Birds are sort of like flying colour swatches, contrasting beautifully against blue skies, rich vegetation and pure snow. Up close, they are extraordinary layers of textured hue and pattern. Delving into the popular British hobby of bird keeping, photographer Luke Stephenson artfully showcases exotic winged creatures in his series “The Incomplete Dictionary of Show Birds”. I love the visible detail, modern style and colour palettes created against perfectly selected backdrops. The birds are really posing, don’t you think?

(photographs via luke stephenson; book available for pre-order here)