the Swan: my thoughts on portrait photography


Is it bad that I can’t remember when I first started taking pictures of wildlife? For as long as I know I have always been captivated by animals - their presence, aura, beauty, difference. As an artist, first and foremost, drawing and painting animals has been a frequent task of mine ever since I was little. Going to zoos, visiting parks and trails, or even just going into a pet store are all simple day to day actions that have fulfilled my love for animals. Because of this, my close attention to wildlife has never not been constant, and perhaps that is why I don’t exactly remember when I really started to undertake wildlife and animal photography as a hobby. 


While I do appreciate capturing wildlife in their environment, my photography practice has definitely had a focus on portraiture, trying to capture the true details and essence of an animal in a cropped, close-up frame. The saying that the ‘eyes are the window to the soul’ sounds cliche, but it is true! I try to capture the emotion and personality of wildlife in order for the viewer to feel a relation or sense of closeness to the subject. 


Near the end of my visit at Cherry Hill gate on October 14, I was stopped in my tracks at the site of this beautiful swan, swimming ever so elegantly in the water. While I took many shots of it playing with ducks, and wide shots of it striking a pose, showing off to its audience, it’s this closeup portrait that I feel achieves its personality best. Against the blueness of the water, the white, textured feathers begin to stand out, its eye directly staring at the viewer. My goal with this photograph was to frame the subject in a way that feels familiar and simple while being able to maintain intrigue from the person looking at it.

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