Anyone hired an animal for a shoot before?

[Forkie]

Yeah, I'm not expecting it to be easy or cheap to work with a live bird like that - I guess it's a bit of an "ideal situation" kind of thing, but I figured there's no harm in finding out.

The company I've enquired with provide a handler.

It's not like I'm insistent on a live bird and I wouldn't even mind if it didn't display, but to have my model interacting with a live bird would just be so awesome. And I think a stuffed on would look stuffed! Plus, it would be a great experience and another feather in my hat, if you'll excuse the pun!

The reason I want a peacock is because of the colours that we like and the atmosphere of the shots we're looking to shoot. Lots of blacks and low-key lighting. She has raven-like hair and the most piercing eyes - it would just be great!

Anyway, I know I'm being very ambitious, but no-one got anywhere by staying on the safe side!

This is from a previous shoot I did with her, and with similarly dark tones and the right costume and make up, the iridescent blues and greens of the peacock would be perfect:

 

[Buckster]

My daughter's fiance has peafowl, and from what I've seen, they're very uncooperative. He's no peacock "trainer" though, so I don't know what might be possible from a professional.

I used to try to interact with them in Florida where they were running around free all over the place, and in zoos across the country, trying to get one of those "full display" shots. Never could do it.

Another idea might be to simply composite one into the shot in post, which is the method I'd likely use, as that's kind of my thing. I'd purchase some nice full display peacock shots from someplace like Fotolia.com, and pose the model accordingly so that they would work together in the final composite to look like they're interacting.

 

[gsgary]

Yeah, I'm not expecting it to be easy or cheap to work with a live bird like that - I guess it's a bit of an "ideal situation" kind of thing, but I figured there's no harm in finding out.

The company I've enquired with provide a handler.

It's not like I'm insistent on a live bird and I wouldn't even mind if it didn't display, but to have my model interacting with a live bird would just be so awesome. And I think a stuffed on would look stuffed! Plus, it would be a great experience and another feather in my hat, if you'll excuse the pun!

The reason I want a peacock is because of the colours that we like and the atmosphere of the shots we're looking to shoot. Lots of blacks and low-key lighting. She has raven-like hair and the most piercing eyes - it would just be great!

Anyway, I know I'm being very ambitious, but no-one got anywhere by staying on the safe side!

This is from a previous shoot I did with her, and with similarly dark tones and the right costume and make up, the iridescent blues and greens of the peacock would be perfect:

View attachment 92968

She is gorgeous

 

[Forkie]

My daughter's fiance has peafowl, and from what I've seen, they're very uncooperative. He's no peacock "trainer" though, so I don't know what might be possible from a professional.

I used to try to interact with them in Florida where they were running around free all over the place, and in zoos across the country, trying to get one of those "full display" shots. Never could do it.

Another idea might be to simply composite one into the shot in post, which is the method I'd likely use, as that's kind of my thing. I'd purchase some nice full display peacock shots from someplace like Fotolia.com, and pose the model accordingly so that they would work together in the final composite to look like they're interacting.

Compositing is an option, but there's nothing quite like someone interacting with a real thing. I also seem to have an issue with using someone else's photo in my photo - even if the right to use it has been paid for. I know it's a perfectly acceptable way to do it, there's just something that stops me doing it. Like, if someone asked me "Did you take that photo?" I'd have to explain that "Well, I shot the the girl, but I downloaded the peacock and stitched them together". Also, downloading one that is lit and posed they way I want might be difficult. The stock photo would have to dictate the outcome of my overall shot - and that annoys me. Some random 'tog telling me how to shoot my shot!

I kind of want to have my cake and eat it as well! I'm a bit selfish like that...

Yeah, I'm not expecting it to be easy or cheap to work with a live bird like that - I guess it's a bit of an "ideal situation" kind of thing, but I figured there's no harm in finding out.

The company I've enquired with provide a handler.

It's not like I'm insistent on a live bird and I wouldn't even mind if it didn't display, but to have my model interacting with a live bird would just be so awesome. And I think a stuffed on would look stuffed! Plus, it would be a great experience and another feather in my hat, if you'll excuse the pun!

The reason I want a peacock is because of the colours that we like and the atmosphere of the shots we're looking to shoot. Lots of blacks and low-key lighting. She has raven-like hair and the most piercing eyes - it would just be great!

Anyway, I know I'm being very ambitious, but no-one got anywhere by staying on the safe side!

This is from a previous shoot I did with her, and with similarly dark tones and the right costume and make up, the iridescent blues and greens of the peacock would be perfect:

View attachment 92968

She is gorgeous

I know. I've done a couple of shoots with her before and my heart melts every time. We work really well together and have similar artistic tastes. She's an actress and she genuinely brings out the best in my work which is why I asked her to do this large scale shoot with me. This will be the first time I've organised a shoot of this type and scale and I wouldn't do it with anyone else.

