MOTHER KNOWS BEST

These arresting and entertaining images reveal and celebrate the love, patience and guidance of all mothers, great and small.

It's one of the hardest things to accept in life: mothers know a thing or two.

Award-winning Australian photographer Alex Cearns has captured the special relationship between many mother and baby animals over the years, and finds them uncannily like humans. There are puppies and kittens who are more interested in playing up than playing nicely; baby birds who squawk for more food when they've just been fed and adorable bunnies and ducklings who are on the lookout for trouble.

Passionate animal lover Alex Cearns is a pet and wildlife photographer who specialises in crafting exquisite animal portraits under her brand Houndstooth Studio. She has won more than fifty Australian and international photographic awards and her images have appeared in press and online media, books, magazines, cards, calendars and advertising campaigns. Inspired by the joy of working with animals and her endless fascination with their individuality, Alex strives to capture each subject's character and spirit in every portrait. She photographs around 1300 animals per year. Alex lives in Western Australia with her partner and their beloved cats and dogs.