Animal Portraits: Seeing Ourselves in Others

By Ulrich Flemming

Have you ever watched a dog stare into space and wondered what he was thinking about? Are you convinced that cats show affection, while elephants most certainly grieve? What about going to the zoo and standing in front of the monkeys' enclosure, did they seem to be having a laugh at your expense? If the answers to these questions are a definite yes, Animal Portraits is a book for you. It is a collection of animal photos, but unlike a field guide or a zoology book, it does not try to help readers identify the species to which an animal belongs by showing as many characteristic features as possible. Instead, the photos should be seen as portraits in the way we view portraits of people, as representations of individuals capable of feelings and possessed of an inner life. In 103 images, the book covers a broad range of members of the animal kingdom, from invertebrates (like butterflies and bees), through amphibians (frogs), reptiles (for example, lizards), to fishes and a wide variety of birds and mammals. Looking at these portraits, readers may feel a range of emotions-amusement, empathy, or even fear; whatever it is, the image should not leave them emotionally cold. It may remind them of a person they know, or of a portrait they have seen, or of a feeling they share with an animal. As someone who has owned and loves pets, I have no doubt that animals have feelings and distinct personalities. I hope that at least some of my pictures convey this sense also to the reader, and I do not apologize for any anthropomorphism someone may detect in my approach: There is a mounting body of research supporting my position.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1499175183
• ISBN13: 9781499175189
• Release Date: May 2014
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 118 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.3" x 8.5"