Birds of prey have been trained and used for hundreds of thousands of years. Falconry has been a royal sport and many terms in the english language are derived from it (fed up, hoodwinked, under the thumb, end of my tether etc)
I had previously shot the fantastic Mary & Isla for a project, teaming up with Mary again to shoot all her birds in the studio for both stills and moving image portraits.
Taking part in the project were Zola (5 years old, African Spotted Eagle Owl, Bubo Africanus), Jasper (1 year old, Saker Falcon – Falcon Cherrug), Freddie & Isla (6 and 3 years old and both Harris Hawks – Parabuteo Unicinctus)
Watching a falconer is an incredible experience, Mary is so kind and considerate with her birds and the bond is undeniable – it’s a real privilege to witness it.
