Sentinels

Sentinels gathers birds and wild beings as presences within weather-shaped landscapes: watchful, solitary, vulnerable, and resilient.

An owl peeking out from a hollow in a tree trunk with rough bark.

Cedar waxwing perched on snow-dusted evergreen berries as snow falls through blue winter light.

Dense forest with tall trees and a bird standing on the ground.

Nighttime scene of a bird of prey, possibly a hawk or falcon, perched on a tree branch with dark foliage in the background.

A puffin bird standing on grass with a dark, cloudy sky in the background.

A heron standing on a fallen tree branch by the water's edge, surrounded by dense green foliage and some red leaves.

Red-tailed hawk facing forward among soft green leaves.

Puffin standing alone on a dark volcanic stone wall with grass along the cliffside.

Osprey looking out from a nest against a warm orange sunset sky.

Close-up of a seal's face partially submerged in water with ripples.

This series considers the charged silence of being seen by another life. Sentinels is a collection of fine art bird and wildlife photographs centered on presence, watchfulness, and quiet strength. Owls, herons, hawks, eagles, puffins, and other animals appear not as specimens or symbols, but as presences within the landscape: alert, self-contained, and aware.

In these photographs, the animal becomes a watcher, a witness, or a guardian of its surrounding world. The collection reflects Iliana Romanul’s restrained visual language: deep tonal control, solitude, atmosphere, and emotional stillness. Sentinels considers the dignity of wild beings and the charged silence of being seen by them in return.