This week the photo challenge at WordPress asked us to consider a work of art. It is my opinion that some of the most beautiful works of art are created by mother nature.
A yellow chick with black accents:
ISO 800 50mm 0ev f/5.6 1/100
Still beautiful, even on a bad hair day:
ISO 800 50mm 0ev f/5.6 1/100
These chickens are part of a 2nd Grade life cycle unit which I have written about here and here. When I am shooting photos like this I am generally trying to have the chicken in focus and the background blurred a bit. Generally an f-stop setting of 5.6 works. I also attempt to freeze the motion of the chicks, so my shutter speed is ideally 1/100 or faster. To achieve the shutter speed I often have to set my ISO at 800 or higher. To my eye, these settings achieve a clear picture without noise. Both of these photos have been cropped, but that is the only post editing I have done on them.
What do you think of my “found” works of art? Have you ever considered chickens to be art?
Cheers!
Photography Journal Blog 
Love the different look at art!
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Thanks 🙂
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Such sweet things in wonderful light. Indeed a work of art!
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To me they just are beautiful.
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Sweet!
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Thanks 🙂
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Thank you for the note of ISO 800 to get clear picture. I won’t know to increase to 800…
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Yes, in this case by increasing the ISO, I could increase my shutter speed and thereby freeze the motion of these little chickens.
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Both are great, but I love the light in the first one – golden and soft like the chick.
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Thanks, and I agree the light does match the chick in that first one.
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Lovely! Yes & I agree with you, Mother Nature is an incredible artist, & so are you! 🙂
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Thanks so much 🙂
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They are really cute works of art. 🙂
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I agree 🙂
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Utterly cute and a great take on the challenge.
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I just love taking pictures of this project as it unfolds. It was great for me that it worked out in terms of this week’s challenge.
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Very cute works of art!
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Thanks 🙂
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The chicks looks so fluffy, nothing short of beautiful. Love your interpretation of this week’s theme. Sometimes I look at chicks and think that they are too beautiful to touch. They look so fragile too.
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You are right to say that they are fragile, because in many ways they are. It is a great way to show the kids the life cycle because while some, like these pictured, are fine, not all of the chicks make it. It is interesting for the kids to see how many of the eggs make it to healthy chickens. It may seem difficult or harsh to explain to children why they don’t always make it, but it seems to me like the kids always understand how death also is part of the life cycle.
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I think this is a great way to explain the life cycle to children. It’s a very hands-on experience and they can see the life-cycle naturally happening right in front of their eyes. I hope the chicks are friendly and don’t peck around too much.
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It’s funny the chicks have different personalities. Some of them love to be held. The ones that don’t, you just put back, no point in stressing them out. Also, I think because these chicks are handled from the beginning they tend not to be too put out by it.
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We never have all of them make it. So sad. We Try our best, but always a week one. Yesterday the hen took them somewhere in the morning. We have a big yard by a fenced pasture and woods to the left. The chickens as you know do not wander far out from the yard, but the pasture grass is high and they do hide at the edge of the woods. I went in there , but ticks are so bad here. Sometimes snakes, but not much problem that close so far. I could not find her, though I listened and looked where her rooster protectors were hanging. Soon she came out from the pretty grass at the edge of the pasture. I must have went by her a minute ago and stirred her up to come back by the coop. I had not seen or heard her though. Anyway, it seems to me we are minus one chick, but husband says no. I cannot pick them up like you did because of my asthma so hope he counted correctly. He would not be as thorough as me if I could be more hands on.
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Yes, it’s tough to watch sometimes. The kids seem to understand though why some of them don’t make it. That’s too bad that you can’t handle them yourself, but I can see where asthma would be a problem.
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Too funny. I saw your comment on my blog post and in going to reply I was on here first and could not believe you were posting on chickens. I had in my mind to do that subject today also.We just had a new hatch and I just used my chicken coffee cup for the first time this morning, so that started my creative idea focus. Will be on my blog hopefully in about an hour and not 3? lol
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Nice post, and that’s quite the group you have there:http://wp.me/p2Rldx-Oa The chickens in this hatch are going to be going to their various farms this week.
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I would do that with some of ours if I had more help. Especially if you can make some little bit of mad money!
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Never considered it before but I can certainly see it.
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I never really thought about it until a few years ago when I started documenting this unit for my friend who teaches it. I guess I knew but never really though about the wide variations in appearance among the different breeds, and then I also got a closer look at their feathers.
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My daughter complains ours are always black and white only. Just happens to be alpha rooster is black and the first hen we had (*we lost her) Was white with some black spotting. Just passed down. None of the other hens, we no longer have that were a different color kept any chicks well and only hatched a couple.
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It is amazing the variety that is possible.
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Hey, that cute chick has stole my hair do for today. Lol….just adorable. NOT ME….the chick.
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These little ones are just so cute, and growing so fast 🙂 That little one has since grown into his hair(feathers) 🙂
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Oh, I think they are the best works of art ever Amy! You took such great shots of them hon! Such adorable little cuties! A great selection for the challenge hon. Love it! 😀 ♥ Hugs ♥
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Thanks 🙂 I was thinking that this sort of response to the challenge you might appreciate 🙂
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Lovely pictures Amy . You have obviously got that triangle of Aperture Shutter and ISO down to a tee . I would never have thought this was an ISO of 800 .. no noise at all !
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Thanks! My camera pretty much handles the use of 800 without noise. I actually use much higher for my hockey photos without too much of a problem. In this situation though, the use of 800 really does allow my to then use a higher shutter speed which is pretty much necessary here.
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LOL, I collect ceramic chickens at thought that’s what I’d see when I saw your title. Can’t beat nature for real art tho, can you?!
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Ha 🙂 Cute, it’s funny sometimes what we think will pop up based on a title.
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Awesome!
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Thanks!
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I think nature does make some of the most beautiful photographs. I love your chicks and the way you shot them, so they are the focus of the photo. I especially like the second one.
My brother has used chickens he owned in photos. I forget what kind they were, but they had beautiful feathers. He isn’t a serious photographer. His photos were humorous – for example, him with a chicken on his head.
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I have a chicken escaping photo that is a hoot 🙂 I’d be a bit concerned about putting one on my head incase they decided to use the bathroom right there 🙂
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That’s funny 🙂 It is one reason I don’t own a bird … the droppings. He was wearing a bandana to cover the top of his head.
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Well that makes sense 🙂 I was wondering about him…
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The chicks are really cute. I think nature supplies some of the best art.
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I agree 🙂
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They look cute and fluffy when they’re that age.
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They are super soft as well.
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Never really thought of chickens- or any living being- as art. But of course, they are! We look at all nature as art!
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I had never really thought of chickens that way until a few years ago when I began shooting this unit.
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Adorable works of art! 🙂
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I agree 🙂
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I think nature offers the most beautiful works of art. Thanks for sharing your pics of the chicks. They are living art. 😉
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I agree 🙂
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well said on the mother nature has best art – and cracking up at the bad hair day – great touch of humor and it made the post come alive even more – andI could feel the fur in your crisp photos – and the hands holding them – so nice. 🙂
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At this stage they were so soft 🙂
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