The Chicken Shack

Ed Sutton

Ed Sutton

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Two years ago I dropped in at a poultry show and spent a couple of hours wandering around taking photographs, mostly of the chickens. They're a challenging, fidgety subject. The show cages don't make matters easy and the 'shack' is lit by fluorescent tubes putting a consistent white balance beyond me.

But the chickens are entertaining! :)

Since that first visit I've been to more of the shows and played around with ideas for pictures. Getting together a reasonable number of pictures of the shows, details, the birds - and some of the people.

Some of the pics are a bit Martin Parr, most are pretty straightforward,, but one or two have strayed somewhat from 'documentary'. A taster of the kind of stuff I've been shooting below:

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Last year I put together a book using Blurb which worked quite well, but I've got more pics now and am wondering if it is worth developing this into a project. If so, how? Do I concentrate on this particular club and it's shows or take it a bit wider? I certainly would like to cover more of what goes into putting on a show, and take some more formally arranged 'portraits' of the fanciers. As it turned out a good friend of mine knows the club chairman, so I've made a contact there. Which is a bonus because I'm really not good at striking up conversations with people, so that side of things is always difficult for me. Once the ice is broken I'm fine though.

There are quite a few poultry keepers in the area - three that I know of within walking distance of home. I also know someone who runs an animal sanctuary that rescues chickens and ducks locally. So it could become a wider look at poultry keeping for fun - and maybe a bit of profit. Thoughts welcome. Particularly comments on my photos being too crap to do a project like this justice so I won't waste my time!
 
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Ed Sutton said:
I certainly would like to cover more of what goes into putting on a show, and take some more formally arranged 'portraits' of the fanciers.
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I think this bit would be good to make a project.... as I know there's a lot that goes in to preparing for these shows.
I particularly liked number 4, as well as 1, 3 5 and 6.
 
#2 is brill.

We keep backyard chickens and they always turn their heads side on so that they can see you better when you approach. To get that "human" frontal view is very good and unusual. As you've said they're really difficult animals to shoot due to their jerky movements.

It's certainly a project I'd be interested in following up but I may be a niche enthusiast! If you live in the North West you're welcome to come & shoot our lot for practise!

Ian.
 
Solo man said:
I think this bit would be good to make a project.... as I know there's a lot that goes in to preparing for these shows.
I particularly liked number 4, as well as 1, 3 5 and 6.
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I'm learning that there's a lot involved in putting on a poultry show and in making sure it all runs smoothly on the day.

Harlequin565 said:
#2 is brill.

We keep backyard chickens and they always turn their heads side on so that they can see you better when you approach. To get that "human" frontal view is very good and unusual. As you've said they're really difficult animals to shoot due to their jerky movements.

It's certainly a project I'd be interested in following up but I may be a niche enthusiast! If you live in the North West you're welcome to come & shoot our lot for practise!
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The little buggers let you get everything framed and focused spot on, then just as you press the shutter release they move. That front on shot was just lucky. ;) I think it looks quite malevolent!

I am in the north west, Ian, south of Preston. I'll bear your offer in mind, thanks. :)

Thanks both for the comments on the pics. It's always good to get other people's perspectives. I've shown some to a couple of the fanciers and it's been interesting to see how they react to the various shots, which wasn't always the way I expected.
 
Has potential. I think the image of the kid with the chicken could have been amazing if you'd have taken control, posed him etc. The first 4 are strong though. 6 is quirky enough too. We need to see more of the characters involved though, not just chickens, but really control the subjects.

You carrying on with this?
 
Thanks for the comments, David. Yes I'll be carrying on. The next show isn't for a few months. I have reached the stage where I've just about done with photographing the chickens and I've gained a bit more confidence in photographing the people. There is a lack of space in the venue and also a lot of clutter and people milling around, so posing people (which isn't something I'm accustomed to doing) might stump me. More confidence to take charge is required.

I'm interested in pictures of people interacting with the birds and want to avoid making the usual winners' photos that you see in the poultry press.

Here are a few more 'people' pictures. Not my strong point, I don't think. (A few more can be found here.)

