Most of us know chicken from the pan or on the plate. Without life and without soul. But in the Hens and Roosters series about Dutch fowl breeds, I show the most versatile piece of meat from a completely different side. These fowl go by names such as Owl Beard, Crow Head, Dutch Crested Fowl or Brabant Fowl. They are living cultural heritage and their genetic material is kept in a real gene bank. These chickens are kept as a hobby and not for meat or eggs. They are prepared by hobby breeders within six months to compete in beauty competitions for the title of ‘Champion of the Show’. For me they are walking works of art. They have aroused my passion and enthusiasm. The paintings of bird painter Melchior d’Hondecoeter did the rest and fueled the fire even more. I want to photograph their beauty and show it in photo paintings.
With one step over the threshold of the chicken coop I entered a completely new world. I was immersed in caws, screeches, cackles and flying feathers. I saw feathers with the most beautiful colors and patterns, and animals that moved so smoothly and gracefully. It was as if I was looking at models on the catwalk, gracefully wearing their feathers like the latest fashion, or at graceful dancers in a ballet performance. I was blown away and sold. Hens and roosters became a new source of inspiration.
Although I have changed the subject, I still want the same thing: a portrait with a soul. Fortunately, hens and roosters proved to be very helpful because they are deaf to stage directions and do not act. They don’t hide behind a mask and show themselves. Very obvious and natural. Photographing became exciting and new again.
I provided the background, the table with a cloth, the light and the camera, but they brought life and beauty to the photo. I stood there and looked at it, and when I saw that it was good I froze the moment.
But photographing chickens was not that easy. They pooped and pissed continuously and flew away all the time. So I regularly had to chase after my models or clean the set of poop and pee. They moved so quickly and unexpectedly that I often printed too late, or too early. Due to the manual focus, I was often wrong with the sharpness. And so I used a fixed working distance, following my models as if I were connected to them by an invisible thread. From front to back and from left to right, the photo sessions seemed like a dance to the rhythm of cackling and crowing.
I had the time of my life with hens and roosters. And as often as I could I drove out to the country to be with them in the chicken coop, their presence was enchanting and refreshing.
Hens and roosters have given me a lot and I am eternally grateful to them for that. They were there at the right time and in the right place. They taught me to look with an open mind and made me the happiest photographer on earth.
Alex ten Napel
