Most dogs are known to enjoy the odd game of catch with their owners, but these stunning action photographs reveal the incredible heights they manage to reach as they soar through the air to catch a frisbee.
Photographer Claudio Piccoli, who is based in Italy, has travelled to Canada to snap pictures of pets and said he found the ‘idea of immortalising their evolutions very stimulating’.
More than a decade after he spent his childhood playing with his grandmother’s beloved pet, he grew an interest in photography at university.
His third dog made him ‘get even closer to the dog sports, especially to the disc’, he told the Daily Star.
Mr Piccoli, who boasts a 56.3k followers, would take pictures of his pets on holiday and dog photography grew from there.
He said: ‘I ask for small variations in the throws or in the positions of both to get what I think is the maximum athletic expressiveness of the dog in the air.’
The Nikon Ambassador said the first few times tend to be the best performances and nothing can be left to chance.
He added: ‘An incorrect position completely cancels the effectiveness of the action as well as an incorrect environmental contour.’
He has trekked across Italy, Netherlands, France, United Kingdom, Estonia, Israel, Canada, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Finland, Switzerland, Austria and Poland to create the breathtaking pictures of dogs playing catch.
In September, the dog-owner-of-four photographed Zinga and Sara at sunrise in Toronto’s Scarborough Bluffs park, while he has also had a dog-owner kneel in the North Sea as their beloved pet leaped across them to reach a Frisbee mid-air for his photo-series.
Claudio Piccoli travels across Italy, Netherlands, France, United Kingdom, Estonia, Israel, Canada, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Finland, Switzerland, Austria and Poland to create the breathtaking pictures of dogs playing catch
Zinga and Sara were captured at Scarborough Bluffs Park in Toronto, Canada, during sunrise in September. Claudio used a Nikon D5 and Nikkor 300mm for the spectacular photo which has gathered 26, 663 likes on Instagram
Splash flashes its stomach as it performers a dancer’s pose to catch the Frisbee between its teeth in an enchanted wood in the UK. Claudio, who has four dogs, believes while the first shot is often the best and nothing can be left to chance
Caramel coloured Mala leaps into the air and opens wide as it tries to catch the Frisbee against the snowy backdrop in the sensational photo series. Claudio captioned the moment on Instagram: ‘It’s amazing how this dog can fly so high and lands down all the time safe with four paws…it seems a cat!!!’
Flower the Border Collie makes a striking photograph as it propels forward to catch the Frisbee thrown by Matteo Gaddoni (pictured)
Claudio asks for ‘small variations’ in the throws and positions in order to get the ‘maximum athletic expressiveness of the dog’ mid-air. Here a Whippet called Cleo towers above the ground and successfully catches the prop in the picture taken in Switzerland last month
A Spaniel called Gunnar launches itself from the water and towards the instrument – showing its agile and athletic body
A dog-owner kneels in the North Sea and keeps her head low to offer her beloved pet Mara a platform for reaching the Frisbee. Water sprays for the pet’s fur coat as it makes a giant leap for the object
Piccoli has made a living by making pictures of pets across the globe look like moving action shots. Here a Border Collie called Bill is captured with a Nikon D5 and Nikkor 300mm. He cuts an acrobatic figure as it secures the Frisbee in its mouth while its legs curve inwards for balance
Mr Piccoli had three dogs and it was after he started taking pictures of his third on holiday, that he became ‘closer’ to the Frisbee sport and the idea of pursuing a career in dog photography grew
A Dalmation performs an elegant stunt without realising as it springs towards a Frisbee in the photo-series. Claudio says the picture depends on the position of the pet before it leaps into the air
Paco the German Shepherd is put through its paces as its dog-owner Tanja flings a Frisbee while clutching another ready for a second round
A speckled long-haired dog jumps into the air with its tail acting like a hoist to keep it mid-air, in the Nikon Ambassador’s picture
A Border Collie flashes a panicked expression as secures the Frisbee in its mouth. The photo was captioned ‘Catch in the Dark’ by Claudio
The photographer said an ‘incorrect environmental contour’ can ‘cancel the effectiveness’ of the action, when revealing the techniques behind his masterful collection
A Belgian Malinois known as Mala lunges forward to catch the prized possession on a mountain in the Aosta Valley, Italy, with Claudio
A sleek jet-black dog perfectly compliments the autumnal colours of the trees in the backdrop and the pet mimics a ballerina’s open-side leap as it aims for the bright pink Frisbee
A Dutch Shepherd dog called Norma leaves its mark on the ground as it scrambles up to reach the Frisbee over the city of Tel Aviv in Israel
A dark Australian Kelpie takes part in the Disc Dog Challenge in Switzerland, 2016, and is snapped in Claudio’s collection