Photo essay Photojournalism

The magazine of the photo-essay

August 2020 back issue

“A free, really high quality photo-essay magazine. Fabulous!” Stephen Fry. British actor, writer and film maker

by Janet Holmes

How do we decide which animals are family and which are food? Why are we surprised to see a rooster gazing out the kitchenwindow or a hen helping with homework? After all, chickens are present in many homes, as flesh and eggs, but not as individuals with personalities of their own. In early 2017, photographer Janet Holmes met a hen suffering from reproductive illness at the Wild Bird Fund in NewYork City, where she volunteered as a caregiver. During her search to find a permanent home for the hen after she was discharged from the Fund’s clinic, Janet

Holmes discovered a network of people who turn their homes into sanctuaries forrescued chickens. She decided to make portraits of the chickens and their rescuers to honour both the birds who had suffered so much before their rescue and the people who invested so much love, time, and money caring for them. “I’ve always loved animals, but for many yearsI was afraid to get involved with rescuing them because I didn’t think I could handle the heartbreak. I was almost fifty when I finally acknowledged that animals needed me more than I needed to be comfortable. And so I began volunteering with rescue groups as a caregiver and photographer.” JH Published by Kehrer Verlag

Valencia Jayne © Janet Holmes

Jon Snow © Janet Holmes

Penelope, Vanessa, Alicia, and Jenny © Janet Holmes

Corrie and Mahika © Janet Holmes

Chicago Chicken Rescue © Janet Holmes

Colleen and Friend © Janet Holmes