Andrew Zuckerman has given exotic birds the supermodel treatment, producing an astonishing collection of images in his new book, Bird.

Zuckerman photographically documents and records the family, species etc., data of more than 80 birds. Containing more than 200 photographs of nearly 75 species, each bird is depicted with rare insight, humor and wonder. Capturing the birds with a contemporary and minimalist approach, each flying creature is showcased on a background of pure white illuminating their color and plumage in a way that is rarely ever seen.

Take a Closer Look: Selected Photographs from Bird

Click on image to enlarge

In his introduction to Bird, Massimo Vignelli writes, “The birds, from the intimacy of the very small to the majesty of the very large, acquire a transcendental dignity, each one becoming a god in its own universe. The powerful white light transfers its own intensity to the birds and transforms them into mythical objects of paradise, newly resplendent in all their colors…”

NY-based Andrew Zuckerman has departed from conventional wildlife photography - showing animals in their natural environments - and placed his subjects against pure white backdrops in mobile photographic studios.

They fly, preen, stare and stalk in intimate portraits where every filament of feather is captured in exquisite detail, free from the distractions of background.

The subjects for the book range from Andean condors with 3m wingspans to tiny Inca terns. He perfected this style of photography while working for Vogue, where he was asked to create "still lifes of bags and shoes".

The premise in Bird was the same - remove the background to let the eye focus on the hypnotic detail of the subject.

Unlike bags and shoes, birds don't generally sit patiently awaiting focus and lighting.

"It is always a challenge to photograph subjects that do not listen to direction," Zuckerman said.

"But the kookaburra was an extraordinarily docile bird and sat for as many portraits as I wanted to take." The Andean condor, on the other hand, needed bribery in the form of its favorite food - the heads of mice - to be photographed in flight, in a portable studio.

Zuckerman shot the his subjects digitally, relying on his Leaf Aptus 75 33 megapixels camera back. "The Leaf system has provided me with the clarity and sharpness that the images require with superb reliability," he explained.

Bird is the astonishing sequel to Andrew Zuckerman’s runaway success Creature. Bird is delightful and thought-provoking, offering a glimpse of the most flighty members of the animal kingdom. Like Creature, this book is perfect for animal lovers, ornithologists, photography fans, and anyone interested in the natural world.

(Credits: Some quotes taken from The Daily Telegraph interview with Andrew Zuckerman)

Close up: a full sized 'Bird' image Zoom in and catch the fine detail captured from these magnificent subjects.

Andrew Zuckerman's "Bird" the movie Turning his camera to the world of birds, Andrew Zuckerman has a created a new body of work revealing the vivid colors, textures, and personalities of each subject in extraordinary detail.

BIRD: behind the scenes with Andrew Zuckerman The "decisive moment" that the hyperdetailed photos making up Andrew Zuckerman's new book, "Bird," were taken!

About Andrew Zuckerman
Andrew Zuckerman is a photographer based in New York City. His photography books include Creature, Wisdom, and and now Bird. After an internship at the International Center of Photography in New York, he attended the School of Visual Arts to study photography and film, where he graduated in 1999. His work has been commissioned extensively for multiple brands throughout the world and has received many awards, including D&AD, One Show, BDA, and multiple annuals. His first film, High Falls, premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2007 before going on to win for best short narrative at the Woodstock Film Festival.

He has published three photography books. Creature, a portrait series of animals, was released worldwide in November 2007 to critical acclaim and is now in its fourth printing. Wisdom, a book, film, and traveling exhibition released in October 2008, is an ongoing production with multiple volumes made with the support of Archbishop Desmond Tutu; Andrew traveled the globe to photograph and interview the world’s most eminent elders, from Judi Dench to Nelson Mandela, creating a comprehensive account of their perspectives on life. The latest book, Bird, is a visual study of birds from the rarest to the most common and is now available.

About the Contributors
Alex Vlack has produced documentaries for television and media installations for museums. In 2006 he co-founded Late Night and Weekends with Andrew Zuckerman, where they create books, films and broadcast content. He wrote and produced High Falls, and produced and co-directed Still Bill, a feature documentary about Bill Withers.

Massimo Vignelli is a designer of international acclaim. Together with his wife, Lella, he established the Vignelli Office of Design and Architecture in Milan in 1960 and Vignelli Associates in New York in 1971. The Vignellis have received numerous awards for their work, including the AIGA Gold Medal and the National Lifetime Achievement Award from the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York. They were inducted into the Interior Design Hall of Fame in 1988.