Fancy, feathered, and fascinating, these birds surprised portrait photographer Alex ten Napel with their beauty and charisma.
BYJASON BITTEL, PHOTOGRAPHS BYALEX TEN NAPEL, JANUARY 6, 2023
In the Netherlands, Alex ten Napel makes miniature runways in barns and backyards to capture the essence of chickens such as this Polish rooster. “I consider them walking pieces of art,” he says.A chicken “is not just an animal that gives us eggs,” says Alex ten Napel, who’s been roaming his home country of the Netherlands in search of farm fowl since 2014. Taking inspiration from Melchior d’Hondecoeter, a 17th-century Dutch artist known for his work with birds, ten Napel uses lighting, backdrops, and an elevated, catwalk-like stage to bring chickens out of the coop and into an entirely new context. (Rent-a-chicken trend spikes during pandemic.)
Left: A Twentse rooster takes his turn on the runway. While breeders prioritize conformation, ten Napel prizes character.
Right: The Brabanter breed has been associated with the Netherlands since Dutch artist Melchior d’Hondecoeter depicted some of the birds in 1676.
“What I hope you see in the photos is that chickens can be proud beings or funny beings,” he says. “They can be like gymnasts or ballerinas. Not what most people think of when you talk about chickens.” (What are animals thinking? They feel empathy, grieve, seek joy just like us.)
Left: It may seem as if this Polish hen is missing a face, but she’s simply shying away from the camera.
Right: Like a singer belting out a show tune, this Dutch bantam rooster uses his time in the spotlight to crow.
Compared with people, chickens like the Polish hen above are quite patient models, ten Napel says.Left: Polish roosters and other showy chickens are bred for competition, not consumption.Right: Scientists think humans first domesticated chickens between 7,000 and 10,000 years ago. Pictured here, a Polish hen.
While each animal has different characteristics, ten Napel has noticed the emergence of some patterns throughout his travels. Roosters, or male chickens, tend to be large, visually striking, and imposing, he says. But it’s the females ten Napel finds himself drawn toward. “I have a heart for the hens. They’re so vulnerable,” he says. “They move me in a way that I want to protect them.” (This chicken has black bones, organs, and meat: Here's why.)
Left: Appearing to sport a ceremonial headdress, a Polish rooster stands tall for his portrait.
Right: Show chickens, such as this Polish hen, are bred for their external attributes, including color patterns and feather shapes.
Left: Ten Napel first came face-to-face with a chicken while he was camping in the Pyrenees Mountains about 10 years ago. He felt an immediate connection to the species, which then became his main photographic muse. Pictured here, a Polish chicken.
Right: The European Association of Poultry, Pigeon, Cage Bird, Rabbit, and Cavy Breeders recognizes more than a hundred breeds of chickens, from the Polish (shown here) to the Brabanter and the Dutch bantam.
A specialist in portrait photography, ten Napel focused on people—usually children and older adults—for 25 years. The chickens, he says, have reignited his passion for this type of photography. “I can’t direct them. I have to be patient and feel how they will show themselves,” he adds. “Everything they give you is a gift.” (A behind-the-scenes look at capturing intimate animal portraits.) On his bird-friendly runway, ten Napel coaxes a model to strut its stuff for the camera.
Though ten Napel has occasionally tried to train his lens on other subjects since falling for fowl, nothing else seems to capture his interest so completely. “This year I went back to the breeders,” he says, “and I’m shooting the next series until, well, I can’t photograph anymore.” (The surprising ways that chickens changed the world.)
(Sources: National Geographic)
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