A helicopter and a bird fly close together in the same sky, but in opposite directions. Humanity has always tried to imitate animals, drawing inspiration from nature for its inventions. The dream of flight has come true, but it remains an imitation: the beauty of birds in flight, their freedom, the elegance with which they rule the sky, will always be out of reach. The image captures this distance, placing side by side two ways of flying, two visions of the world.

I took this photograph on a summer afternoon in Otranto (Italy), during the spectacular Frecce Tricolori air show on July 7, 2019. Suddenly, a bird entered the scene, and I quickly took the shot. Seeing a human-made invention and a natural creature side by side, both doing the same thing—flying—but in such different ways, struck me deeply. It’s an image that invites reflection.

Location: Otranto – Italy

Year: 2019