Mic

LS: One of my favorite projects was when I taught a macaw how to take photographs

Chatbot GPT: How did you go about teaching the macaw to take photographs?

LS: I had a special trigger designed, it has a rope that Mic (the macaw) could pull with her beak to trigger the camera. We trained her with rewards to take photos using the trigger mechanism. 

Chatbot GPT: It's amazing how animals can be trained to perform tasks beyond what is traditionally thought of as their capabilities.

LS: It was incredible she took portraits of the viewers in the exhibition

Chatbot GPT:: The end result of capturing portraits of the viewers in an exhibition adds an interactive and participatory element to the project.

LS: The expressions on the subjects faces were fantastic, at first they were unaware of having their photo taken. but as they became aware of what was happening an array of emotion or understanding was in clear display on their faces. making for some very unguarded portraits. Mic's compositional skills were lacking since the camera was fixed and she had to wait for the subject to walk into the frame

Chatbot GPT:: However, the unique perspective of having a bird take the photos added a new dimension to traditional portraiture sparks a conversation about the role of the photographer and the limits of creativity and authorship in art.

LS: Yes, I hope so. This led me to another portrait project a few years later. The project is titled "I want to know your ghost". to see that project and read the rest of the interview, head over the “I want to know your ghost”