Are you tired of someone trying to snap pictures of you? Take a cue from this octopus and turn the photographer into the subject.

Digital media producer Ben Savard was working on a short video about science at Middlebury College in Vermont and decided to photograph the octopuses in the neuroscience department. He got permission to film the animals being used in some student research.

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He wrapped a GoPro camera in a waterproof case, set it to take a rapid number of photos per second and with the help of a neuroscience student placed the camera in the tank.

"We did this a few times with different octopuses and one of the more cheeky cephalopods grabbed the camera and turned it around on me for a quick couple of pictures," Savard told NBC News.

Researchers have been trying to see if these particular octopuses can open up boxes of food more quickly after watching other octopuses do it. The species is called Octopus bimaculoides. Otherwise known as a California two-spot octopus, they're quite intelligent creatures and are known to have friendly temperaments. Some, apparently, can exhibit a little sass.

"I was just trying to brainstorm different ideas of how to show off the kind of unique research that's going on here and in ways that would be engaging. I think the octopus's timing was great. I was just in the right place at the right time," Savard said.

The octopus then tried to eat the camera, which didn't really surprise the students in the lab, Savard said. But the photos, which he didn't see until the following day, were a pleasant discovery.

Savard posted the photos and GIF of the entire sequence on Reddit.

TagsOctopus grabs camera, Octopus grabs GoPro, Octopus bimaculoides, GoPro Camera, Ben Savard, animal behavior