This is a series about a nostalgic longing for the simpler days of childhood, back to a time of dreams and fairy tale fantasies, where the world is filled with endless possibilities and every creature is transformed into a whimsical character. But amidst this idyllic representation of the natural world, a sense of unease becomes palpable, as a subtle reminder that an ever present existential threat often lurks behind even the most perfect moments and that the balance between light and dark is very delicate indeed.
A selection of wildlife photographs and captive bred owls taken in Luxembourg, Germany and Hungary.
Captive animals reflect in a number of ways the duplicity of the zoo-visiting experience itself, reconciling the excitement of seeing the animals with the frequent discomfort of their condition. In more than one way, zoo animals are victims of our voyeurism and of our projected emotions. In the context of an educational purpose, the museal quality of their display presents the animal as part of a collection of curiosities in a world where the great diversity of the species is slowly dwindling.
Zoo photography, Parc Merveilleux, Luxembourg
Where does naturalism end and theatrics begin? Wildlife photography often creates an illusion of animals posing and performing whereas in reality, they are not, or at least not to the photographer. The lines between the wild and the staged are thus blurred.
Wildlife photography, Hungary
The falconers at Burg Guttenberg are part of the German Raptor Research Center (Deutsche Greifenwarte), which focuses on the care and rehabilitation of birds of prey, preparing them for re-release into the wild through targeted flight training.
Through a lifelong dedication to their birds, falconers develop a strong emotional bond with their birds through training, handling, and hunting together, creating a primal connection that transcends the boundaries of species and language. It is safe to say that this relationship of mutual respect and understanding is one of the most intense and committed between man and animal.
Burg Guttenberg, Germany
Where the blue skies meet the horizon of the blue sea, every wave carries the promise of discovery. Whales play an elusive game with the photographer’s eye, appearing and disappearing into the vast space of the ocean. Their sleek bodies, glistening with a sheen of ocean spray, cut through the waves with effortless ease as they travel thousands of miles during their yearly migration.
Marine wildlife photography near Baja, California.
Through our own human tendencies to project emotions, desires, and aspirations, a photograph often becomes an invitation to decipher the silent language of the wild, to unravel the stories written in the curve of a tail, the flicker of an ear, the glint in an eye, or even the posture of a plant.
Anthropomorphism (attribution of human characteristics or behaviours to animals and plants) is revealed through photography, in which intimate details can become carriers of our own state of mind.
Wildlife Photography, Luxembourg
