Chicken Negotiation
This is what happens when your practical reasonable plan falls through and the high-risk backup is no longer a bonkers Plan B.
AARP Photography Director Jane Clark approached me with the funny idea of a homeowner dressed in a chicken costume to illustrate his intimidation of negotiating with contractors and laborers. To take it up a notch, or perhaps down a peg, I proposed we picture an actual chicken conversing with a worker. I was delighted that she took to my concept until it dawned on me that I now had to find a chicken to photograph.
One of my neighbors in suburban New Jersey kept chickens in her backyard (the outgrowth of a 2nd Grade biology project) so that was an exciting option. But perhaps too exciting.
Conceptual photographs are more difficult than they often appear. Every detail, from background, to lighting, to each prop (added or removed) either convey the story or confuse it. And you want it to look great too: awe-inspiring lighting, dynamic colors, rich textures. Throw in some crazy chicken and your session goes from complicated to chaotic.
Bischoff’s of Los Angeles has a truly impressive collection of taxidermy, I’ve rented from them a few times before (including here, and here), and they had a few choice chickens to choose from. Before I knew it the paperwork was processed, and I had a FedEx tracking number.
I booked an assistant and corralled our actual handyman to model (he came with his own wardrobe and props!), scheduling them for a date before a big upcoming snowfall.
Our shoot date arrived before the chicken did, so we shot everything else, leaving ample space in the frame for our future poultry model.
Four more days passed with not even a feather on our doorstep. Multiple calls with FedEx left me in the dark, and I was set to travel for another assignment imminently, so Plan B, the live chicken option, was suddenly very attractive.
Top Image: The finished image, as it appeared in AARP, featuring our go-to handyman Tim Fisher.
Bottom Image: BTS shot featuring neighbor, and top notch chicken wrangler, Kellie Atkins. Photo by Jordan Szostak.