One quick and easy thing you can do to bring yourself some smiles? Start following Irish photographer Allan Dixon on social media.

Known as an “animal whisperer” and “the new Dr. Doolittle,” Dixon is a photographer and adventurer who’s built a name and career for himself around his extraordinary animal photography - which often includes Dixon himself in the frame.

Back in 2013, the Irishman won the “Best Job in the World” competition, nabbing $AUS 100,000 and six months in the Australian wilderness as an Outback Adventurer. He gained an impressive following and now collaborates with tourism bodies and conservation groups around the world as an adventure content creator.

He also is the leading artist in the (adorable!) arena of animal selfies. Kangaroos, giraffes, elephants, birds, cats, dogs, monkeys - he’s taken selfies with them all.

It’s clear that beyond posing and getting the perfect shot with these animals, Dixon really cares about them too. As he explains in the following video about how to take an animal selfie with quokkas - the cutest animals you’ve probably never heard of - it’s all about respecting the animals and approaching them with caution and kindness.

Dixon seems to be an especially strong advocate for the quokka, a small and vulnerable marsupial found on islands off the coast of western Australia, and Rottnest Island in particular.

Do yourself a favor and give Dixon a follow on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!

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Took grandad for a swim, he’s aging really well ☀️‍♂️ #DaxonsAnimalSelfies #animalselfie

A post shared by Allan Dixon (@daxon) on

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Smiles all round ❤️ @quokkahub #HappyQuokkaMonday #DaxonsAnimalSelfies

A post shared by Allan Dixon (@daxon) on

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I love you this much 珞#DaxonsAnimalSelfies

A post shared by Allan Dixon (@daxon) on

H/T Bored Panda, Mashable

* Originally published in Jan 2019. Updated in September 2023. 

Do you have a good animal selfie? Share in the comments!