Friday, February 1, 2013

Feathered Friend Friday

If you've been reading my blog for any amount of time now, you know that I love to take photos of my chickens. Heck, I even started this series because of it! Most of the time I photograph them doing something I think is funny or particularly note-worthy, but every once in a while I like to take portraits of them.


Cam is usually always willing to pose. Whenever he sees me in his face with my camera, he freezes and just stares straight at the lens. He makes my job a lot easier!


The hens, on the other hand, don't like to stay still for very long. I usually have to compensate with a fast shutter speed and quick clicking; sometimes I get lucky and capture clear shots.





I love how Wikipedia describes portraits - "A portrait is an artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the person." I think portraits definitely convey the mood and personality of the subject - be it human or animal. The intimacy and honesty in portraits can be so raw and touching.

What about you? Do you like to take portraits of your animals?

~Tammy

Shared with Farm Girl Blog Fest, Old Time PartyFarmgirl Friday Blog Hop, Backyard Farming Connection Hop, Down Home Blog HopRurality Blog Hop    

61 comments:

  1. What beautiful photos!!! Mine are usually multi-coloured blurs, lol! x

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  2. I look forward to seeing your chickens on Fridays! You get such gorgeous shots of them week after week and I am totally living vicariously through you!

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  3. Tammy-these portraits of your brood are stunning!!! They are works of art!!! I can't take credit for the quote, but it sure fits when I try to take pictures of quicksilver Kona. "Like trying to nail jello to the wall!" :)

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  4. these are some great pics. It can be so hard to photograph chickens because they move so quickly...! You did well. You have some very pretty girls... :)

    hugs x
    Crystelle

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  5. These are great pictures! I really liked this post.

    www.modernworld4.blogspot.com

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  6. These are lots of fun! It would be neat to take the second great shot of your rooster and put an effect on it to make it look like a painting...some great artwork for your house! Great shots!

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  7. Cam knows he's good looking! That is why he poses for you.
    Farmhouse hugs,
    Cindy

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  8. Great close ups! They look like they don't mind posing a bit.

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  9. Nice photos of your chickens! It's great one of them will pose for you. Yes, I love taking photos of pets and have jillions of photos of my dog....

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  10. Found your blog via the blog hop. How fun! This is my kind of blog genre (and my mom will get a kick out of your hen portraits)! Now your newest follower--feel free to stop by and say hello if you have a chance!
    -Rachael from The Rehomesteaders
    http://therehomesteaders.blogspot.com/

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  11. Cam is such a good looking guy!!!
    All your chickens look alert and very healthy!! You take great portraits!!

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  12. I used to love taking portraits of my dog. He was my favorite subject matter until the kiddos came along.

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  13. Aww, wonderful photos of your chicks! Love them, Jean

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  14. Cam is very photogenic :)

    I always try to take pics of my cat Ruby but she never sits still long enough!!

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  15. Great photos of beautiful chickens!

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  16. Those are some fine looking hens! I always take portraits of my furry friends if I can get them to be still long enough! :-)
    Thanks for visiting my blog, I'm a new follower,
    xoxo
    Dorothy

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  17. Your roo sure is a handsome fellow :) I love to take portraits of my chickens.....and yes, it is funny to see the personality of each one come through in each shot. I can usually see it in their eyes--whether they be fearful/anxious or my aphla hen who has a "don't mess with me" look on her face a lot.

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  18. Dynamic and beautiful photography of your fine feathered friends !

    Carol of: A Creative Harbor ^_^

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  19. Awesome shots of your pretty chickens. Have a happy weekend!

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  20. WOW! These are fanatastic shots! Happy Friday!!

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  21. They are very telling. I could see them in black-and-white and arranged on a wall. Lovely!

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  22. Thanks for boot scootin' on over to join in at the Old Time Party!
    Farmhouse hugs,
    Cindy

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  23. Cam has such a beautiful comb! Lovely chickens.

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  24. Tammy one of my dreams is to have a henhouse with some of those lovely ladies and one handsome rooster... I love your feathered friend Friday. I would have each one named..I have decided that if I have hens I am going to name them after women (sassy) in the churches we have served in...lol. Thanks for the cheery pics of all your ladies and Cam! Blessings!

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  25. Tammy .. Those Chicka=a-Dees are precious and you can see each of their personalities on camera.. .. PRESH !!!!

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  26. These pictures are AMAZING! Especially the first one. We don't have any animals yet, but when we do, I will be photographing them non stop. :)

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  27. Portraits of chickens :-) this really made me smile!

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  28. These are marvelous. It's so tricky getting good shots of chickens. You have the knack.

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  29. Yes, I do like taking portraits of my kitties... Chloe is very photogenic, however, Kit really isn't, but she's so beautiful! LoL!

