Beautiful Chickens

Portraits of forty champion breeds, hen picked for your enjoyment.
The latest title in the successful Beautiful... series (following in the groundbreaking hoof-prints of Beautiful Sheep, Pigs, and Cows), 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.