i am looking at you
through a mechanical lens
biological eye juxtaposed
with mechanics and plastics
only to see closer
that we are the same
It is not always that we can see our feathery friends from up close. However, when we do, we are afforded a special look at them that we always see only from afar. The humanity of other creatures can be seen when we look into their eyes, I am sure. It is when we really connect our vision with the other - be it human, bird, or mammal - that we realise they are just like us.
We recently came into contact with a very noisy gull that interrupted our beer and cocktail date (me and my fiance). But it was a funny moment. We did not have the snacks they wanted, but still they sat close by, screaming, almost demanding us to bring it snacks.
That is the look of judgement, that we did not have the snacks it wanted. That is the look of fury, that we did not want to feed it.
I am sure, that this look is also tied to the fact that we only had some drinks to drink - something it had no interest in!
But the matter remains: the photograph above is a pure judgemental look.
After a while, a friend also joined in. It was funny, because we really did not have food, but for them, we signified food. Human = food, is all that stood on our being there. But we thwarted their expectation, frustrated their desire, and we did not really help their situation. They wanted their snacks!
Jokes aside, the beauty of these noisy birds really shined as the sun was shining on their white feathers. Despite their frustration, their beauty and presence really highlighted our visit. We tried to get closer, but because we did not have the required snacks, they did not appreciate our movement. So, we just sat down, enjoyed our drinks, and we looked at their frustration.
In the end, we enjoyed the view, not just of the birds. Below, the sunset and the boats reminded us that we were not at work, still in South Africa, but also not - as this reminded us of a slow fisherman's town in other parts of the world. The slow day, with not many people on the docks, relaxed us with the drinks in our hands and the day on its back.
In the end, the little bird really got frustrated and flew away. It saw that we would not bring it the snacks it so wanted.
But also, we just enjoyed our drinks, took some photographs, and reminisced about the world and life.
I hope that you enjoyed these photographs of a very beautiful gull. They are quite noisy and can be irritating when they get so close in search of chips. But I think from these photographs it is clear that they are stunningly beautiful.
Happy photographing and keep well.
All of the musings and writings are my own, and the photographs are also my own. I used my Nikon D300 and Tamron 300mm zoom lens.