Scott - Radiant: farm animals up close and personal

T o A gatha.
M ay you and your generation continue to work toward making our world a place where all living beings are treated with respect and dignity.

Cows are curious about the backdrop were trying to hang for photo shoots at Farm Sanctuary.

W hen I first began this project, I did an internet search for the name of a particular breed of cow along with the word personality. Lots of results for the breed came back, but below each result was this: Missing: personality . These two tiny little words completely summed up my inspiration for making Radiant: Farm Animals Up Close and Personal. Now in all fairness, you CAN find the word personality used online in reference to cows, but words that are much more common are production, characteristics, and output, words that could easily be describing a machine. Livestock, by definition, are living machines that produce meat, milk, and other products.

Its impossible to talk about farm animals without having a discussion about what we eat, and factory farming is the elephant (or in this instance, cow) in the room. However, Radiant does not presuppose or demand that the reader is a vegetarian or vegan, either current or aspiring. These are simply portraits of creatures who are often overlooked in the scope of the expression I love animals and generally viewed as numbers rather than individuals. They may not be as outwardly emotive as dogs, as cuddly as cats, or as human as, well, humans, but any farmer can tell you that they have just as much personality, even if theyre a little less portable and perhaps a mite stinkier.

Making these portraits was sublime. I got to meet cows, ducks, pigs, chickens, donkeys, and others in ideal settings with people they trust and, in many cases, love. I learned a lot about them. Although youre not supposed to have favorites, cows are my favorite. They are enormous (Tucker from Catskill Animal Sanctuary stood six and a half feet at the shoulder!) and yet such gentle, peaceful animals. They are social, they love the company of other cows, and they are often fascinated (if not frightened) by other species like dogs and goats. Cows emotional cues are subtle; to people, these bovine giants often seem detached or lost in their own world, but they are watchful and curious and are quietly taking in everything around them: smells, sounds, movement, and mood. They form strong bonds with people who are kind and attentive to them.

At Catskill Animal Sanctuary I got the special treat of being escorted by founder Kathy Stevens. Several things were particularly remarkable about photographing with Kathy: her exceptional knowledge about every single one of the hundreds of animals in residence there and the fact that just about every animal transformed in her presence. Cows that wouldnt even look at me came running over once Kathy was by my side. Pigs who gave me a suspicious side eye, grunting with disapproval as I entered their yards, would immediately flop belly up for Kathy. Unlike dogs and other domesticated animals that are bred as pets, farm animals are not programmed to love us. To win the affection and trust of a farm animal, you must be patient, calm, and consistent.

The portrayal of pigs in popular culture is vast and takes many forms, but from Charlottes Web to Babe to The Three Little Pigs, one factor is always constant: intelligence. Fans of the animated British show Shaun the Sheep may remember pigs being portrayed as the ultimate eternal frat boys: macho, troublemaking, and clever. There is some truth in this characterization. Pigs are supersmart, and theyre willful. A full-grown pig can weigh more than five hundred pounds and has enormous, sharp teeth. You dont want to mess with a big pig. Many pigs remind me of huge, brainy, food-obsessed toddlers who live every glorious second of life to the fullest and arent interested in wasting a single moment following your rules. They love getting dirty, sleep when they want to sleep, root around in everything with great vigor, and always, always want to eat. Like most other mammals, pigs are extremely social and playful. They love the company of other pigs but often also form strong bonds with different species, including cows, dogs, and humans. Many a pig that I met would immediately flop down for a belly rub or back massage, and when a pig shows affection like this, you know they really mean it because theyre not particularly concerned with impressing us.

Tiny amphibious frogs sun themselves on a pig enjoying a muddy snooze at Woodstock Farm Sanctuary.

Goat buddies play tug-of-war with some greens at Farm Sanctuary.

Turkeys are surprisingly charming and strikingly beautiful. They are quirky and funny and social. I watched Henri of Winslow Farm Animal Sanctuary for hours, strutting around with his feathers out in a beautiful display, jutting his beak and colorful, jiggly waddle out eccentrically while he gobbled and made a fantastic thumping bass drum noise in his chest to punctuate every expression. Henri loves hanging out with the chickens. A group of female turkeys at Farm Sanctuary was curious yet serious, oddly hilarious, checking out my camera and me with close scrutiny, beating paths around me in the dirt and, upon ultimately deciding that I was not a threat, settling down to stare at me like sentinels.

Chester, the Narragansett Heritage turkey at West Place Animal Sanctuary, prefers the company of people to animals. I was concerned that I wouldnt be able to get close to him or that he wouldnt have his feathers out, but he actually hangs out near the front so he can greet people. He is so affectionate that he actually allows some human favorites to hug him. Although decidedly unsure about the physical affection, when a staff or volunteer crouches down in front of him, he will waddle into their embrace and let them very lightly wrap their arms around him. Owner Wendy Taylor says Chester loves to literally be in the middle of human conversations. He likes to stand in between chatting people, and when one of them laughs, he gobbles in response.

One of the most peaceful moments I had in the many months of making Radiant was at Farm Sanctuary. We were hanging out with the chickens, trying to lure them onto my backdrop, which is not the easiest of tasks. Chickens will follow the food, but like most farm animals, theyre wary of new things. The staff member assisting me went to get some more feed, and while he was gone, I just lay down in the grass, surrounded by chickens. Quietly, they went about being chickens, cooing and gently pecking around me. It was the most soothing sound I have ever heard, and looking up at a clear summer sky through leafy green trees while a hum of peaceful life encircled me was mesmerizing.