Photographer Claudio Piccoli makes otherwise ordinary pups look like superheroes. In his mesmerizing series called Dogs in Action, four-legged friends soar through the sky like Superman. They make the greatest leaps and bounds with ease—and often while having their eyes trained on catching a colorful frisbee. Piccoli's frozen moments in time remind us that dogs, in addition to being loyal companions, are incredible athletes, too.

Capturing the perfect shot of a dog in mid-air isn’t as effortless as the resulting images appear, though. Piccoli’s process for photographing a high-flying pup varies on the type of action he intends to represent. “It usually requires a lot of preparation,” he tells My Modern Met. Each dog and its movement requires different camera settings. Communication between the owner and their pup is also key. “It’s very important to explain to the owner what we want to do in the shoot and what we are expecting or how they should move in the action to be photographed correctly.”

Above all, producing Dogs in Action requires patience. “Dogs are not machines or models we can pay to do something,” Piccoli says, “and every dog and breed is different!” These differences are what makes the series so enjoyable for canine lovers. Scroll down to see some of the highlights from the project.

Photographer Claudio Piccoli makes otherwise ordinary pups look like superheroes.

His photos of dogs in mid-air highlight the incredible athleticism of canines.

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My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Claudio Piccoli.