Background information
"The 11th title of the 'Des Oiseaux' photo book collection contains a new series by Paolo PELLEGRIN on a colony of eagles in Japan. A photographer best known for his reportage of political, economic and ecological upheavals, his inquisitive mind leads him to focus on subjects that are sometimes more contemplative, where nature plays a major role. In Kyoto, the temple of Shimogamo, a 7th century Shinto sanctuary, stands in the heart of a primary forest populated by eagles. Thus, during his stay in Japan, the Magnum photographer, who had gone to witness the blossoming of cherry trees, was struck by the majesty of a colony of eagles.
Content
This 'Des Oiseaux' photo volume by Magnum Photographer Paolo PELLEGRIN contains eagles, hovering above the visitors, emerging from the foliage with their wings spread, flying close to the photographer. Their dazzling speed is captured in tight framing: the birds seem to jump out of the frame or fly out of it at full speed. The choreography follows one another: as a soloist, a duo or a group, these fascinating birds of prey seem to glide through space. Defying the laws of gravity, immersed in the depths of the undergrowth, Pellegrin's birds invite us to enter a mysterious and ghostly world, where only the animal presence reigns." (slightly adapted text, © Barral, 2021)