The pigeon is not exactly the most loved animal, being seen as a pest and crowding in huge numbers in places such as London's Trafalgar Square.
But photographer Simon de Glanville loves them.
Simon has used scraps of food to take incredible pictures of London's pigeons.
But, more recently, he has used the technique to take photos of the other wild - and not-so-wild - creatures who inhabit Britain's great capital.
He often stays out all night (a risky thing to do in London) to take photos of nocturnal creatures such as foxes.
Food such as chips, bread, kebabs and even curry has helped him to take amazing close-up pictures of beasts all over London, in areas such as Chinatown, Peckham and Brixton, and its greats parks such as St James's.
Simon, from Peckham, south London, now works as a wildlife cameraman travelling the world shooting documentaries on wildlife. But when at home, he finds nothing more enjoyable than taking incredible pictures of the animals who call London their home.
Click each photo to enlarge.
Park life: How photographer used kebabs, chips and a fisheye lens to take incredible close-ups of London's wildlife
By Daily Mail Reporter
03rd June 2009
Daily Mail
They might be hated by the majority of people, but one photographer loves nothing more than buying the common pigeon a bag of chips before getting up close and personal to capture some unusual glimpses.
Using bait of chips, bread, kebabs and even curries, Simon De Glanville coaxes the shy denizens of London's parks and backstreets up to his fisheye lens camera to showcase some of the urban park life we often ignore.
Starting out as an homage to the London pigeon this long-running photography study includes geese, squirrels and dogs.
'Although much maligned and mostly hated by the majority of the populace I find that pigeons never fail to cheer me up,' says 31-year-old Simon from Peckham, South London.
Bird's eye view: Simon De Glanville uses fast food to lure his pigeons up close before he takes their picture with an old fisheye lens camera
'Despite spending much of my time in far flung locations filming animals in the wild, I derive a large amount of pleasure watching pigeons going about their business, almost unnoticed, on the streets of London.'
Simon, who trained as a zoologist before taking up photography 12 years ago, now works as a wildlife cameraman travelling the world shooting documentaries. However when he is not travelling the globe, Simon often spend hours at a time snapping the local talent near his South London home.
'Most of the images were taken in parks around Peckham, Brixton and in the backstreets of Chinatown,' he says.
Sticking his beak in: A goose is coaxed over by some chips in St James's Park
You must be nuts: An inquisitive giant grey squirrel approaches the camera looking for a snack
Simon trained as a zoologist before taking up photography 12 years ago
'I wanted to create a set of images that would present the pigeon in a new and striking way in the hope that it might capture people's imagination and perhaps raise their appreciation of them.
'People tend to be very interested in the lives of animals on the other side of the planet, but we often tend to overlook the interesting behaviour happening on our doorsteps.'
Crouching, kneeling or even lying on the ground, Simon uses an old Soviet fisheye lens from Belarus to give these images a unique perspective.
'I try and entice the pigeons with bread, but they are very wary of the flash system, which is a relatively sophisticated studio set up,' he explains.
'I've learnt to recognise the point that their desire for bread overcomes their fear of the equipment and capitalise on that. I'm pretty sure you can only do it with London pigeons as they tend to be a bit more blase.'
And even though Simon's initial subject was the famous London pigeon, he soon found other animals to photograph.
'The work was always supposed to be about pigeons, but over the years other animals have tried to get in on the act,' he says.
'Someone's dog will come along and eat the bait or a goose will muscle in, so I ended up photographing them too. That gave me the idea to broaden out the scope of the project to include all London wildlife.'
Now focusing on foxes and crows, Simon is utilising new technologies to capture London's wildlife.
'I'm currently working on getting shots of Foxes in Peckham,' he says.
'I set up the camera disguised in a rubbish bag and leave out some bait. I then spend the rest of the night standing by with a 20m cable release waiting for my moment and trying not to get mugged.
'I've been a bit unlucky with it but I think I'm getting close to success.
I'm also working on crows, although I'm almost convinced it is impossible to get them that close to the camera.
Parklife: Tempted by a meal of chips or kebab, the pigeons gather around the hidden camera
Living it up: Two pigeons enjoy a mooch around bins in Chinatown
'They always seem to understand exactly what I'm up to and treat me with the utmost suspicion. I think it's unlikely to work, but I still go out to Burgess park once or twice a week with a kebab or a some fried chicken to try.
