I Thought These Photographs,

looked so good,

 animals, 

birds,

and reptiles, all pictured looking straight at the camera or in relief,

all pin-sharp, against a black background, 

and to make life really difficult, black on black, they are all the work of Santa Fe-based, fine art photographer Brad Wilson, from his ongoing Affinity series that explores human’s relationship with animals, both positive and negative, while highlighting the fragility of each subject with the aid of soft studio lighting, from his artist statement:

'In the midst of our modern human civilisation with all its technological complexities, animals still remain stark symbols of a simpler life and a wilderness lost. Perhaps these images can stand as a testament to this other fading world, and remind us, despite the pronounced feeling of isolation that too often characterises our contemporary existence, that we are not alone, we are not separate – we are part of a beautifully rich and interconnected diversity of life.'

Wilson is represented by PhotoEye Gallery, and you can see more of his work on Instagram and in the 2014 book Wild Life, and no I am not on commission, as I mentioned at the top of the post, I just thought the pictures were so good.