Brad Wilson: Affinity

Eastern Screech Owl

Mexican Spotted Owl

Eurasian Eagle Owl

Western Screech Owl

Flammulated Owl

Long Eared Owl

Spectacled Owl

Great Horned Owl

Barn Owl

Santa Fe, New Mexico based photographer Brad Wilson takes stunning close-up portraits of wild animals, birds and owls in his studio and made a series of these photographs titled Affinity. He has photographed 65 animal species out of which 12 are of different types of owls. The birds were from two wildlife sanctuaries and were recovering from various injuries. 

Owls were the most challenging subjects - Wilson shares. "It’s not easy to get owls to mug for the camera. Even in captivity the birds remain aloof, unruffled by the flash and unmoved by attempts to bribe them. [Brad Wilson] spent hours with each bird, trying to capture its direct gaze. “It’s hard to get animals to look at you like humans do,” he says. […] It takes years of building mutual trust before an owl will accept physical contact from a single person, says Wilson, and “owls don’t extend that privilege to other humans.” - via.

You can read all about his project and the animals he photographed in this interview he gave to Photo Eye. On the same website you can find large limited edition prints of his photographs that available for purchase. He has also published a photo book for these projects titled Wild Life.