Is chicken photography at the top of your to-do list? We’re guessing not; if you have chickens and ducks you probably have a few other chores in front of it. But is chicken photography about bump those other chores down the priority list? We think so! These tips will make you want to grab a camera or your phone and go snap some gems of your favorite Flockstars!
1. Light is everything
You’ve probably heard of Golden Hour: this is the time when professional photographers schedule photoshoots because the light makes everything look magical. You can catch Golden Hour, the hour after the sun starts to rise or the hour (or two) before it sets. So hop out of bed when you hear your roo crow to catch that morning light or wait until evening when the sun gets low in the sky. This little trick will instantly make your photos shine!
2. Bribery
Choose a treat that your chickens LOVE so they’ll stay where you want them to be. Before you sprinkle your Grubs or fermented feed (our suggestions!) choose a good photo spot so that as they peck for treats they’re in nice light with nice scenery behind them. Voila!
3. Get on Their Level
Have you ever heard the saying that perspective is everything? When photographing your flock, play with perspective. We suggest getting down on their level for chick-spective portraits of your flockstars, but you can also experiment with shooting down from above or at other angles!
4. Shallow Depth of Field
This isn’t as technical as it sounds! If you’re shooting with an SLR you’ll want to adjust your camera settings BUT you can just as easily accomplish this with “portrait mode” on your phone camera. A shallow depth of field will immediately highlight your subject – and who wouldn’t want to highlight a chicken as bawk-iful as yours?
5. HAVE FUN!
This is the most important tip of all! Spending time with your flock is a bonus, and any photos you take of your feathered friends will be special because they’re YOURS! So have fun, enjoy your flock and take some photos to remember them by for years to come.
