Birds are intriguing creatures, but rarely do we get close enough to consider them as individuals. For the series Faces, the opportunity for close-up photography at two wildlife rehabilitation centres allowed me to represent individual avian characters through portraiture. This series stems from my enduring interest in wildlife, and also from a recognition of the challenges involved in portraying animals within the art world. Animals in art are often used as idealized decorations or as vehicles of metaphor. With Faces, I sought to present the animals not as objects but as subjects in their own right.