"I want to make Darcy the most famous hedgehog in the world." With this in mind Tokyo Instagrammer Shota Tsukamoto started a unique series of photos of his pet hedgehog, Darcy. Darcy's account quickly took off in a way Shota never expected and @darcytheflyinghedgehog is now one of the most-followed pet accounts on Instagram.
Aside from how adorable Darcy is, there is a distinctive artistry in Shota's photos. "I imagine a page from a children's picture book," explains Shota. "I want @darcytheflyinghedgehog to be a surrealistic story and I even want people to question whether or not Darcy really exists in real life." For example, his favorite shot of Darcy is of her sitting face-to-face with a skull object. "No matter how many times I look back at this shot, I can never seem to imagine what the two are talking about," he says. He also does not add captions to his photos because he wants to encourage people to come up with their own stories about Darcy.
Want to take charming photos and videos of your pet? Here are some of Shota's tips: 1) Think about the composition first. Then find props that would perfectly match that composition 2) Use consecutive shooting to make sure that you capture the best moments 3) Blow air on your pet, give it snacks or make it sleepy to bring out different expressions 4) Try not to force a pose on your pet. The more unexpected its actions and expressions are, the better the outcomes are 5) The 'Camera+' app is handy for the consecutive shooting and filters that best bring out the colors of your pet. To tune in to Darcy's daily poses, be sure to follow her @darcytheflyinghedgehog.