Portraits of forty champion breeds, hen picked for your enjoyment, "Beautiful Chickens" takes the humble farmyard fowl and places it in the frame of a top portrait photographer. Stylishly lit and shot against a studio background, the portraits showcase forty of the world's most distinctive breeds, primped and preened for their moment of fame at assorted livestock shows. Featuring prize-winning cocks and hens, this is the ultimate in poultry portraiture. The book includes descriptions of each breed, covering their origins, physical attributes, and uses. There's also a history of hens and roosters through the ages, an introduction to the breed basics, and reportage photography from behind the scenes. "Beautiful Chickens" is the perfect gift for anyone, whether their fancy is for all things fowl or simply for beautiful photography. It's the coffee-table book guaranteed to get your guests talking, whether clucking over the remarkable imagery or ruffling feathers with poultry observations.
Christie Aschwanden is a journalist, essayist and poultry farmer in Cedaredge, Colorado. Her writing has appeared in more than 60 publications including the "New York Times", "Reader's Digest" and "New Scientist". She raises an assortment of free-range chickens, heritage turkeys, guinea fowl, ducks and geese at the Crag Crest Poultry Ranch and Farm.
Andrew Perris has tackled a wide range of challenging commissions during the 20 years he has worked as a photographer. Many have included animals, from snails on location to elephants in the studio, but pigs have to be the ultimate challenge so far because they simply do not stand still! That said, he has learned along the way and has met some fantastic characters (and pigs). His numerous corporate and advertising clients include Virgin, Sainsburys, Parker Pens, P&O Ferries, and Royal Bank of Scotland.
Delightful portraits of 40 champion breeds recognised by the Poultry Club of Great Britain.
- Bookseller
"Primped, preened and proud - a beauty parade of chickens supreme."
- Daily Telegraph
"The ultimate in poultry portraiture, this collection of photographs by Andrew Perris shows 40 of the world's most fammous breeds in all their primped, preened and prize-winning perfection! There is nothing fowl about this egg-cellent introduction to our feathered friends."
- Daily Express
"Experience gleaned in advertising photography lends Andrew Perris's portraits of champion chicken breeds a studied poise and superficial sheen that lifts them out of the world of the nugget and (almost) on to the catwalk."
- Time Out
"The photographs in the book are fantastic and the poetic descriptions, eloquently written by a poultry expert are instructive and repay careful reading! I used my strongest magnifying glass to scrutinise the beautiful birds illustrated in this beautiful book. It has been an honour and a pleasure to review it."
- Deborah Devonshire Spectator
"We see chickens in a completely new light."
- Yorkshire Gazette
"This Ugly Betty of the farming world has had a surprise makeover and is demanding to be adored. In a ravishing new book, the lowly farmyard fowl has decided to grab its moment in the spotlight with both feet and, well, appears to have rather enjoyed itself."
- Sussex Life