I Create Surreal Photos Of My Pets Using Photoshop

by Patrick Penrose Published Nov 11, 2025

I’m a UK based photographer called Tracy Willis and I create my art series ‘Animal Antics’ from many many different shots taken both on my Canon 5D Mark III and my iPhone 6S. I am always looking for objects to add to images, no matter where I am.

I find trawling antique shops handy for my composite work. All images taken are either used straight away of filed in collections in Lightroom ready to be used. As the owner of 5 dogs, 2 rabbits and three mice they also feature heavily in my work, and it is very handy having so many subjects around me, if I need any different animals I can source these via my photography customers or the local pet shop, who allow me to photograph their lizards.

These images take many hours to create. I firstly have to think up the idea, build the story, I normally sketch it out. Then I hunt in my archives or, if I don’t have anything suitable to use I have to find where I can shoot the various elements required. Once I have these I then photograph the subject/s in my studio at home and then I spend days putting them together using Adobe Photoshop. Sometimes the story changes as I develop the image, other times I create exactly what is in my head. These images allow me to expand my mind as a full time photographer, be creative and free my mind.