Adam Chilson Photography

Every so often an opportunity comes along you simply can’t pass up. When my neighbor – a real life, modern day, cattle-driving, rodeo roping, American cowboy – asked me if I wanted to do a photo shoot with a newborn calf, how could I say no?

The time window was short, and once again I was on the phone to Nev with the “what are you doing tomorrow?” conversation. Abandoning some of the more complicated (and questionable) concepts that came to mind, I decided to go with simple. The calf was cute. So was Nev. What else did we need?

Morning of the shoot it was raining. Sideways. Gusting winds, near freezing temperatures, and rain threatened to kill the shoot before it started. As our time window shortened, the skies cleared, winds slowed, and the best weather in weeks graced our little patch of earth. It was go time.

Offering to assist with the shoot, Dave was an absolute lifesaver. Between moving gear and arranging a mini-set out of feed hay, he ran interference to keep curious barnyard animals off the set and out of frame.

“The horses are eating the set again.”
Dave spent a good share of the shoot trying to shoo away hungry barnyard animals, angry geese, and a head-butting goat.

For her part, Nev was every bit the real deal. Slipping into the corral with the cows, she cooed at the calf wobbling towards her. After spending a little while getting to know the baby, she picked it up and carried it over to our shoot area. Giggling whenever the calf talked to her, she got right in to model with her new partner.

A little bit wholesome All-American working girl, a little bit sexy farmer’s daughter. Nothing like what Nev and I generally shoot. The next day I slipped my neighbor a CD and some prints as he left on a trip to visit with extended family in the midwest.

“These are great!” he told me. “I can’t wait to show these to my wife and grandchildren.”

Mission accomplished.

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Cross-posted to deviantART.
Copyright 2010 by Adam Chilson