Dreams of Birds

Dreams of Birds Until I began photographing them through a spotting scope, I never had more than a casual interest in birds. They were there, then they were gone. Theirs was a sound in the background, mostly indistinguishable from all the rest. Peering into their world as I do now, I feel I’ve gained access to a secret place whose inhabitants are well aware of, and by their very nature give support to, the transience of life. Initially this series began as a means of identification, but getting this close look at my subjects drew me in. It was a surprising discovery; as I “spied” on these birds, their charm and individuality became evident. The soft focus and the vignette created by the scope only enhanced this. Through this layering of optic glass I found an entrée into a world previously unknown to me, and with it, reminders of life’s fleeting moments. What was here a moment ago is gone and I am left with its likeness, intimate yet vague, like a memory of a dream. Carol E. Richards