Matthew Hemminghaus

The original concept behind my ‘ Still Life with Chicken’ series was to document my free range chicken flock in the form of a photographic family tree. As my flock grew, it became increasingly difficult to keep track of the lineage. While the idea is the same, the set building is my artistic spin on the chicken photographs. I construct the miniature sets in my studio, using natural materials and found objects. Many times I will place objects in the sets that suggest a particular time of year or to be used as scale, clues as to when the photos were taken or the size of the chicken. The sets are constructed with the camera in place, so that I can build the composition, knowing exactly where everything will be in the frame. Once the set is complete, I work on the lighting, using a gourd as my chicken stand in. The photo shoots take place after dark, when the chickens are asleep. Once they are placed ‘on their marks’, I turn on the lights and begin photographing once they start waking up. I enjoy giving the viewer a non-traditional view of one of the most important birds in the world….placing them in non-chicken environments. The numbered edition images are printed using archival ink and matted using all acid free materials, and framed with reclaimed lumber.