A Meeting to Remember

So after however many weeks of doing this project, I finally feel as though I’ve found the missing piece. It happened while I was at the lion enclosure photographing the cubs. There were no people around; the rain must have driven them to the reptile house or other sheltered enclosures, so I had the lions all to myself. Then a man joined me, he opened his bag and produced an old battered looking diary. Intrigued, I struck up conversation, very poorly I must admit - commenting on the weather or something trivial like that. But it worked, and we were soon talking about his knowledge of the animals and times spent at London Zoo. I spent half my day talking and walking around the zoo with him, and I can honestly say it was one of the most insightful and powerful conversations I have ever had…

Transcription of our conversation:

“Were you here when the Polar Bears were here? Didn’t they pace up and down?”

- “ Oh yes, Brumas I got a photograph of in the 50s, of Brumas, when he was born, he was the first polar bear to be born in captivity. Over their at Bear Mountain, that's where the bears where, but they’re now at Whipsnade, they know me very well because I've known them since they were born, I go down there and they acknowledged me. Sometimes makes your day worthwhile when you’re acknowledged by the animals.”

“So how many years have you been coming here?”

- “When I first started coming to London Zoo? 1938… Since I’ve been retirement I’ve been coming four times a week for four years.”

- “I Select certain animals that I bond with and I see those; I don’t try and do the whole zoo. People come and try and get round the zoo as quickly as possible, I think if you find something you particularly like and spend half a day with that particular exhibit then you’ll take something way.”

“So what animals have you chosen?”

- “The red faced spider monkeys – I mean Paulette has been here since 1980 and she never fails to give me a greeting! She’s getting very old now but when you call her she comes over…Her best friend is the vet, if she ever needed any treatment she always knew if the vet was on the premises, if she needed any (treatment) she just hold out her arm for an injection, I mean she's adorable. I do like the lamas as well; the gorillas are way up the top really.”

“So did you work for the zoo?”

- “No no, but I’ve always been interested, I started coming because I got friendly with the Ravens…”

- “I just love animals, once they give there love, I mean a top male gorilla keeper here told me the biggest rule in life with a gorilla is that you can’t give your love to them, they have to give their love to you, and once they do he says it’s the best experience you’ll have in life…better than anything if a gorilla gives its love to you!”

- “But if you do something to upset it then that’s it, you loose their trust!”

- “But they’re very intelligent…gorillas are the most gentle creatures on the planet really, but with all the King Kong films they just make then into these, you know…”

His knowledge and devotion towards the individual animals was mesmerizing. He spoke of them as if they were people, with human feelings. The animals are such a key part in his life, he showed me his diary where he keeps note of the animals he’s most interested in. The pages were covered in crossings out, scribbled note, dates and facts about his chosen animals. He knows all their names, dates they were born, what they were fed, everything! But the most shocking and incredible part was that they know him! As we walked around he spoke to the animals, asking how they are, beckoning them over, and they came! They recognized his voice came over to us. He was like a living Doctor Doolittle! The whole experience completely blew me away! I feel so privileged to have met him and heard all his wonderful, influential tales about his experiences with animals. His views have made such a powerful impact on me; I don’t think I’ll ever forget our walk that day. He has devoted his life to animals and seems to love them like family, this has made me believe a bond between mankind and the animal kingdom is essential and worth fighting for.

Response to Britta Jaschinski

After making my first lion video I looked back at Britta Jaschinski’s zoo photographs. I want to show London Zoo from both sides. As well as my colour photos, I also took a couple of black and white, showing a bleaker look on the zoo. I photographed both the observer and observant. I used the reflection of the glass to show the transparent separation of worlds. Although the animals have there own space they can never really escape the public gaze.

Here is a short clip I made about captivity...

Beside the Lions

I followed my plan, went quickly around the zoo until I found a good viewpoint, which I found within 20 minuets at the lion enclosure. Due to the rain the lions had moved to the sheltered side of the cage and presses themselves against the glass. There were two large females and two female cubs, not yet reached adulthood. I could see every hair on their backs, the hard texture of their dark paws and their soft black noses. I stayed at lion exhibit for over two hours, observing them, photographing and filming.

It was unbelievable how similar the lions were to domestic cats. This is shown through my video. I wanted to focus on their traits and movements, which was hard as they spent most of the day sleeping! I used an upbeat track to create a fast cutting pace and tried to show different angles and shots to match the beat of the music. 

Trip to London Zoo

A few days after the aquarium I set off for London Zoo. I only took two wrong turns - a personal record for me, so luck seemed to be on my side. The weather however was not! It rained so heavily I practically had to swim to get inside the gates! Still, every cloud has a silver lining – the more rain, the less tourists! So I devised a plan, divide and conquer! I figured wiz around the zoo. Stop briefly at each enclosure for photo opportunities. If the animals were close to the bars stay, if not move on and return later! Here are some examples of photos: 

I also managed to do some quick sketches, unfortunately the rain prevented me for doing more elaborate drawing!