    Great captures of these lookers =)

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  30. Your photos are always beautiful! I have the worst problem trying to get great shots of my two dogs :)

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  31. So what is it about {us} girls that we just don't want to sit still:)?? Love these pics! Have a great weekend!

    xxL

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  32. Oh You should see my hard drive:) Yes I do. I think your Cam is a natural:) Awesome shots. B

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  33. These are all fantastic. Is it hard not to pick out every single one and hang them on the wall?? You did a good job, and I do like the way you've captured their look.

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  34. I definitely like to photograph animals. Most of the ones I photograph are wild though and usually don't let me get too close.

    I absolutely LOVE the expression on the red hen (second from the bottom).

    You are a great photographer!

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  35. Thank you so much for leaving such a sweet comment on the FOLK blog! You, my friend, are the amazing photographer! Thank you so much for inspiring me today!

    blessings,
    karianne

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  36. I'm always envious of your chicken portraits. My ladies never stay still, and it's rare that I get a good one of them, but I keep trying. I'll just have to enjoy yours in the meantime!

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  37. Those are lovely portraits. As soon as Jingles sees the camera, she turns her head the other way. I usually have to catch her from a distance and use the zoom. :) Have a great day. Tammy

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  38. I love these shots, so pretty and artistic!

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  39. Cam is such a handsome bird! I do understand your challenge if getting the ladies to hold still! I must have hundreds of blurred photo's of my cats, dog and chickens! Thank goodness for digital!

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  40. I do like to take portraits of my critters but they NEVER turn out as great as yours! :)

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  41. Wow! Cam is a supermodel! My girls don't seem to stay still for long either. We have young Lucky growing up fast to be our first rooster! Hopefully he will be a good poser too! I will soon be doing a FFF post! S:)

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  42. You should make a chicken calender with your photos.. Love them.. xo

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  43. I love taking pics of my Casey (springer spaniel). She's like your cam, she stops and stares at the camera when she sees it. She would wing the no blinking contest every time, hands down.....the clicking noise of my new camera really gets some fun expressions out of her.

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  44. Oh my gosh, never thought of taking a portrait of a chicken. But, boy are they fab! Just wish I had some girls to pose for me. We no longer have pets. Hubby and I like to be able to take off so we just enjoy our married kids animals. I do love taking shots of the birds and wildlife that come to visit.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  45. I just took some photos of our composting pigs enjoying their pre-game snack of leftover cilantro stems (from the guacamole and corn salsa) so I can completely understand the joy you get from getting a clear shot that really shows the critter's personality.

    Nice photos!

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  46. Yes I always have a camera on me and love to take photos of everything in my life, especially my animals. What a fun series Tammy, great focus too, those girls can be hard to get! Good Job

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  47. I love portraits of all animals. I've read about your chickens and I think you did a great job here. You seem to have diverse interests, so do I! I started blogging about birds, and now all I'm doing are flowers!. But always "environmental" in every step of the way.

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  48. Looking at all those portraits makes me happy, so pretty! I love that second pic of handsome Cam!

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  49. Oh these are such GREAT shots!!!! :)

    My dogs don't stay still for very long / the cat is easier

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  50. Hello
    Just ran across your blog. We too live in the middle-of-no-where. My son calls it a forsaken wilderness!
    Love your chicken portraits! We raise Rhode Island Reds and Buff Orpingtons. I keep teasing my husband that I'm gonna hang curtains up in the chicken coop to give it a "homey" feeling. The chicken portraits would make a nice added addition! Can't you just picture them hanging up on the wall of the chicken coop!
    http://homesteadinginwv.com/

    http://bcronmiller.blogspot.com/

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  51. Lovely chicken photos ~in my first post ever ...which was actually this week chickens were one of my photo highlights . I am enjoying your blog quite a bit !

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  52. great portraits and cam is so handsome, no wonder he loves the camera! ha, my dog ozzy is my not so willing subject. usually as soon as he notices the camera in my hand, he turns around and i get his behind :/

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  53. That Buff Orpington is just darling!! I can't wait to finally get some, just a matter of time though! Love them all...

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  54. I agree, portraits capture the personality of the subject regardless of species! Love their eyes... Thank you for joining in 'Rurality Blog Hop #1' Hope to see you next Wednesday for #2...

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  55. I love your chicken photos and think you really do justice to the term portrait with them.
    Also If it make you feel any better, I have a whole blog just for the chicken photos I take:), so I completely get your desire to photograph them

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  56. Oh my goodness, I'm in love! They're all so beautiful - and the 'portraits' really seem to capture their personalities. Wonderful post!

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  57. just wanted to let you know, i've added you to my reading list, too. i don't do recipes so probably won't comment when you post those. i don't really thrift or decorate or craft either. but i'll be happily commenting on your photos! :)

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