Magic: Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus)
The Snowy Owl is one of the hardiest and most intelligent of all owl species. It has especially acute hearing and vision, with stiff feathers around its eyes to reflect sound waves into the ear openings. Its senses are far superior to ours: infra-red vision and focused hearing enable it to detect prey moving more than 30cm below the surface of the snow. It is diurnal – active both during the day and throughout the night – and constantly vigilant, spending large amounts of time watching over the nest, with a compact shape and very efficient insulation combining to minimise heat loss in the cold tundra habitat.
Vendeval: Andalusian Grey
The Andalusian is also known as the Pure Spanish Horse or PRE (Pura Raza Española) and is a horse breed developed in the Iberian Peninsula. The ancestors of the Andalusian have been present on the Iberian Peninsula for thousands of years, although their conformation has changed very little over the centuries. Throughout its history, the Andalusian has been known for its prowess as a war horse and was prized by the nobility. Andalusians are strongly built, compact yet elegant, with long, thick manes and tails, they are known for their intelligence, sensitivity and docility.
Flint: Siberian Husky
The Siberian Husky is highly intelligent, medium-sized working dog breed that originated in eastern Siberia. They are recognisable by their double coat of thick fur, sickle tail, erect triangular ears and distinctive markings. Huskies tend to be very observant of the actions of people around them and their coat effectively protects them against harsh Arctic winters, but also reflects heat in the summer. Huskies are an active, energetic, and resilient breed. Siberian Huskies were bred to pull heavy loads long distances through difficult conditions. Flint won best of breed at Crufts 2008!
Our photographer Tim Flach, is recognised internationally for his highly conceptual images of animals. His anthropomorphic images of animals have been shown in galleries and museums around the world. "I photograph an animal and the human body with the same attention to the way the eye travels and how it structures information. I don’t see any distinction, except that people don’t pee in the studio.” Tim Flach