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I enjoyed looking at your latest set of images Dave... and, I think you have better images in your link. A few I particularly liked were 1, 3, 10, 19, 20, 22, 23, 25, 32.
 
Thanks Lee. Editing down a bunch of photos is always difficult. Partly because it's hard to know how other people see the pictures, and also because much depends on what 'message' you are trying to put across. Still very much a work in progress.
 
Ed Sutton said:
Thanks Lee. Editing down a bunch of photos is always difficult. Partly because it's hard to know how other people see the pictures, and also because much depends on what 'message' you are trying to put across. Still very much a work in progress.
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Yes, some of them I found interesting because of the 'behind the scenes' feel, they showed me stuff I didn't know much about ... especially the 'posing the chickens' for the camera ones, the egg judging one I liked for that reason... and, I enjoyed the ones that show a connection between the birds and their handlers(if that's the right word). And I liked those that showed the chickens and how they watched the people...
 
I think it's all those things which interest me. Particularly the bits I don't know anything about, like the judging. Although I have been reading up on the esoteric art of poultry breeding!
 
Ed Sutton said:
I think it's all those things which interest me. Particularly the bits I don't know anything about, like the judging. Although I have been reading up on the esoteric art of poultry breeding!
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It's definitely an art, and its that that makes the images both quirky and endearing.
 
Ed Sutton said:
Thanks for the comments, David. Yes I'll be carrying on. The next show isn't for a few months. I have reached the stage where I've just about done with photographing the chickens and I've gained a bit more confidence in photographing the people. There is a lack of space in the venue and also a lot of clutter and people milling around, so posing people (which isn't something I'm accustomed to doing) might stump me. More confidence to take charge is required.

I'm interested in pictures of people interacting with the birds and want to avoid making the usual winners' photos that you see in the poultry press.

Here are a few more 'people' pictures. Not my strong point, I don't think. (A few more can be found here.)

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2


3
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4
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5
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6
FUJI0882.jpg
Click to expand...


Number 1 is amazing! LOL.. Love it. I have a problem with shots like number 4 in documentary... it's too editorial... that smile to camera... doesn't sit well with me in contemporary documentary.. seems like something that would be taken for a local paper report. 6 has some good narrative elements,

1 is ****ing brilliant though. LOL

I think this project has real potential... it definitely should be pursued.
 
Thanks again David.

I know what you mean about no.4. I posted it as one of the few pictures I have of someone holding a chicken although it's not really the sort of picture I'm aiming for. Something more along the lines of Martin Parr's picture of a bloke holding a leek is what I'd like to achieve.
 
4 and 6 work for me. Its worth another visit (county show/smallholders show)?? get in there with a nifty 50 and enjoy yourself.
you're world is your lobster
 
You're getting a good collection of images going Dave. Are you going for a Parr-esque social commentary type thing, or more of a straightforward documentary?
 
Harlequin565 said:
You're getting a good collection of images going Dave. Are you going for a Parr-esque social commentary type thing, or more of a straightforward documentary?
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I'd like it to be an affectionate look at the poultry 'scene' so more a straight documentary approach with observations of absurdity mixed in if they crop up.
 
Ed Sutton said:
I'd like it to be an affectionate look at the poultry 'scene' so more a straight documentary approach with observations of absurdity mixed in if they crop up.
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It's the absurdity and idiosyncrasy that make this for me.
 
I like this, Ed. Some of these shots really offer a humorous glimpse through the looking glass into the world of chicken showing.

In the first batch you posted, I like number 4, and in the second batch, number 1 is a corker, and I like number 2 as well (if only more movement was captured).

Great stuff! :)
 
Thanks. I'm looking forward to developing this over the coming months following the feedback from this thread.
 
I've been doing some research!

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Should have some more show pics when I've sorted through today's batch.

In the meantime....

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Both interesting and amusing. Ta. :)

Just whittled my shots down to 220 to edit down further and process. I might be busy for a while!

Today I've been at an auction and show trying to avoid making Ken Grant pictures - http://www.ken-grant.info/the-birdhouse (His book Flock is a favourite of mine.)

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That didn't go well. My usual f*** ups happened. Catch the moment and miss the focus! The auction was tricky to find a way to get the atmosphere across and make the pictures say something.

