How One Photographer Captures the Glory of Birds in Flight

As a child, Catalan photographer Xavi Bou walked with his grandfather around the town where he grew up. His grandfather encouraged him to pay attention to birds and migration routes. As he matured, so did his interest until, “One day I wondered what types of trails the birds would leave in the sky if that were possible. That is when I imagined those lines that would appear in the sky. I thought it might be interesting to make them visible.” His fascination continued until he found ways to combine art and technology to create images he calls “ornitography,” from the Greek ornitho- (“bird”) and graphe (“drawing”). It is a slow pain-staking process that reveals infinite beauty that must be seen to be believed and appreciated. Take a look and prepare to be thrilled.