No Ifs or Ands Put the Butts in to Photography

A photograph taken from an unusual angle can take an image from the dull to the wonderful in an instant. Instead of concentrating on the face, why not take a chance on that sometimes neglected (and other times overused) part of the anatomy - the butt. Call it what you like, caboose, bum or bottom - its inclusion on film can make a photograph. Have a look at this collection - no ifs or ands, but quite a few butts. 

Deer Derriere

Deer are cute - there is absolutely no denying that. However, ever since the days of Bambi, people have been shooting deer (was that an intentional play on words? Decide for yourself!) like there was no tomorrow. Instead of taking pictures from the front why not position yourself behind them and see what you come up with? Here a stunning blend of colors and situation work together to give this photo and edge it would just not have had from any other angle.


Avian Arse

Photography should be as much about story telling as literature. If you take a picture of a duck, for example, you may just end up with - mmm, a picture of a duck. If you wait for the duck to position itself unusually or in this case dive down in to the water, then you have a picture which starts to tell a story and makes people think or wonder about what happened next! Again, no need to work from the front - stay still and let the duck do the work for you!




The same could apply equally to this American White Pelican.


Porcine Hinney


The words ‘pig', ‘butt' and ‘cute' may not immediately spring to mind as going together, but with some work - and a keen sense of humor - the words can come together photographically to make a wonderful composition. Here, although the porcine bootyliciousness is undeniable, the real sources of interest in the picture are the tails of the pigs, which are at once graceful and amusing.

Equine Posterior

One wouldn't normally associate a photo where a butt predominates as an image of sheer grace combined with power, but here you have it. The face is almost entirely an irrelevance when the beauty of this beast is taken in. The gloss on the coat is wonderfully caught and this is a rare, languid, shot of a (three quarter) donkey raising itself after a rest on the ground.

Birdy Butt

It is vital in photography to get the angle right and with a little time and effort a picture of a bird in a tree can be made in to something different and engaging. This picture demands an immediate double take as on first inspection it could seem to be a species of visiting alien perched precariously like a little feather-ball with a Mohican. As much attention has been paid to capturing the texture of the branches as the bird itself and this picture thus becomes much, much more than just ‘bird on a twig'.

Rhino Cheeks

Instantly recognizable as a rhino, who needs the whole animal to make an interesting and thought provoking photograph? Here, the focus is upon the sheer power of the animal with the texture of the shot making the rhino's rear end look more like concrete than skin. The background is well chosen, too, as it matched with the colors of the animal itself and shows its camouflage techniques nicely at work.


Alpha Male Taillights


Taken in Richmond Park in the UK, this alpha male looks after his females from a distance where he can take in both his charges and any apparent threat to them. Where the image is contextualized by distance and group, there is no need to see the front of the male. His antlers are wonderfully caught in the sunlight and the picture loses none of its effect by being of his hind quarters.


WTF Goose Caboose

A gosling rather than a goose, to be honest, but the right angle can lead to a WTF moment without too much effort. Here a gosling takes a dip and a drink but shot from behind it would certainly lead to many people wondering what on earth it could be. The answer comes to mind fairly quickly, of course, but the fun is in those few seconds where this photograph demands to be looked at a second time!

Zebra Buns

The lovely black and white stripes of the zebra make it perfect for behind shot from the rear. With the stripes, evolved over millions of years specifically for the purpose of being photographed, it is sometimes time to go back to our roots and use some black and white photography. 

Sheep Tush

Some animals are best avoided when it comes to butt photography and sheep are usually the ones you should leave alone. Ask any Australian what a ‘dag; is and you will receive quite a graphic answer. Let us just say that sometimes sheep don't quite take as much care of their nether regions as some animals. However, given the right conditions all that can be put to one side, as this charming image of a mother and her lamb shows.


The Perennial Problem - Homo sapiens!


The behind of the species known as Homo sapiens is fraught with complications when it comes to photography. We are too knowing, perhaps, of what its primary functions are and that can mean that butt photography can be a little, let's say exploitative at times. It is too easy to take a photo of this species because of outlandish size the rear end can reach or the comic juxtaposition between the subject and the articles of clothing they (try to) wear. However, with patience this shy and timid species can be butt-captured on film and make for a charming composition at the same time.


Inanimate Buns


Not only animate objects have butts - thanks to the Victorians we have bare backsides bursting through the foliage in local parks all over the world. The butt does not have to be an object of prurience, however - and here this finely toned specimen is captured with a spider's web spun around it. Perhaps the spider had something of a ‘cheeky' sense of humor. Joking aside, the light capture in this photo is remarkable and the division of the picture in to two halves is beautifully coordinated.



A carefully positioned camera can make a straightforward picture in to one where the viewer must ask questions about the nature of their existence. The nakedness of man and his technological ambitions are here put in stark contrast to each other. The bare butt is significant - what are we as individuals in the face of our achievements?



Fag Butt

Before any unwordly American expires from an apoplectic fit brought about by the use of 'fag' and 'butt' together, allow me to point out that in the UK the word fag is slang for a cigaretter. And what online article is complete without a small play on words? Whatever your opinion of the habit, the cigarette butts used in this composition provoke thought and discussion to say the least about the nature of nicotine consumption. Addicts are the slave to the tobacco god, but what does the tobacco worship?