Dignity

Images that touch the soul are ones you never forget, like this one seen above, taken by  Brad Wilson, an extraordinary photographer who captures the essence of nature by gaining the trust of the animal before photographing the subject at hand. As per a quote in Why Evolution is True, a gem of a site that talks about all things related to evolution and nature, one readily sees Wilson's approach to his subject matter is both nuanced and sensitive, especially when it comes to owls, creatures of majestic mystery and beauty.

Wilson is an expert at point-blank portraits. His series “Affinity” features 65 species, including a white rhino, a white tiger, an Arctic fox, and an Egyptian Vulture. But owls were the most compelling and challenging subjects, he says. It takes years of building mutual trust before an owl will accept physical contact from a single person, says Wilson, and “owls don’t extend that privilege to other humans.”

Wilson wanted his images to accentuate the nobility and independence of each captive bird, minimizing its dependence on its caretaker. Many had wing injuries, for example, which he concealed in his pictures. The owls’ human perches likewise hid themselves, contorting their bodies to stay out of the frame. It was a gesture to the birds, a way of saying that although their wild days are behind them, they still have their dignity.

Works for me.