Birds on the wing — they inspire artists, authors and anyone with a love of nature and an eye for beauty. They inspire photographer Paul Nelson to create striking images, extraordinary in their immediacy and degree of detail. A moving experience for the viewer, a peek into an ethereal world almost out of reach — that’s Wild Birds Flying.

Inspired by John James Audubon’s prints among others, Paul’s inventive photographic techniques replace the 19th-century pen and watercolor representations. His highly detailed, split-second images against a pure white backdrop reveal every feather, flap, and glance, and offer the observer a rare, up-close viewpoint.

Paul designed a unique and specialized photography rig that allows him to capture the images safely and without any harm to the birds. He coordinates with Minnesota Nature Centers to set up and shoot during bird bandings: the process in which wild birds are given a small identification band to keep track of their movements and life history.

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Black-chinned Hummingbird, Hibiscus, 30×24, color composite print, $1800

Yellow-throated Vireo, 30×30, color print, $1800

Indigo Bunting, 48×36, color print, $3000