“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.
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• 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
