Animals are an incredible source of action. Whether it’s a favorite family pet or exotic creatures on the hunt, animals give us amazing action shots. Animals in their element — and out of their element — provide us with funny, cute, and thought-provoking material for magazine ads, postcards, posters, and even web design.

But it can be a challenge capturing all of that energy. Animals do not stay in one moment of action for long, especially when a photographer is trying so hard to take the perfect picture. In this collection, we celebrate creations of creatures in action and applaud the photographers who manage to snap that shot at just the right moment. Let these photos inspire you to greatness in your own photographs

This is an amazing shot taken of a dog in his element: playing fetch.

This one titled Hungry Seagull was taken by Harry Roekens.

Mikesi graced us with this photo of birds in a duel, titled Aero tango.

Alin Petrus took this incredible photo titled In to the wild. Beautiful!

The wind was taken by Steffi s5pro and is a perfect example of how beautiful animals in action can be.

Littlestschnauzer took this photo of killer whales at Seaworld using a Nikon D500.

This photo titled Trix was taken by Neira using a Nikon D40X.

This is an incredible macro photo called Summer Hummer taken by vzonabaxter using a Canon EOS 50D.

This is an adorable shot taken by thrumyeye called A l’aise.

Who knew a rat could be so adorable? This photo was taken by DianePhotos.

Indira, a white Bengal tiger in the Cali Zoo in Colombia, shows just how terrifying a large cat can be.

Be gutsy gosling by Hoschie captures an adorable moment with this baby goose.

Katzilla13 appropriately titled this photo Fearless.

Joyful by Ario Wibisono looks incredible in black and white.

This photo by O.alzaabi is a canned action, but clever and cute all the same.

Wow! Milje54 captured this seagull directly before it dove into the water to swoop up its prey.

Notice the intricate details of the dirt the zebras kicked up in the photo by Lightkast?

Sometimes love hurts, as these two lions demonstrate.

I guess fish was on the wish list. Notice how the water still fills the air as this powerful bird has just caught its lunch.

A fitting finale. Two precious puppies playing. The excellent use focus keeps the subject the primary point of attention while muting out distracting backgrounds.

Which are your favorites?

Did you like the cute and cuddly photos or do you enjoy predators on the prowl?

About the Author: Tara Hornor

Tara Hornor spends her days writing about advertising, branding, marketing, and web and graphic design. She enjoys writing for Creative Content Experts as Senior Editor and providing readers with inspiration for design or expertise on content marketing, link building, and other marketing advice. Connect with @TaraHornor on Twitter to receive daily advice.