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However I did get one or two pictures of poultry and eggs being judged.

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And I tried to find some details.

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I also had a stab at a semi-formal portrait. Not my strong point, and I don't think 28mm is ideal.

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I've put two (over-long) galleries together one for the auction and one for the show. As usual I welcome thoughts and comments. There's a show next Saturday that I've got permission to take photos from when the doors open to exhibitors. We'll see what that brings.
 
This is coming along well!
 
Thanks David. I'd welcome your thoughts on my latest efforts. Particularly any technical advice you can offer for the portraits. Everything so far (apart from some close ups) has been shot using available (and usually horribly mixed) light. However, I'd prefer to keep the ISO lower for the portraits so need a simple lighting solution. I've thought of trying the Martin Parr approach with a Fong dome, but it's an ugly cumbersome thing!

Anyway, I have an idea how I might pull everything together now. I have a title (a cheesy pun, but fitting) and I'm thinking of a magazine format, with 'articles' covering various aspects of hobbyish poultry keeping. Such as showing, selling, back garden chicken keeping, free range hens, allotment poultry. This would allow some of the noisier, not-quite-sharp, pics to be printed small as part of the 'narrative'.
 
As an extension to the original concept (if there was one!) I've started taking photos of roadside egg sales and adverts. I've also given the some of the photos a place of their own I can point people to when I tell them what I'm doing. Still in its fledgling stages as I only set it up late last night!. http://poultryplease.blogspot.co.uk/

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You want quirky? :D

More later....


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For some reason I was struggling to get technically decent pictures today. Probably due to my usual incompetence. Anyway, getting to the show early was a bit of an eye opener. I never imagined that chickens go their legs oiled. But they do, and they get brushed and have their beaks, feet and bums wiped!

A selection from today.

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Couldn't help noticing this number plate.

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I do like making grids.

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I'm getting more confident at asking people if I can take their photo. Which is a good thing. A bad thing is that I'm still crap at it...

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One I forgot to post previously.

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Ed Sutton said:
For some reason I was struggling to get technically decent pictures today. Probably due to my usual incompetence. Anyway, getting to the show early was a bit of an eye opener. I never imagined that chickens go their legs oiled. But they do, and they get brushed and have their beaks, feet and bums wiped!

A selection from today.

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Couldn't help noticing this number plate.

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I do like making grids.

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I like this set...
 
Thanks Lee. Despite my technical tribulations I got a few more for the project files. Being there earlier (but not early enough really) gave me opportunities for new subject matter. people doing unimaginable things to chickens for one!

I've put a larger selection in a gallery here.
 
Ed Sutton said:
Thanks Lee. Despite my technical tribulations I got a few more for the project files. Being there earlier (but not early enough really) gave me opportunities for new subject matter. people doing unimaginable things to chickens for one!

I've put a larger selection in a gallery here.
Click to expand...
Haha, there's quite a lot that goes into showing Bantams.
I think your sets are coming along great...
 
It's a whole new world! :D
 
Attacked by a chicken! It must have seen its reflection in the lens.

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This was from a visit to an animal sanctuary a friend's daughter runs. I was trying to get some pics for their publicity material but the day was dull and wet, and my mate was with me to keep Billy Goat Gruff at bay!

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Chicken rescue is another aspect of poultry keeping that I'd like to include in the project, so a chicken-centric return visit is on the cards . There are some ex-battery hens round the corner from me. I need to have a chat with their owner about taking some pics.

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Really like your thread. Must be difficult to get into the action without banging the camera into some one. The write up helps too.
 
Thanks. It can be cramped at times, but you find ways to cope. Not using a great big camera bag helps.;)
 
Time flies. I didn't realise it was over a year since I put some of my earlier poultry photos together using Blurb http://www.blurb.co.uk/books/5630980-the-bantam-society-shows-2013-2014 Not a finished work.

I like making books using Blurb because it helps me see how pictures in a project can work together - as opposing pages and as a sequence - and it can also help me decide where to go with a project and maybe show up gaps that need filling in.

Gratuitous chicken pic...

 
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