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How to Take Funny Photos (Funny Ideas to Try Today)

Taya Ivanova
Last updated: March 13, 2024 - 6 min read
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We’ve all been there. You’re out with friends, enjoying a night on the town, when someone suggests that you take a funny photo. And suddenly, you’re stuck. What can you do to make yourself look silly in front of everyone?
It’s not as easy as it seems. In fact, taking funny photos requires a lot of skill and practice. But don’t worry – we’re here to help. In this article, we’ll show you some tips and tricks for taking the funniest photos possible. So read on and get ready to have some laughs!

Take Funny Photos by Observing Your Surroundings to Find Exciting and Hilarious Moments

A humourous photo of a squirrel on a tree - funny animal photos
Funny animal photos are rare because animals don’t listen to instructions. Their unpredictability is what makes them an important part of funny photography, so practise as much as you can to get charming photos like this.

Funny moments are often unfiltered and can be found in busy places. This is a great opportunity to improve your candid photography. You can practice using your camera in an ever-changing environment.
Some of the best places to start are busy streets, nature, and fun events. Look for places where you can find a variety of animals. Their funny expressions make for fantastic photos.
You’ll have to be patient and observant to find humorous moments. Make sure you stand in places where humor isn’t uncommon. These include parties, a places where animals tend to play, and so on.

Don’t Overthink to Take Unforgettable Shots

A humorous photo of a horse yawning - funny animal photosOnce you find an appropriate location, adjust your camera settings according to the environment you’re in.
Use a fast shutter speed to take sharp photos of unexpected moments. If there isn’t enough light, use a high ISO number. Make sure your lens is fast enough so that you don’t end up with blurry photos.
Once you’re happy with your settings, take a few test shots. If they look good, start shooting without overthinking. Don’t worry about not getting the right shot. Just focus on having fun and pointing your camera in the right direction.
This isn’t a fool-proof photography technique. But it’s one of the best ways to help you loosen up and naturally find humorous moments wherever you are.

Use the Power of Compositions to Get Clever Results

funny forced perspective photo of a girl licking the leaning tower of pisa like an ice-cream cone - funny photography If you enjoy planning, you can still insert humor into your photography. Your goal is to find clever compositions that will amuse viewers.
One of the most common ways to do this is to create the illusion of continuation. This pattern should resemble things that we’re familiar with. For example, ice-cream cones combined with white buildings or fluffy white clouds.
You can also experiment with human subjects. Try making it seem like someone has lost a body part. This is an exciting activity idea for gatherings. And a great way to have fun while taking group photos.

Funny photo of a seemingly headless man holding a childs head on the beach
The man had to lower his head and hold the little boy’s head. The little boy had to crouch in a way that hid everything but his head. The photographer’s job was to shoot everything from the right angle.

Use Props to Make Your Results More Effective

A funny photography portrait of a child holding a photo of a funny mouth to their own
Children love having fun. Make the most of their presence in your photos. If you give them creative props to work with, you’ll be rewarded with lots of funny photography opportunities!

You can make a model’s face look funnier or more expressive using printable props. This is one of the easiest ways to take funny photos of people and animals.
Printable accessories are cheap, easy to use, and diverse. You can play around with different ones throughout your shoot.
If you want props that look more professional, you can buy different collections on Etsy or Amazon.

Turn a Popular Concept Upside down to Surprise Viewers

A funny photography portrait of spiderman hailing a cabHumour often goes hand in hand with surprising concepts.
Think of popular concepts, characters, or moments that you could capture in an unconventional way. If you’re a fan of cosplay photography, you can turn superheroes into villains.
Your photos don’t have to be ironic. You can use sayings and metaphors literally. Show “crocodile tears” in an image using a crocodile plush toy and large drops of water.
Here are a few popular metaphors you can start with:

  • burst your bubble,
  • fish out of water,
  • apple of your eye,
  • busy as a bee.

Place Two Different Objects Together to Highlight Amusing Differences

two cactus's in pots having a chat - funny photography tips
You can use everyday objects in funny photography, too.

Juxtaposition means placing multiple objects together to emphasize their differences. It’s often used in conceptual and street photography to put a spotlight on culture.
In funny photography, you can use it to make sarcastic, thoughtful, or clever photos. Size, shape, and age differences are a few of the many things you can use to take humorous photos.

Use Conceptual Photography Tricks to Add a Touch of Surrealism to Your Photos

A funny photography portrait of a man levitating over his bed
If the man in this photo looked serious or lost in thought, this photo would look completely different. The trick to mastering funny photography is knowing how to subtly insert humor into seemingly serious situations.

Conceptual photography is often associated with serious ideas and somber expressions. What if you used some aspects of this genre in funny photography?
If you combine conceptual photography tricks with funny facial expressions, you’ll get amusing results. Common conceptual tricks are levitation, human cloning, and shrinking.
If your model looks surprised, annoyed, or overjoyed in these surreal situations, your results will make people laugh.

Be Respectful at All Times

A funny photography portrait of a girl wearing a tt-shirt reading 'all i want in life in pancakes'
The aim of funny photography is to make people laugh or at least smile a little. You don’t need to offend anyone to be considered humorous. This T-shirt saying is a great example of funny photography. Even if it doesn’t make someone laugh for a long time, it might put a smile on their face and make a part of their day lighter.

Humour isn’t always a universal language. What some people find hilarious might seem offensive to you, and vice versa. It’s important to be respectful while taking photos. You don’t want end up hurting anyone’s feelings or causing controversy.
When you look through your photos, keep other religions, cultures, and political views in mind. If you get a bad feeling about a concept, ask for feedback or do some research.
A quick way to figure out if something is offensive or not is to put yourself in the subject’s shoes. If you were in a specific photograph, would you feel belittled, ridiculed, or embarrassed?
If so, delete the photo. No matter how smart your framing or idea was, be respectful at all times.

Conclusion

Funny photography is a beautiful combination of candid moments and pre-planned concepts.
Whether you’re a meticulous planner or a spontaneous adventurer, you can insert humor into everyday moments no matter where you are.
To make funny photo edits easily, check out our post about the funniest photo apps!