Picture perfect photo of local baby raccoons goes viral, global artists recreate it

Kevin Biskaborn never thought in his wildest dreams that his photo would be recreated by more than 100 artists from around the world.

Last June near Windsor, Ont., he captured a rare moment when three baby raccoons popped their heads out of a tree hollow — a photo he shared online. A few weeks later, Discovery Channel's Instagram account and other popular accounts reposted Biskaborn's photo, prompting a flurry of people to attempt to recreate the image.

"It's been a lot of fun seeing them. It's been incredible. Some people even mailed me original copies of their work and it was just like this outpouring of support and ... praise for the photo that I certainly never expected," Biskaborn said. 

"I mean, when I took the photo, I knew it was certainly a pretty cool moment when all three [raccoons] looked at the exact same moment, but I never predicted this type of response."

Photography is a hobby

Biskaborn — who is a freelance web developer and graphic designer by profession— wouldn't say exactly where the photo was taken because he's had many requests and he's afraid of people swarming the area to replicate the picture, but did say it was taken outside Windsor on "back roads."

He said wildlife photography is a hobby he picked up in 2005, adding that it wasn't "until my time in Windsor and Ojibway Prairie Complex that my passion for wildlife photography soared to a new level."

Biskaborn gained more than 5,000 Instagram followers since his photo was reposted, but said he doesn't take pictures for the likes and follows — he does it for the genuine fun of it.

He said his favourite recreation of the raccoon photo so far has been a wood carving.

"It was etched in great detail on a live edge piece of wood. It was just a really nice piece of work," he said, adding there are other unique interpretations of the photo that people have made.

"Someone created Christmas ornaments ... someone carved it into a wooden clock. Someone started creating memes and selfies with it," he said. "Everyone has just gone ... extremely creative with this photo in their own way."

Biskaborn is currently based in London, but lived in Windsor for four years, where he spent his free time exploring the city's natural areas and taking photos.

He hasn't been able to pick up his camera for months since the birth of his newborn son, but plans to start again in the near future.