Photographer Matteo Tranchellini has always been captivated by the beauty of birds.
In 2013, Tranchellini was on a mission to find himself a pet Concincina hen for his garden in Milan, Italy. Fortuitously, right around that time, Tranchellini made the acquaintance of a farmer named Giorgio. Giorgio invited him to a aviary exhibition.
As luck would have it, Tranchellini found his Concincina hen at that exhibition. Her name was Jessicah, and she inspired him to pursue his fascination with avian beauty via photography.
Tranchellini enlisted the help of his friend, Moreno Monti, and together the two began photographing chickens and roosters right and left. They photographed hundreds of birds. In the photographs, which were taken using a simple light set and nothing more, the avian subjects are front and center. The birds were never posed or prompted; they were simply photographed being themselves.
In time, the two photographers had compiled enough material to consider making the photographs into a coffee table chicken book. They launched a Kickstarter campaign to help bring their idea to life. So far, the campaign has raised over $8,000 toward the photographers' $9,800 goal.
The "CHICken" series features 200 photographs of 100 different types of chickens. The following are a few of the many images included in the collection:
1. This elegant grey lady.
2. This stunning, snow white beauty.
3. Cock-a-doodle-WOW!
4. This sassy poser.
5. This wildman who's got something to say.
6. Legs for days.
7. This perfectly posed puffball.
8. This born model.
9. Chicken? Or stained glass window?
For fans who want a piece of this unique art but aren't necessarily interested in a coffee table book, professional photographers Tranchellini and Monti are offering prints, posters, postcards, calendars, and journals featuring some of these images.
You can learn more about the project, order merchandise, or contribute to the Kickstarter campaign, here. Additionally, you can feast your eyes on more of these beautiful photographs on Instagram.
What do you think of these beautiful chickens? Tell us in the comments below.
All images by Matteo Tranchellini and Moreno Monti
H/T Bored Panda.
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