Animals “just are what they are,” says photographer of upcoming book, animal soul

Photographer Robert Bahou has a way with the camera. As a native Jordanian, Bahou feels fortunate to have grown up surrounded by the breathtaking nature. From an early age, he found himself compelled to photograph.

Now living in the Netherlands, his subjects include everything from landscapes to people to animals. But he says that there’s something special about capturing our furry friends on film.

On his website, the photographer writes:

I don’t think that animals understand what a camera is, so when they look into a lens, they are not conscious of their appearance. As a result, they don’t adjust their expression, posture or body language, they just are what they are.

Soon, some of his intriguing work will be available in one beautiful, bound collection. Bahou is self-publishing his upcoming coffee table book, Animal Soul, which aims to share the uncensored honesty and spirit of the cats and dogs that are pictured in its pages. Says the photographer on his Kickstarter video:

With this book, I encourage you to stand still, to stare at something you would otherwise only offer a passing glance. I want us to look deliberately, not at the animals at our feet and on our newsfeeds, but at the animals by our side.

“We are so familiar with dogs and cats that I decided I wanted to try and show a new take on the subject,” the photographer told iHeartDogs. “The most fulfilling part of the job is to interact with so many different animals, to try and understand what it is that makes them tick, and to overcome the challenge of photographing them time and time again.”

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