Adorable Guinea Pig Is the Photogenic Star of Her Own Magical Portraits

It’s not always easy to get pets to cooperate for hours of photo shoots, but somehow Mieps the Guinea Pig manages to pose long enough for her Netherlands-based human, Marloes van Antwerpen, to snap a great photo. The three-year-old guinea pig is the star of her own Instagram and for good reason—she is marvelously photogenic!

“I usually create these photos in my backyard or in my DIY studio,” van Antwerpen shares in a blog post. Besides Mieps’ natural shine and sparkle, van Antwerpen adds “a tiny bit of Photoshop magic” and POOF! Mieps is transformed into a model of epic proportions. Since she was a baby piggy, the mini model has become a witch wearing a tiny felt hat, a bespectacled bookworm amidst towering tomes, and a lucky adventurer riding in a small-scale hot air balloon.

The scenes created by van Antwerpen range from gothic and fantastical to sophisticated and simply beautiful. Every Sunday, the photographer searches thrift stores and flea markets for props to use in her next photo shoots. Some of her best finds are the Alice in Wonderland-inspired tea cups and stacks of antique Dutch literature, which give the photos of her beloved animal a unique and tailored look.

For those who want to begin photographing their animal companion, van Antwerpen offers up some advice: “Please be patient with them. Just go with the flow, they cannot possibly know what you want from him or her. Earn their trust, the result will be that they trust you. I hope that is what shines through in my photos.”