A Part Of Me That Flies

A Part of Me That Flies is a photo essay looking at the human-animal relationships that we all engage in and take for granted, without realising that two species can coexist in an environment with beautiful interactions between them. I communicated this thought through the story of Sateesh from Bengaluru, who rears Homer pigeons. He currently has about 60 pigeons that he trains and cares for. The training is for a race that is held every year, where these pigeons are taken far away from their home and the first one to come back wins. Beyond the purpose of the race, Sateesh has built a sense of motherhood with these pigeons, understanding and responding to them on several emotional levels. I used his narrative to understand how complex human-animal relationships can be and to represent the deep connection that a human can build with just a bird. We often are so engrossed in our own worlds that we forget the environment around us and I believe this connection with animals not only enhances the human animal relationship but also increases one’s awareness about the environment around them.