I admire the professionalism of the chickens. They get to work early, and understand now that birdseed precedes photos, and so they are ready to begin the dance, and then move off to peck around the barn, and return to their roost for their daily meal. Chickens are near the bottom of the rung when it comes to our love of animals, and they are food for many living things. Still, their routines are sometimes beautiful, even inspiring.
When I started taking photos, a photographer began e-mailing me with criticisms and suggestions. He was ill, and died a few months into our friendship. Two things he said have always stuck with me: it isn’t what the camera sees, it’s what the photographer sees. And you can take a beautiful photo of anything, if you look for the beauty in life. From the daily egg to Simon’s bray, that is one of the miracles of photography, I think. It has helped me to do what my friend suggested.