Ruffling beautiful feathers with this extraordinary book of photographs
Thomas Lohr is a Bavaria-born fashion, portrait and still-life photographer whose work has been featured in internationally-recognised publications like Vogue, i-D and Interview to name a few, and his solid portfolio includes fashion’s biggest names, from Dior to Hermès, Lanvin and Kenzo. But despite his frantic work schedule, Lohr still manages to carve out time for personal projects, the latest of which is the lustrous Birds. Printed on Japanese paper and bound in a white, velvety cover, the book invites us to reflect, close up, on the beauty of feathers and plumage, Lohr's masterfully-lit shots providing an artful and enigmatic study. Here the photographer discusses abstraction and travelling into the unknown.
On his fascination with birds…
"Birds are inspiring creatures, but with this project I wanted to abstract things and look closer at something kind of surreal that I see when looking at birds’ feathers in real detail."
On the inspiration behind the project…
"The initial idea behind the book was a study on textures and colours. What I wanted to do was to show the beauty of birds while approaching it from a different point of view."
On approaching the subject...
"My aim was to show the variety of the species and the array of plumage, so I shot a wide range instead of concentrating on particular birds."
On tracking down the perfect shot…
"There was some travelling involved but I didn’t have to go too far. When I started the project it was clear to me that I only wanted to show living birds, but I also realised that it would be impossible to take these pictures in the wilderness so I travelled to different bird parks and menageries all over Europe."
On his favourite photographs…
"I’ve spoken to many people and nearly everyone had a different favorite. What amazed me was that the birds they picked really fit to their personality. My two favourite images are Grus Monacha and Pelecanus Crispus."
On the book’s reflection of his own personality…
"The book allowed me to show a different side of my work but it is as much a part of me as my fashion, portrait or still-life work."
On where he would go if he could fly away…
"Kanungu, Uganda."
Birds by Thomas Lohr is out now, designed by Daniel Baer.
