The Art of Pigeons

By John Clements

A high proportion of UK fanciers do not have a camera. He reason is simple it is because modern cameras are digital and photographs need to be downloaded onto a computer. There is a kind

of 'get out’ to this system. Up to date mobile phones also have cameras incorporated in them and these mobile phones can be connected to the internet to re transmit pictures via E Mail to whoever

also has an E Mail facility. The downside to all this is mobile phones do not have a hard disc so storage of a library of pictures is restricted.

The upshot of these ideas is the sport restricts itself pigeons and events depending on the technical know how of those involved, does not happen. Thus most liberations go unrecorded.

Most fanciers find it difficult to connect with press officers and the sport generally still sits in the dark ages of 50 years ago.

There is yet another aspect to this lack of photographic awareness and that is the artistic aspect of photography.  The arts whether they be musical, literary or plastic are not considered

to be worth pursuing as a part of our pigeon education. But ‘pigeon racing' at its best level is an art form in anybody's language. The fact that a small bird can home from 500 miles or more in a single day

is an artistic expression of the same rank as artistic achievement and skill in other sports. We all love to see a really great footballer do his thing apparently effortlessly on the pitch as we do a tennis player

a golfer or a boxer do their thing. Top  500 mile pigeons also appear to home effortlessly and those that repeat their fantastic stunt time and time again deserve our appreciation at the same level

as the art of other sports. The ingredients are similar nobility effort and skill.

We as fanciers should attempt to cultivate our artistic pigeon appreciation to the point where, because of it,  we can then be critical because we have seen what is the artistic best.

Thus we are then able to see the downsides of common assumptions such as studs being always good or one loft races being always fairer. . The benefits of these institutions are well advertised.

In the case of studs a collection of the best pigeon DNA and in the case of one loft races a single location but they do have their faults but these are not commonly voiced.

  Recent Photo of 'Freelands Gem'  - six times NFC Tarbes for M/M Lewis  - Kempsey - a pigeon work of art!

An artistic appreciation of the very best pigeons automatically exposes false assumptions held simply because they have always been held. Art liberates the mind simply

because it liberates our critical faculties, so buy a camera, learn to use a computer and begin to take pictures of the best aspects of pigeon racing while thinking of what is the artistic best

the sport has to offer. The sport has a lot to give and will no doubt continue to give it for a very long time provided we continue to appreciate it.