Ravens, crows, and similar birds are powerful symbols for some artists. This kind of symbolism has never been a major driver in my image making, although I do have a fascination with dead and decomposing things (usually limited to non-toxic objects like flowers). That said, I immediately felt the impulse to photograph this poor creature when I noticed it lying at the edge of a parking lot. Who knows, at some point down the road, I may channel my inner Masahisa Fukase and composite it into an image laced with symbolism. It struck me right away that the black feathers were in reality comprised of multiple distinct shades, and I tried to bring that out in the monochrome version of the image.
