Photographer David Yeo Places Naturally Small Species Alongside Animals That Have Been Selectively Bred To Be Tiny And Cute

“I arrived to photograph this west African dwarf goat with a pocketed coat. I quickly saw that wouldn’t work out so rushed to the nearest town where I spotted the bag. The bag was weighted down with a brick so the goat wouldn’t knock it over, and to my surprise the handle of the bag framed the goat’s head perfectly”. (Photo by David Yeo/Leica Studio Mayfair/The Guardian)

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“This Southdown Babydoll sheep was shot on the Poulton Hill Estate winery where, because of their diminutive stature and friendly nature, they are used to graze the vineyards without damaging the vines. Even next to a small bonsai tree, the sheep looked small. The only moment when it remained still was when it had a massive pee”. (Photo by David Yeo/Leica Studio Mayfair/The Guardian)

“After I’d finally managed to detach the tiny White’s tree frog from the finger of the owner of Bristol Reptile Emporium, it was quite happy to pose on the jug, unfazed by all the photographic equipment”. (Photo by David Yeo/Leica Studio Mayfair/The Guardian)

“It was intriguing to watch this pygmy chameleon – resembling a tiny leaf – climb up the lamp. He was determined to get to the top, even though, as he didn’t have anything to grip on, it meant slipping down and starting all over again”. (Photo by David Yeo/Leica Studio Mayfair/The Guardian)

“Set up inside a freezing barn at the English School of Falconry, I had no idea if this shoot would work. It seemed like the most challenging object for any animal to balance on but the American kestrel looked spectacular with its gripping talons. Under the watchful eye of the head falconer, it would use its feathers to correct its balancing”. (Photo by David Yeo/Leica Studio Mayfair/The Guardian)

“Meet Paddington, the 300g African pygmy hedgehog. The most bizarre experience was hearing the frustrated hedgehog make a noise as if he was clearing his nose”. (Photo by David Yeo/Leica Studio Mayfair/The Guardian)

“The most difficult aspect of this shoot was to get each African pygmy dormouse – also known as micro squirrels – on to a separate camera. Once in place, they needed to remain still long enough to get them both in the frame and looking at me. Often solitary, they naturally wanted to move away”. (Photo by David Yeo/Leica Studio Mayfair/The Guardian)

“The Indian star tortoise has been engineered to be small by nature: it has shrunk down over many generations from much larger ancestors. My patience in waiting for the tortoises to come out of their shells paid off, and I was surprised how easy it was to photograph them. I like how the texture of their front legs and heads morph into those of the walnuts”. (Photo by David Yeo/Leica Studio Mayfair/The Guardian)

“This miniature Hereford bull was shot at the Chater Valley Farm in Rutland, with his mother moaning from the other side of the barn throughout the shoot”. (Photo by David Yeo/Leica Studio Mayfair/The Guardian)

“This beautiful Netherland dwarf rabbit was living on a farm in central London among bees and partridges. It was shot on the floor of the owner’s sitting room. I tried out various props, but the rabbit’s colours matched the silver of the lemon squeezer and it fitted into the triangle of pointed legs exactly”. (Photo by David Yeo/Leica Studio Mayfair/The Guardian)

“We used a hot-water bottle inside the bowler hat so the pigs didn’t get cold, and it worked to elevate them too. These miniature Vietnamese pigs are a product of selective breeding for the medical research industry”. (Photo by David Yeo/Leica Studio Mayfair/The Guardian)

“Duprasi Gerbils will “ball” when they feel threatened, and it took a while to earn this one’s trust. Eventually he became relaxed enough to hold his position – even managing a wink”. (Photo by David Yeo/Leica Studio Mayfair/The Guardian)