Interview: ‘Underlook’ pet photographer Andrius Burba

With an alternative take on animal photography, photographer Andrius Burba uses a sturdy glass table to shoot underneath people’s pets. In this interview, MPB hears from Andrius about his eye-catching project Underlook, his DSLR camera equipment and his ambitious future plans. Find out how he managed to get a photograph below of a 900 kg [1,984 lb] horse, which is featured in the Lithuania Guinness Book of Records for having the longest mane! Over to you, Andrius.

MPB: Can you tell us about yourself and how you got into photography? 

AB: I started photography when I was 14 years old—I’m 29 now. My father has an old Zenit E camera, and was afraid I would pull it apart because I was at a curious age where I wanted to know how everything works. So he did not give it to me or let me use it, which only made me want to use it even more! This might be why I have been so interested in photography since I was very little. 

Photography was my way of expressing myself. I remember coming home from school and watching photographer Nigel Barker shooting models on the TV show America's Next Top Model. The show inspired me to want to become a fashion and advertising photographer. This made me start photography classes, where I tried almost every category of photography, and I really started to enjoy the craft. 

After I finished school, I worked as a photography assistant in the local studio in Vilnius, Lithuania. Here, I was able to learn from some of the best fashion and advertising photographers in Lithuania. After working there for three years, I decided to leave my current job and start on my new photography project called Underlook.

MPB: Can you tell us about your project Underlook—how did the idea start?

AB: I came across a series of sleeping photos of cats on a glass coffee table photographed from underneath, and I noticed how the cats would sleep with their paws folded. I thought this was a really interesting way of showing the animals. I am a cat lover, and grew up with cats my whole childhood —although, surprisingly, I am now very allergic to cats and dogs! 

I knew they sleep like that, but I never saw what it looked like from underneath. That surprised me a lot. It made me think about what else people might not know and what we can learn if we photograph more from underneath.

This project was just an idea for the first year, but I knew I had to make it come to life. First, I had to figure out how to get 10 to 15 different types of cats to participate. It wasn’t until my friend invited me to a cat show in Vilnius that I realised it would be the perfect place to do my project. So, I contacted the organisers and they agreed to let me set up my photoshoot at the event. I quickly built a photo studio the night before the event and the next day I did my first Underlook photoshoot with cats. It completely changed my life.

MPB: What is the camera and equipment setup you use for a shoot? 

AB: I usually use my Canon EOS 5D Mark III, but recently I bought a Canon EOS 90D because of its crop sensor. I use a bigger depth of field, which helps keep the dogs’ feet, tail and head in focus, even on f/11 or f/13. The table I use is 1.3m [51 in] high, so I need something more of this size. Also, the Canon EOS 90D has 32 megapixels, which is important for my work and allows me to crop and still need to be able to print. With my full frame camera, I used to use Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM EF, but now with my APS-C sensor I can get a similar result using a Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM EF. 

 When it came to my horse project, I needed to use something with even more megapixels to create even larger prints. For this project, I used a Nikon D810 with 35mm f/1.4G to get 36 megapixels. For flashes, I use Profoto generators, normally the Profoto 8a with two Prohead Plus.

MPB: What animals do you usually photograph? What are some of the difficulties working with animals?

AB: So far, I have photographed cats, dogs, rabbits, horses, a cow and around thirty different zoo park animals. The hardest part is creating a situation where all the pets do exactly what you want them to do, and then take a photo. It isn’t possible to just ask them to look down!

The rabbits were not able to look down so we could see their faces. After I had my equipment set up, I would focus more on creating the situation with the animals in order to get the perfect shots. The whole process is quite interesting and fun. Almost all the dogs are playful—once they see food!—while others just stand there like rock, not moving at all, like the rabbits.

MPB: Can you tell us about your project, Under-Horse? How did you make it possible and what equipment did you use? 

After I got this idea, the first thing was to find a location to photograph the horses. One of the ideas was to make a lift or platform for the horses to walk three metres up on the glass. But the more we thought about it, the more unsafe it seemed. Then we thought about digging a three-meter deep hole in the ground, so the ‘model’ feels as little stress as possible. Walking on the ground, stepping on the glass, posing and walking away. This looked like it was the best option for the horse. But it turned out that if we dug three metres down at our location, we’d be digging into a pool of water. So, we found a new location nearby and dug a 2.5 metre hole and made a sturdy podium for the horse to stand on. It ended up working pretty well.

It wasn’t until the second time we attempted this shoot that the project really became possible. I had the help from a 40-person crew, as well as a trained professional who knew how to work with horses and helped us create some interesting poses. For this photoshoot, I used two Profoto 8a generators with four Prohead Plus,  two butterfly screen frames with umbrellas to make a softer light, and my Nikon D810 and 35mm f/1.4 lens.

MPB: Which is your favourite picture, and why? 

AB: The brown horse that has the longest mane in Lithuania—it’s in the Lithuania Guinness Book of Records—is one of my favourites. This horse also had a record of being the heaviest, at 900kg. Because of his achievements, this horse was saved from the slaughterhouse and is happily towing a carriage and feeling loved in one of Lithuania's stud farms.

MPB: What are your plans for the future?

AB: I believe that photography from underneath has very big possibilities. I didn't expect this project to take five years, I originally thought one year max. I want to continue to photograph from underneath but with even bigger projects. Instead of having a wooden box studio for a single shoot, I want to make a portable studio from a shipping container and have the possibility to travel anywhere in the world. I also want to build a stationary studio with even bigger glass. With my work, the bigger the glass the bigger the possibilities. Eventually, I want to photograph the whole world from underneath. Not only animals like tigers and elephants, but also breakdancers or ballerinas. I also would love to do cars, or a full bedroom, an orchestra or even a street. I'm constantly working on ways to make these ideas come to life.

Thanks, Andrius. You can see more of Andrius Burba’s work at www.underlook.org