A Book of Birds.

A Book of Birds. Photographs by Stephen Gill. Super Labo, 2010. 32 pp., 15 colour illustrations, 7¼x10¼".

I've written about books with British photographer Stephen Gill's work before here, here and here. In 'A Book of Birds' he merges the city-aesthetics and areas of interests of those books with the area of photographic interest (birds) he had as a teenager.

Gill says of the book:

"Photography, birds and animals all merged for me as a teenager as I was fascinated with those things. I spent much time photographing birds when I was around 13 years old sitting patiently waiting for a bird to land in a spot where I had placed food and carefully set up my Dixons Miranda camera and long air cable release running into the kitchen.

Through photography and with the help of the Observer's book of birds I got to know the different species that visited our garden.

About 20 years later after spending more time making work inspired by cities (mostly East London) I decided to re visit the subject of birds.

This time in the city and built up areas. I wanted to make a study of how birds fit and mould their lives around ours and adapt to what we have created. I was also very interested to hear that scientists found that birds in towns and cities sing louder or use higher frequencies compared to the same rural species so they can be heard above the man-made noise."