I started photographing animals against dark backgrounds due to my obsessive instinct to remove as much distraction as possible from my images. At times I've also played with the idea of how little I can show off an animal, with the rest falling to shadow.
The aim of this project is to spark a connection between subject and viewer, and present animals in ways they haven't been seen before. Nature photographers are often discouraged from anthropomorphism, but I like to produce portraits that convey human-like qualities, as I think that helps people relate to the animals I depict. I also think that when we project our feelings and emotions on an animal, it helps us empathize with that individual, and hopefully the rest of the natural world too. It's not a project that will change the world on its own, but I hope that by promoting a stronger connection to nature, these images will help engage others.
The majority of my photographs were shot using only natural light, though I'm starting to introduce flash as an option, to give me more control over the resulting look and feel. I post-process the images in Adobe Lightroom, avoiding Photoshop as much as possible.
#21 Sheep On Black
I spotted this sheep whilst away for a weekend in Wales, and made a point of revisiting the next day, to capture this photo. I love horned animals, for the extra character it lends them, and I spent some time waiting to capture the right angle.
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#22 Bull On Black
This was the biggest bull I've ever seen, and he was really pumped up too. I would not have been able to take this photo without a steel gate between us. The evening light illuminated him perfectly for this style of portrait.
1point
#23 African Grey Parrot On Black
These parrots are one of the most intelligent of all parrots, and can learn a vocabulary of over 100 words. I liked this particular shot, as it almost looks like he's about to speak.
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#24 Bunny On Black
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#25 Mushu The Bearded Dragon
This was a photo I took as part of a project for a local company who keeps animals for educational talks, and she was so laid back. The perfect model.
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#26 Cheetah On Black
This cheetah was at a zoo in the UK. I positioned myself facing a dark background, and waited for the cheetah to stop there. I was very fortunate to get this pose and lick of the lips, which transforms this portrait with added narrative.
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#27 Stella's Sea Eagle On Black
I photographed this captive bird in the UK last summer. They're one of my favourite birds of prey, and that colossal beak is so charismatic.
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#28 White-Tailed Sea Eagle
I like this dynamic posture; wings out. I took the photo in captivity in the UK, using natural light, at the end of the day.
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