Fish in Movement

What struck me about this particular fish was its vibrant scales and agile movements. It’s body was constantly changing as the light bounced off it’s scales, revealing a variety of colours and shades that merged into each other and then were gone, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

I used a slow shutter speed to try and capture the movement and colours of the fish, abstracting the body and focusing instead on the intense shades.

Footage from London Aquarium

I found it hard to show the elegance and grace of the fish's movements through photography. Here is a short selection of footage that looks at the behaviour and movement of the fish. I found it hard to film the fish with my hand held camera, I don't have the steadiest hand and this is the first time I’ve used it. But I do like the intense blue of the water and the light breaking the surface. I also like that it is out of focus at times because I think it adds a sense of mystery and magic to the scene. It’s very dream like and therapeutic with the soft music. The piece has a high contrast, accentuating the light bouncing off the fishes' scales.

Trip to the Aquarium

I went home to London this week to see the family, and of course to take a trip to the Aquarium and London Zoo. In all honestly I didn’t have a strict plan of what I wanted to achieve by visiting these organizations. I figured inspiration would suddenly hit me whilst walking around the enclosures…

And luckily it did! The intense colours and patterns of the various fish captivated me. There was so much going on that my eyes didn't know where to focus. I photographed and videoed the various movements, patterns and textures of the tropical fish. Here are a few examples… 

The World in our Hands

The Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition.

Every year I go to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition and every year I’m blown away by the beauty, quality and originality of the photographs submitted. For me the annual exhibition never gets old. There are a variety of categories from animal portrait to underwater worlds. But it’s thecategory that shocks me and stays in my mind the longest. The photographs are extremely powerful and thought-provoking. They draw attention to the cruel state of the world and how man has monopolized the planet, destroying everything that gets in his way The images are almost always pessimistic, aimed to create awareness, which will hopefully inspire people to change the way they live and protect what we have.

But I wonder if I – and other people – have become immune to images like this? Have I seen so many disturbing photographs that I’ve become desensitized? Will I really remember these images after I’ve left the exhibition? I do want things to change, but do I really want to change the way I live? I suppose I question what I or anyone else can really do. Is buying free-range eggs or haddock instead of cod or animal friendly skin care really enough anymore? And why do I do that anyway? Is it just to make me feel good about myself, to think I’m changing the planet, slowly but surely? I guess what I’m saying is – I think these photographers are really good at getting people to think, but will it actually make a difference? Anyway, that’s a completely different topic, and I don’t have any answers, just conflicting views that go round in circles.

The photographers use a number of techniques to create awareness and sympathy for the endangered animals and wildlife. Some show humans very obvious mark on the planet, for example the lone tree surrounded by tier tracks. The image is cut in half showing the before and after state of the forest. The reflection of the tree in the muddy puddle is a window into the future, showing us the forest’s fate, soon all that’ll be left of this beautiful woodland is churned waterlogged earth.

Frederic Larrey’s photograph of the fisherman and the reflected fish is beautifully shot, taken from and unusual and intriguing angle. The reflection distorts the fish, blending them into the water.  Like the previous image, the composition is split in two, with nature on one side and man on the other. The net looks like patterned cloth blowing in the wind, and at first glance I focus on the textures and colours of the fish. However, the darkness at the top of the net spreads over them, bringing an ominous feel to the piece. The shadows of the net are encaging the fish, taking them away from the calm water and into the waiting fisherman’s arms.

Kai Fagerström - Photographer

The House in the Woods

I've looked at animals being photographed in the wild by Nick Brandt and Steve Bloom, and in captivity by Britta Jaschinski. Now I want to compare my findings to wild animals in an urban landscape, opposed to the beautiful settings of Africa and gloomy corners of the zoo.

Kai Fagerström is a Finnish documentary photographer. His photographic series, “The House in the Woods”, documents the inhibitants of an old, crumbling and deserted house in the woods, near Salo, Finland. The isolated house is probably at least 200 years old, with its last dwellers moving out more than 30 years ago. Who were the last inhabitants and where are they now? “It's as though time stood still.” They left behind many of their previous belongings, old-fashioned lampshades, tables and chairs, lying dust covered on the floorboards. The house has weathered over time, taken over by the wood, the wind freely blowing its leaves around the kitchen and the rain never fails to drip through the holes in the roof. The cracked peeling walls, creaking floorboards, and dirty smashed windows seem to have their own life, turning the house into a reflection of the wild woods outside.

However the house is not as concealed as you may think, for when dusk falls on the gloomy stone walls, life suddenly takes over. The various creatures in the woods make their way back home. The raccoon family has their own private entrance to the house, the fireplace. Red squirrels busy themselves in their nests in the kitchen and badgers shuffle around under the floorboards. The house offers them shelter from the harsh winter winds, a safe place from the watchful eyes of the ever-hungry birds of prey. This house is their home.

