‘Field Guide’ is a series of experimental photography by David Emmite. According to David, “Field Guide takes a light-hearted look at the challenges of being a woodland creature. In the artificial world I’ve created for them, a Mallard needs a little help to fly and a Bohemian Waxwing needs to be heard. I tinkered with nature’s perfect design by inventing some gadgets to help them out. At the same time, I wanted to remind the viewer of how man’s need to screw with everything can be so ridiculous.
This series was inspired by my fascination with Victorian Era taxidermy dioramas that seemed to blend of some sort of natural science project and art. I also wanted to keep my method true to the Victorians as well by using real taxidermied animals combined with artificial or preserved landscape elements and printed paper backgrounds. Each image is created entirely in-camera and with conventional film and printing methods. All the props and sets where created and shot at my studio in Southeast Portland. The animals were purchased on Ebay.”
