New Jersey-based photographer Robin Schwartz captures over 10 years worth of portraits of her adorable daughter, Amelia, bonding with a wide range of animals in her series titled Amelia's World and Animal Affinity. Each album features the young girl with a different creature, ranging in size and type from a tiny Cotton-Top Tamarin nestled on top of her head to a giant elephant cradling her like a personal swing.
There's an unspoken connection between Amelia and the animals she encounters throughout the two series. She walks and lays amongst the exotic creatures and large beasts as though they were just any other person. In fact, it wasn't until only recently that the young girl realized how unusual it was for her to interact with so many different animals as she was growing up. The photographer explains, “Amelia was not taught to fear animals, her siblings are animals. She is comfortable with animals as part of her natural world… She does think it sad that other children and adults are afraid of animals.”
Some may criticize and wonder about any injuries Amelia has had from coming so close to wild animals, but her mother assures that the most surprising injury the girl has sustained came from “being bit in the face by a cousin's dog at a family visit – no photography involved.” She adds, “People are whom I fear, they are the most dangerous and cruelest of animals we encounter. To protect my daughter, I teach her to be cautious of humans and constantly warn Amelia about not getting run over when crossing the street.”
UPDATE: We're very excited to announce that Robin's photos and Amelia's story are featured in our new book For Love, published by Chronicle Books! The official release date is March 15, 2016, and the book is currently available to pre-order at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Indie Bound.
Robin Schwartz: Website
via [PetaPixel]
If you enjoyed this series, you should also check out Tippi of Africa featuring a young girl who is best friends with African wildlife.
