Making the invisible visible: birds in flight shot with a difference

When you first look at Xavi Bou's images, it can sometimes take a short while to puzzle out what they're showing. What could make these random, graceful and sometimes chaotic shapes in the sky? Looking closer, however, you can see that these patterns are made up of dozens, or even hundreds, of birds in flight. These intriguing and unconventional wildlife images show us the familiar in a completely new way.

Xavi's images ultimately sprang from a passion for nature that he's had since childhood. After completing his photographic studies in 2004, he began a career in fashion and advertising photography. While pursuing his professional career, he also loved going out into nature in his spare time, and in 2012 began developing the series he calls Ornitographies. The single images he produces are created from multiple frames of 4K footage, shot on a Canon EOS-1D X Mark II (now succeeded by the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III), that have been skilfully and artistically stitched together in post-production.

Here the Barcelona-based photographer tells us about his inspiration for this unique project, the Canon kit he uses, and why he wanted to "show the beauty of movement, playing with the limits of our perception."

What are the advantages of shooting these images with the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II?

"I have filmed with several video cameras, but I have sometimes used the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II because it allows me to record at 4K and 60fps, at a time where no other DSLR allowed it. It's a much lighter camera than I usually use, and gives very good results."

Which lenses have you used for Ornitographies, and why those lenses?

"I've used the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM [now succeeded by the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM], Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM, Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM and Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM [now succeeded by the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM]. I use prime lenses in low-light situations or when I want to carry the minimum possible weight. But because of the speed of the birds' movements, I usually work with zooms, to have the versatility they offer, to obtain the desired framing."

Where do you photograph birds, and do you make these images at specific times of the year?

"The greater part of my project is recorded in Catalonia, Spain. It is the place where I am from and I know the birds well and the spaces to find them. Occasionally I have travelled to Iceland, southern Spain or the United States, for specific issues. I usually plan in advance the shoots I will do during the year. For example, starlings are grouped in winter in a specific place, just as swifts are in the city between April and August. The natural calendar totally conditions my work dates."

How do people react to your work?

"One of the things that interests me most about this project is the reaction of people when they are in front of one of my images and still do not know what it is. Normally we are flooded with photographs that we recognise instantly, but we rarely challenge our brain to try to understand what we see. Curiously, it is children who find the solution more quickly."

What do you ultimately aim to show in Ornitographies?

"The objective of this project is to make visible the beauty of the flight of birds that is invisible to the naked eye, and in this way to put the focus on nature. It is a call for people to lift their heads and enjoy this spectacle that luckily still surrounds us. It is not necessary to go far to enjoy many of the spectacles that I show in my images – we just have to pay more attention and enjoy what nature offers us."