chicken details :: macro photography :: farm photography

i finally splurged and bought myself a macro lens. if you remember, i have been simply flipping my 50mm to get the macro effect. i am loving the detail that a real macro lens picks up vs. my previous hack.

the lens arrived on my porch on friday and i immediately went outside to play & practice. being the annoying friends that my chickens are, they greeted me at the back door, ready for their close-up.

aren't they pretty? i mean... they aren't cuddly or cute, but they are pretty. i'm proud of them for surviving the cold winter and you can even notice how it has deteriorated some of them a bit. just after a year, you can see their age. i think it makes them more interesting though... and to be honest, it's easier to tell them apart from each other when they each have a special characteristic.

anyway, be prepared for some more macro photos over the next few weeks. you know i'm going to be obsessing with every little detail (every little detail... get it? eh?). xoxo

chicken littles are big :: personal story

our chicken littles are big!  they are around 16 - 18 weeks old now and a couple have started laying eggs for us regularly.  they roam around the yard everyday eating bugs and looking at themselves in the front bumper of our truck (they looooove to look at themselves).  each night they tuck themselves into their coop and all we have to do is shut the door. we bought nesting boxes off craig's list for them and they snuggle in for the night.  each morning, the boys run to the coop to let them out and collect the eggs.  it's worked out really well!

we ended up with 13 hens and 5 roosters.  the roosters do a very good job of protecting the hens - especially from daisy dog.  at first, she was a little aggressive with them, but after being pecked a few times, everyone is living happily together.

i am allergic to eggs, so i unfortunately, haven't had the pleasure of trying them... but hubby seems to like them.  they are perfectly white and slightly small.  the white hens are the ones laying, so it will be interesting to see what the other breeds produce.  i've heard some chickens can even lay purple eggs!

have a good weekend friends - if you are in town and would like a dozen eggs, give us a holler!  xoxo

update on chicken littles :: farm photography

our chicken littles are growing up to be awkward teenagers!  their feet are huge and their little bodies haven't quite caught up yet.  they are enjoying the coop/shed (and so am i because they were starting to stink up our basement).  we have put some old fencing in there for them to perch on... which they all love to do.  it's like a contest between friends... who can get up the highest...

we are still unsure of who is a hen and who is a rooster.  i think we'll know in a few weeks.  we have let them outside a few times when the weather is nice enough and so far they all come back to the coop without too much prodding.  daisy dog has gotten used to them and has stopped trying to bite them (although she likes to follow them around and sniff them constantly).  they tolerate her.

i kind of love them.  when they were downstairs in our basement, i was getting irritated with their constant loud pecking and chirping, the smell, etc...  but now that they have their own little space, i enjoy them much more.  it's fun to go feed them each morning and learn about each individual's personality.

and... i have to admit... their pretty cute.  xoxo

a cow for jess :: painting

my friend jess wanted a cow painting for christmas.  at first, i took the realistic approach and my cow really looked more like a deer/dog.  i did that twice.  then, i decided to go a little crazy with the colors and the cow actually turned out looking like a cow... a pleasant surprise.

she loved it and i wanted to share because i've never done anything like this before.  i'm even thinking maybe i need to start a little series of psychedelic farm animals.  something different for the new year...

xoxo.