Photograph Your Chickens! Tips for Successful Pics With Seabuck 7

“A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed.” 
 Ansel Adams

It is really easy to capture the personality and character of your chickens in a photographic portrait. Modern cell phones and digital cameras snap stunning images without the price tag of professional equipment. And chickens don’t require special things like zoom lenses. Chickens are natural models with a rare beauty. They are lithe, poised and uniquely balanced. Just like the subjects posing with contrapposto elegance in old master paintings, chickens have limitless grace!

“If I didn't start painting, I would have raised chickens.”  Grandma Moses chose to paint —but let’s do both!

For most of us, our cell phone is at hand…if not in hand. Your cell phone is your best tool for taking spur of the moment pics. Cameras on cell phones provide very good quality and you can quickly upload your snaps to the Internet.

Action!

The chickens are on set and ready for their close-up! All the world is a stage and when chickens are involved that takes on a whole new meaning. Be ready to capture these moments. When your birds are out and about, begin to think about “staging” good shots. This is pretty simple. Look at your yard and mark off focal points – these are the sections of the frame that your eye naturally gravitates to. Ask yourself what object, bird, or group of chickens is the first thing that you see? Bingo – that is your focal point.

Tip #1

In fact, this is more than a tip…it is a MUST. Get in CLOSE. The longer the distance, (think landscape portraits), the less impact a picture of an individual has. The subject of your picture gets washed away in the vastness of the space. While this is great if you are capturing oceans or mountain ranges, it is a disaster for subject photos! You need to get “in” there. Get up close enough to have the subject fill up the whole frame and then back off.  Take several close-up shots and look at the results. 

You will have some “pro” shots in the collection.

Try this technique with objects first. You can practice snapping photos quickly with subjects that don’t move or get bored. Professional photographers take tons of shots. In the “old days they would fill up reels. Now we have the luxury of deleting the ones that are not any good. Be ruthless in this editing…umm, deleting. You can always take more.  Henri Cartier-Bresson said the first 10,000 photographs are your worst.

Natural and Effortless

Take natural-looking photos. Atmosphere sets the content, tone and mood of the shot.  Don’t force the birds into a photo shoot. Struggling, grumpy and sour-faced expressions lead to static, bland and forced images. You want your pictures to tell a story, to reflect an image, to allow your viewer to enter the space and the “soul” of your chickens. Photography is theater. Just as if you were composing a painting, you will be setting a mood and reflecting the birds in their full glory. Think noble, think funny, think poetry — whatever the emotion of the chicken is, or what the photo wants to be, capture that.  Often the circumstance will dictate the tone in that instance, be ready to roll with that. Photography tells a story, it is a piece of art. Creativity reveals itself in a moment, and like dealing with opportunity, you need to ready!

Below are some quick tips for streamlining your technique:

• Avoid cluttered or competing backgrounds (lawnmowers, fencing, cars, houses), that cause viewers’ eyes to go haywire. Compose shots devoid of distractions. Think of everything in your frame as a prop. Some props are good - you decide.

• Change. Don’t be predictable. Altering the photographer’s angle and point of view creates drama and curiosity. Your images will pop with excitement just by changing your perspective. Get under the chickens, get in really close, get at an even height, put the chickens on a tree limb…

• White or light feathered chickens are tough to photograph. Their color creates a strong contrast that feels “hot” and overexposed. Try using subdued lighting, or take the pictures at dusk, dawn or on cloudy days. White chickens standing in the snow can be dramatic shots. Always try, you can’t go wrong. Black plumed chickens tend to wash out so use strategically placed lighting to highlight their features. 

• Expressive lighting (chiaroscuro) has its place. It can be “harsh” if not done right. Again- you are the judge. Don’t shoot into the sun or at times of day when the sun’s light is at its height. Take your pictures on cloudy days (great mood light), the early morning (magic hours) or at the end of daylight. Taking twilight shots can evoke a romantic, soft atmosphere. White birds and flowers are extra stunning in the twilight as their strong contrast comes into perfect play.

• The Portrait. Whether it is one bird that is the star, or 15, get them into an organized and composed frame (use bribes). Set out the chickens favorite treats or put treats in places you want them to be. Chickens are spontaneous and the most compelling award-winning photographs were taken in the moment. Your chickens won’t disappoint.

Art does not follow rules. It just works when it works. This is what makes a creative hobby so much fun. Anyone can take great pictures, whether you are a tech fan or a tech-phobe, modern equipment adapts to every artist.  Try different light, use props, take the photos and edit them on your computer. Click away – break rules.  It’s that simple.  Experimenting can lead to some amazing discoveries. Chickens are the perfect subjects. They are cute, charismatic, full of attitude and just plain handsome. 

We know how amazing chickens look. Share your photographic masterpieces with us at Seabuck 7 – the folks who know how to make your chickens “close-up” ready! 

“When people look at my pictures I want them to feel the way they do when they want to read a line of a poem twice.”  Robert Frank