Last summer my sister, Andrea, asked me to come out for a lifestyle photo shoot to take some pictures of her with her golden retriever, Little Bear. Before the session she asked me if I’d ever heard of chicken photography. I’d never done any chicken photography before (surprise?) but thought it sounded like a hilariously fun challenge!
Andrea has a little coop in her backyard with 2 Rhode Island Red chickens. Since we were going to be taking pictures of her and Little Bear together, we thought we might as well include her backyard chickens in the fun! We decided to do the photography session right in her backyard because Andrea wanted to have photos of Little Bear in all of his favorite places. They loved to spend time in their backyard garden with it’s abundance of shade, tree swings, and flowers. Little Bear would pass the time watching his two favorite hens. It made for the perfect spot for their photos.
Little Bear was the sweetest boy, and had unlimited smiles throughout his photography session. He was born without one of his paws, so his mobility was somewhat limited, making him one of my easiest models for pet photography! We didn’t have to worry about him bolting off or even catching the chickens when we let them out of their coop! Don’t worry, no chickens were harmed in the making of these photos!
During the session, I was just so touched by how tender and loving Andrea and Little Bear were with each other. Even though Andrea had adopted him as a senior dog, their connection was stronger than many life-long partnerships. It was an honor to preserve their relationship with photography.
So it is with a full but heavy heart that I share these photos today. Andrea lost Little Bear last week at the age of 12 after battling thyroid cancer and megaesophagus for 15 months. He had been given just 6 weeks to live when he was diagnosed, but Andrea gave him love and care fit for a king, and I don’t doubt for a second that his happy and extended life was a result of her intense devotion to him.
I am so glad to have been able to preserve a slice of their lives through these photos. It means so much to be able to look back on favorite times hanging out in the backyard, stalking chickens, and just living life. Here’s to your memory, Little Bear. May you chase chickens to your heart’s content in Heaven.
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