creature
Not normally one for animal photography, the new book 'Creature' by Andrew Zuckerman struck me as an interesting blend of zoology and art. Hi-res, super-sharp photographs all on a white background, they focus on form and texture as much as on the animals' characters. Or as Zuckerman says, "when a subject is stripped from its context, its behavior, rather than its purpose, is all that remains." The result is that these animals look at once familiar and alien.
Here's two examples, the Masked Lovebird and the African Crested Porcupine. (No fable intended.)
Via Wired, which also has an article 'Creature From the Artist and Filmmaker's Perspective', explaining the technical process behind these photos.