'Problem is, now the pigeons know me so well they always muscle in on the act and scare the crows away, which is frustrating in its irony.'
'I've been a bit unlucky with it but I think I'm getting close to success.
This Boxer dog being held on a lead by a hooded youth was photographed outside a housing estate in Brixton, South London
dailymail.co.uk
But photographer Simon de Glanville loves them.
Simon has used scraps of food to take incredible pictures of London's pigeons.
But, more recently, he has used the technique to take photos of the other wild - and not-so-wild - creatures who inhabit Britain's great capital.
He often stays out all night (a risky thing to do in London) to take photos of nocturnal creatures such as foxes.
Food such as chips, bread, kebabs and even curry has helped him to take amazing close-up pictures of beasts all over London, in areas such as Chinatown, Peckham and Brixton, and its greats parks such as St James's.
Simon, from Peckham, south London, now works as a wildlife cameraman travelling the world shooting documentaries on wildlife. But when at home, he finds nothing more enjoyable than taking incredible pictures of the animals who call London their home.
Click each photo to enlarge.
Park life: How photographer used kebabs, chips and a fisheye lens to take incredible close-ups of London's wildlife
By Daily Mail Reporter
03rd June 2009
Daily Mail
They might be hated by the majority of people, but one photographer loves nothing more than buying the common pigeon a bag of chips before getting up close and personal to capture some unusual glimpses.
Using bait of chips, bread, kebabs and even curries, Simon De Glanville coaxes the shy denizens of London's parks and backstreets up to his fisheye lens camera to showcase some of the urban park life we often ignore.
Starting out as an homage to the London pigeon this long-running photography study includes geese, squirrels and dogs.
'Although much maligned and mostly hated by the majority of the populace I find that pigeons never fail to cheer me up,' says 31-year-old Simon from Peckham, South London.
'Despite spending much of my time in far flung locations filming animals in the wild, I derive a large amount of pleasure watching pigeons going about their business, almost unnoticed, on the streets of London.'
Simon, who trained as a zoologist before taking up photography 12 years ago, now works as a wildlife cameraman travelling the world shooting documentaries. However when he is not travelling the globe, Simon often spend hours at a time snapping the local talent near his South London home.
'Most of the images were taken in parks around Peckham, Brixton and in the backstreets of Chinatown,' he says.
Simon trained as a zoologist before taking up photography 12 years ago
'I wanted to create a set of images that would present the pigeon in a new and striking way in the hope that it might capture people's imagination and perhaps raise their appreciation of them.
'People tend to be very interested in the lives of animals on the other side of the planet, but we often tend to overlook the interesting behaviour happening on our doorsteps.'
Crouching, kneeling or even lying on the ground, Simon uses an old Soviet fisheye lens from Belarus to give these images a unique perspective.
'I try and entice the pigeons with bread, but they are very wary of the flash system, which is a relatively sophisticated studio set up,' he explains.
'I've learnt to recognise the point that their desire for bread overcomes their fear of the equipment and capitalise on that. I'm pretty sure you can only do it with London pigeons as they tend to be a bit more blase.'
And even though Simon's initial subject was the famous London pigeon, he soon found other animals to photograph.
'The work was always supposed to be about pigeons, but over the years other animals have tried to get in on the act,' he says.
'Someone's dog will come along and eat the bait or a goose will muscle in, so I ended up photographing them too. That gave me the idea to broaden out the scope of the project to include all London wildlife.'
Now focusing on foxes and crows, Simon is utilising new technologies to capture London's wildlife.
'I'm currently working on getting shots of Foxes in Peckham,' he says.
'I set up the camera disguised in a rubbish bag and leave out some bait. I then spend the rest of the night standing by with a 20m cable release waiting for my moment and trying not to get mugged.
'I've been a bit unlucky with it but I think I'm getting close to success.
I'm also working on crows, although I'm almost convinced it is impossible to get them that close to the camera.
'They always seem to understand exactly what I'm up to and treat me with the utmost suspicion. I think it's unlikely to work, but I still go out to Burgess park once or twice a week with a kebab or a some fried chicken to try.
'Problem is, now the pigeons know me so well they always muscle in on the act and scare the crows away, which is frustrating in its irony.'
'I've been a bit unlucky with it but I think I'm getting close to success.
dailymail.co.uk
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