The entire series, particularly the sequencing, happened naturally. I saw that it was all there in a single roll, and I would present it as shot from frame one to frame 12. Although I didn’t compose the “poem” in my head, I did make conscious image choices that would create the movement of the birds. Once I start shooting I try not to question my inspiration. I always try to edit my projects so that they have a certain rhythm similar to a poem. That doesn’t always work, especially with the larger projects. But the smaller ones, which I prefer, have to flow, and with “The Flight,” I saw that rhythm immediately.

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Elisa Maple is based in North Carolina, where she