 

[Vtec44]

I rented a horse once but a friend owns it and we just rented it. So it wasn't anything formal.

 

[pgriz]

If you absolutely have to do it, hire the fowl, have your way with it (assuming it allows you to do anything) in the light that you plan to use with your model, then separately shoot your model (with much less drama and potential damage) and composite those together. Hey, if it's ok for Hollywood to CGI everything, what's a little Photoshop compositing?

 

[Forkie]

If you absolutely have to do it, hire the fowl, have your way with it (assuming it allows you to do anything) in the light that you plan to use with your model, then separately shoot your model (with much less drama and potential damage) and composite those together. Hey, if it's ok for Hollywood to CGI everything, what's a little Photoshop compositing?

Could be the way to go, I suppose. I've no issue whatsoever with compositing, just with using someone else's photo in the comp!

I'm basically digging myself into a big hole with this whole idea! But, what the hell! hashtagYOLO!

 

[vintagesnaps]

You could ask the animal trainer or the company that contracts out the animals what to expect with using a peacock. I'm not sure how you plan to pose her, seated on a stool? and then what? It doesn't sound like the trainer could get it to stand next to her and show off its tail feathers on command. Plus this seems to have an added liability if you try to get her next to it and it decides it's had enough of being at a photo shoot and starts pecking away.

What about if you want the peacock blue colors and iridescence, maybe see what else could work - scarves? fabric that could be draped? craft feathers? I knew I'd seen peacock merchandise at The Met Store , which is just an example - maybe you could find better, less pricey options for a backdrop to get the look you want.

 

[TCampbell]

The local zoo has peacocks that wander through the zoo wherever they want (mixed in with all the visitors). So you'll occasionally find them in areas meant for other animals. I did encounter one peacock putting on the plumage display for a female (she didn't seem impressed, but that didn't discourage the male). Unfortunately they were in the zebra yard, which was a bit of a mess so the background for the shots didn't look very nice, but I did get shots of full plumage.

Perhaps if you were to dress up as a female peacock... ?

 

[Scoody]

There is a painted gelding I rent sometimes. He is very docile and laid back. He could not be anymore laid back if he was dead.

 

[Forkie]

You could ask the animal trainer or the company that contracts out the animals what to expect with using a peacock. I'm not sure how you plan to pose her, seated on a stool? and then what? It doesn't sound like the trainer could get it to stand next to her and show off its tail feathers on command. Plus this seems to have an added liability if you try to get her next to it and it decides it's had enough of being at a photo shoot and starts pecking away.

What about if you want the peacock blue colors and iridescence, maybe see what else could work - scarves? fabric that could be draped? craft feathers? I knew I'd seen peacock merchandise at The Met Store , which is just an example - maybe you could find better, less pricey options for a backdrop to get the look you want.

Well, the first thing I've done is ask how much it would cost and what, if any, preparations I would need to make with regards to animal welfare etc (which could add to the cost even further). This is a company that hires out animals (domestic and exotic - they also hire out lions and panthers! ) for film and TV, so I'm presuming they have some experience with controlling an animal on set. If it does turn out to be affordable, then obviously my next questions will be asking what to expect from the bird and that will pretty much dictate, at least partly, how I pose the model with it, I guess.

The local zoo has peacocks that wander through the zoo wherever they want (mixed in with all the visitors). So you'll occasionally find them in areas meant for other animals. I did encounter one peacock putting on the plumage display for a female (she didn't seem impressed, but that didn't discourage the male). Unfortunately they were in the zebra yard, which was a bit of a mess so the background for the shots didn't look very nice, but I did get shots of full plumage.

Perhaps if you were to dress up as a female peacock... ?

Yeah, I've seen a few displaying peacocks at stately homes and castles etc, here in the UK. They are stunning. Perhaps I could get a stuffed female to keep it's attention!

 

[Forkie]

There is a painted gelding I rent sometimes. He is very docile and laid back. He could not be anymore laid back if he was dead.

Maybe something to do with his missing balls...!

 

[Overread]

There is a painted gelding I rent sometimes. He is very docile and laid back. He could not be anymore laid back if he was dead.

It might take some pretty serious photoshopping to turn a horse into a peacock though (though I guess you could lace the tail and mane with peacock feathers)

 

[Scoody]

Maybe something to do with his missing balls...!

You ever watch a rodeo? Most of the horses in the bucking events are either geldings or mares. They are very spirited animals. I grew up around horses and was already breaking them when I was 10 years old.

 

[Forkie]

Maybe something to do with his missing balls...!

You ever watch a rodeo? Most of the horses in the bucking events are either geldings or mares. They are very spirited animals. I grew up around horses and was already breaking them when I was 10 years old.

No, I've never watched a rodeo. It's not a thing in the UK.

I was just joking - I was comparing it to my old cat - he used to screech and scratch and beg to go out all day everyday until we lopped his bits off. After that, all he wanted to do was sleep on laptop keyboards