Photos

Robin

Wildlife Bird Photos

Kingfisher

Funny Bird Photos

Red-Breasted Goose

Ruurd Jelle van der Leij: Website | Facebook | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Ruurd Jelle van der Leij.

Related Articles:

Stunning Portraits of Rare and Endangered Birds Full of Personality

Elegant Bird Portraits Highlight the Refined Beauty of Our Feathered Friends

These Cute Pint-Sized Birds Perform Expert Splits to Keep Themselves Balanced

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled 'Embroidered Life' that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
Become a
My Modern Met Member
As a member, you'll join us in our effort to support the arts.
Become a Member
Explore member benefits

Sponsored Content