3683 x 2451 px | 31,2 x 20,8 cm | 12,3 x 8,2 inches | 300dpi
Data acquisizione:
24 ottobre 2010
Ubicazione:
Vacoas, Black River District, Mauritius
Altre informazioni:
The tradition of breeding captive birds for ornamental purposes dates back for centuries and transcends many cultures. Whilst travelling to Mauritius, I had the pleasure of meeting a well known local ornithologist. His local fame, underpinned by 45 years of knowledge and passion for the breeding of captive birds, was hidden beneath a layer of modesty and shyness. I asked if I could take some pictures of the man with his birds. His shyness, was highlighted when he requested that he did not want his face shown on the images that I shot. Of the 45 or so newborn chicks being reared, the man picked out a 4 day old Domestic Canary ("Serinus Canaria Domestica") from the German Roller Group. The birds are well known for their fantastic singing prowess. Gently shaking his hand to simulate the return of the mother to the nest with food, the hungry chick suddenly stood up, looked up and started to scream for food. The fragility of the chick in a human hand creates powerful imagery and a visual symbolism of the fragility of our planet. The human race has, and continues to, have an enormous impact on our wonderful planet. Our planet, our glorious oceans, rainforest's, mountains and rivers, have undoubtedly been impacted by humans over the centuries. Not only do such assets serve as our pantry, our lungs, our medicine chest, playground and transport system, but also our waste disposal mechanism. For such a valuable asset, our planet has all too often been over exploited and neglected. We need to reduce our impact, protect, conserve and re-use. Each of us has the power to make a difference. The future of our fragile planet is in our hands.
