The falcons of Arabia - in pictures

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  The photography was commissioned for the Falcons of Arabia book, which is published by Professional Sports Group and will be launched at the Abu Dhabi Book Fair on May 8.

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  Shot by Wouter Kingma, the collection has taken 2 years to complete.

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  The collection is an in-depth study of the sport of falconry, made possible through the patronage of Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the funding of Columbia Threadneedle Investments.

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  Admission to The Falcons of Arabia: Columbia Threadneedle Collection is free.

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  The Falcons of Arabia: Columbia Threadneedle Collection will be open to the public at Emirates Palace for 30 days in the East Wing Corridor.

• 

  The collection is an in-depth study of the sport of falconry, made possible through the patronage of Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the funding of Columbia Threadneedle Investments.

• 

  At the heart of the collection is the deep connection between Emiratis and their birds.

• 

  The photography was commissioned for the Falcons of Arabia book, which is published by Professional Sports Group and will be launched at the Abu Dhabi Book Fair on May 8.

• 

  The Falcons of Arabia: Columbia Threadneedle Collection will be open to the public at Emirates Palace for 30 days in the East Wing Corridor.

“Shooting birds is very similar to the experience of shooting people,” says the photographer Wouter Kingma.

“Some people love the lens and some people freeze. It was the same with the falcons. Some birds felt uncomfortable with the lights and studio but others just loved it.”

For the past two years, Mr Kingma has immersed himself in the culture of falconry to create a collection of images that will go on display at Emirates Palace this week. The project was supported by Abu Dhabi Sports Council and funded by Columbia Threadneedle Investments.

At its heart is the deep connection between Emiratis and their birds. “There is a lot of respect on both sides,” says Mr Kingma. “This is still a wild animal and not without risk.”

Images capture the birds in flight, but also more intimate moments, like the falcon resting with his master in the front seat of his SUV.

To create some of the shots, Mr Kingma set up a mobile studio capturing close-up shoots, that include some taken underneath, after the birds were persuaded to settle on a sheet of clear acrylic.

For these studio images, Mr Kingma was as close as 30cm to his subjects’ beak and talons.

“What made me feel comfortable was that there was a camera between my face and their mouth,” he says.

• The Falcons of Arabia: Columbia Threadneedle Collection runs from Thursday for 30 days at the Emirates Palace. Admission is free. A limited circulation book, published by the Professional Sports Group will be launched at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.

All photos courtesy Wouter Kingma