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Cecilia Lim | all galleries >> animals >> the wildlife of kenya > Vultures In Love
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24 July 2004 Masai Mara National Reserve

Vultures In Love

These two "love" birds sitting high on top of a tree conjures up images of romance and love - ideas that seem far-fetched and unfathomable around vultures who scavange and feed on death.


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Cecilia Lim04-Jan-2006 19:59
Phil, it is exactly the incongruous juxtaposition you wrote about that I was using to make this image stir the viewer's imaginations. Much of this photo relies on contrasts and juxtapositions, such as the ugly form of thorny branches against the soft, cloudy sky; the contrast between the harsh, black sillhouette and the pastel blue background; and the intimacy of the two vultures cosying next to eacy other against the wide open space around them. I think any single pair of birds sitting intimately together on a tree would express ideas of love and intimacy, but the fact that these birds are vultures and repulsive looking adds a shock value to the image. For me, it is this unexpected "shock value" that I was using to make this image more than just a picture of vultures.
Phil Douglis17-Dec-2005 03:31
What makes this image special is the incongruous juxtaposition of ugly form in an intimate relationship. These birds may be repulsive to look at, but in this image you abstract them in such a way so as to make them seem almost romantic. I particularly like the negative space flowing between the necks and the heads, and the patch of blue sky that seems about to intrude on the moody sky that surrounds them.