This catalogue contains selected images from Oxford Photographic Society's 2008 Exhibition, held during September, at the Oxford Museum, England.

Philip Joyce’s zoo pictures show abstracts, portraits, creative variations, environments (good and bad) and a genuine affection for animal life. However, this is a captive environment and the pictures invite personal reappraisal of attitudes towards zoos and their role in conservation and public entertainment. As a small boy Philip loved trips to Bristol Zoo; rushing to see his personal ‘big 5’ of elephant, lion, (white) tiger, gorilla, giraffe, rhino and polar bear (accepting that counting was not a strong point for a small excited boy). Attitudes towards zoos will always be diverse; the debate over animal life with or without bars has no simple solution. Like most people Philip has questioned the validity of captivity and several pictures illustrate this. Nevertheless, this book is not intended to present a pro- or anti-zoo stance – it is here to celebrate animal life and leave you to decide where those lives should be lived.

The earliest records of Oxford Photographic Society (OPS) date from 1889 and in 2007 the Society is still thriving and pushing the boundaries of contemporary photography. This book captures favourite images that you will hopefully find challenging, intriging, amusing and stimulating. Visit www.oxfordphotosociety.co.uk for more details and pictures