Fagerström spent a lot of time at the house, once daylight has slipped away. He patiently waited for the animals to appear, wanting to photograph their goings-on and everyday activities. He says that at night, “the light can be beautiful.” The creatures that inhabit the house stop by the same time every evening, though some are more photo-shy than others. The owl seemed to know his way round the house, as if he'd lived there previously, now become more of a passing visitor; “It wasn't too shy, so photographing it was quite easy." He lured the animals into particular positions, tempting them with nuts and food, so he can get his ideal compositions.

I love the atmosphere of Fagerström’s photographs. The house seems beautifully quiet and peaceful, with the yellow light bouncing off the walls, giving a sense of safety and security. Like the other photographers, Fagerström humanises the animals, however in a completely different way. Rather than trying to show their expressions of pains, sorrows or empowerment, through portrait-like photography, Fagerström focuses on the documentary side, looking at their home life and behaviour.  The animals look content in this man-made environment, as though it is of their own making. This makes me relate to my every day routines at home; the image of the red squirrel peering out of the window looks as though he's waiting for a friend to arrive for lunch. 

The dark lighting in the images is perfect, it doesn't expose or illuminate the animals too much, creating a sense of mystery and anticipation. Fagerström respects their space and is very much an onlooker on the scene, rather than an intruder. The creatures seem very content with their secret hideaway. Although they are living in the ruins of an old human dwelling, let's just hope that Fagerström is the only person to discover their hidden home.

Wildlife Photographer - Britta Jaschinski

I first saw Britta Jaschinski's work at the Wildlife photography of the year exhibition at the Natural History museum last year. To me, her black and white Lion portrait holds so many emotions, whilst demonstrating her eye for beauty and skills as a photographer. The image is out of focus, grainy and very high contrast, which is how I was taught not to take a photograph in my A-level photography class! However I believe all this adds to the emotional impact of the image. She has captured a fleeting moment of the lion, showing how rare it is to see such a beautiful creature from such a close proximity. The off focus and high contrast of the image emphasizes the elegance and texture of the lion's mane. Most of the lion's body is engulfed in blackness, which to me provokes an eerie feeling about how African animals are starting to slip away, leaving behind just brief glimpses and fading memories from old photographs.

Her Zoo Project - 

Like me, Britta Jaschinski's photographic projects, to explore animals in captivity, were developed at London Zoo. She photographed animals in zoos, focusing more on their portraits and personalities than documentation. In an interview Britta says "the more photos depicting the truth about captive animal, the better". She feels very strongly that zoos are wrong which was reflected in her work; "the subject matter of zoo is a very depressing one for me. Much pain swept through my lens and a lot of that agony created those images. I framed boredom, frustration and insane animals and I wouldn't ever know how to produce a bright image on that."

Jaschinski felt "naturally drawn towards animals" and started off by documenting the treatment of them in farms, slaughterhouses and animal testing laboratories. On her first trip London Zoo she says she, "spent hours taking photos and when I processed the film I was shocked about my discovery"..."And here it was, right front me - my own photos explain to me why I felt depressed about the fate of these sentiment beings who had been incarcerated in the name of education in conversation. Each of the species is locked into a version of hell, purely for entertainment. From then on I felt it was my duty to visit more and more zoos to investigate whether the are actually zoos that play an active role in the education and conserving."

Jaschinski's use of black-and-white engulfs the animals, creating a dark pessimistic atmosphere; her photographs show a bleak and melancholy look on animals in captivity. They hold a sense of unease, making the viewer feel slightly uncomfortable. You are more able to sympathise with the animals, because the style of the photographs are more like portraits, than documentary. This humanizes the animals, showing them in states, such as isolation and frustration, to which we can relate... They look as though they’ve given up on the world, and all that is left is a meaningless existence, for the satisfaction of people’s need for entertainment. They seem like empty shells with no life left in them, just staring helplessly into space; even the structure of the composition locks the animals in a rectangular cage. 

The unnatural urban environment stands out as an oddity, as we’re used to seeing photographs of animals in their natural environment. But who knows, maybe in the future this is the only way animals will be perceived, in an urban landscape surrounded by metal bars or thick scratched, scarred glass. 

New Project Brief

Now that Bristol Zoo has rejected my volunteering application I have to find another activity to take up my time during these next few weeks. After much consideration I decided to stay on the animals in captivity though process and take trips to Bristol and London Zoo where i can photograph and sketch animal activities.

Since looking at the work of wildlife photographer; and understanding the increasing risk of extinction, I’ve become more and more interested in the comparison between animals in captivity and animals in the wild. I put some of my thoughts to paper with a spider diagram...