I photograph murmurations. Groups of thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands of birds moving in unison, continuously reconfiguring their shape to create a mesmerising dance in the sky.
In the UK, at dusk, starlings murmurate over their chosen roost site, until, when the light has dropped, the flock descends en masse into the reeds or trees. Their aerial displays appear almost choreographed with patterns emerging and dissolving in the sky.
I cannot help feeling awe and wonder when witnessing hundreds of thousands of individuals moving with such cohesion. The birds neither collide nor disperse, effortlessly avoiding obstacles and evading predators.
Kathryn Cooper is a scientist and photographer interested in capturing the beauty of complex natural systems.
With a background in physics and bioinformatics (a data science applied to biological systems) she dedicated her early career to developing imaging techniques for the treatment and diagnosis of cancer. It is a fascination with the complexity of nature that compels her to create her work now.
Follow Kathryn on Instagram @kathryncooperwildlife.
