(Korena Lynn Gutowski-Photo credit)
How To Take Fabulous Photos of Your Chickens
We’re living in an age of fabulous photos and selfies, cell phone pics, video clips and selfie sticks. It’s as if we’ve all gone crazy over photographs. I have to literally empty my phone of images monthly in order to add even more. The advent of the cell phone camera has made us all a little cray-cray about photos. Even grandma is snapping away! Then there are those crazy chicken people who simply go out to feed or check on their birds and boom….the clicking begins. We just can’t resist taking a photo of one of our babies, a mother who has little chicks, a stately fine rooster guarding the flock or some addition we’ve added to our run or coop. Photography is now part of raising chickens. We feed, water, talk to, hold, gather, prepare for and yes, photograph our yard birds.
Taking pics of your chickens is probably already a part of your daily activity. I know it is in my case. Never do I go out to my barnyard without my camera or cell phone. It is certainly to be pocketed on the way out the door because I know when out there one of the chickens, a rooster or a baby chick will smile for the camera! Jersey may be sitting so cute on the coop door or Shaq may be playing sentry with his beautiful head held high. I don’t want to miss either or any of the photography opportunities of my beautiful flock.
Just in case you are thinking about taking pics today. Here are a few tips to consider in order to:
Take Fabulous Photos of Your Chickens
1. Be patient. Chickens are nervous animals by nature. They are quick and move constantly so in order to get a good photograph, patience is certainly in order.
2. Get yourself a small foot stool so that you can literally sit in the run or the area closest with the chickens. As you show patiences, and have a nice seat to view the birds, click away. Not all photographs are going to make you proud but over time you’ll come away with many that you will love and be able to show others.
3. Whether you use your cell phone or a camera, use “YouTube” to familiarize yourself with the type of camera and features available to you. Using some of those features may make your experience in photographing more pleasant and you will come away with better images by taking time to study the equipment you’re using.
4. Always take 2 close ups and 2 far-away photos. This can give you perspective and information as you later review your work.
5. Be watchful of the background in your photos. You do not want your watering cans or distracting items in your photo. It is important to highlight your subject in all photos and minimize unattractive back-drops.
6. Save your photos to a thumb drive or image photo drive for future use.
7. Show all of your friends and family. They will love them!
Whatever you do. Take photos and have fun doing it. You’ll not always be happy with those you’ve taken but there will be times you will have just the photo you need to show off your flock! Happy clucking and clicking, y’all!
Josie
(Photo courtesy of Korena Lynn Gutowski-Chicken Keeping 101 post-used with permission)