I have had a rather large obsession with birds for quite some time now. The real motivation behind that obsession is the idea that birds can go anywhere at any time. They seem limitless because of flight, and therefore they seem free. Birds are often used as a symbol of freedom, and I certainly have played with that theme many times in my photography. For this picture in particular I decided to move in a darker way with that concept. The birds here encircle the subject, which I shot as a self-portrait, and everything seems to be brooding in this scene. The red fabric gives that blood-red appearance to the world, and as such furthers the dark atmosphere.