Ryan Donnell: Free Birds

For a project titled Free Birds, Fortune Magazine hired Washington, DC-based photographer Ryan Donnell to document McDonald’s commitment to using cage-free eggs. The project’s goal was to show readers what these facilities look like and to better understand what “cage-free” really means.

Equipped with his cameras, an off-camera Speedlight, and a couple of throw-away Tyvek suits (which is the highly suggested attire in the facility), Ryan headed out to Saranac, Michigan, the home of Herbruck’s Poultry farm. McDonald’s has been sourcing eggs from this site for decades and with the commitment of the farm, they intend to use cage-free only going forward.

Unlike most shoots, Ryan found himself connecting deeper than expected with the talent.

I was surprised at how curious and individualistic the chickens were. They were always watching. Some would stay back and flee at the slightest movement. Others would walk right up to the camera and stare at me.

Between Ryan’s off-camera Speedlight, the ambient lighting situation in the facility, and interfering vent tubes, he faced a few unforeseen obstacles to his compositions. Ryan had no choice but to think quickly. For example, he brainstormed different options to adequately light the space in a way that would show the scale of the three-story building and bird-filled long hallways. Therefore, Ryan decided it would be best to concentrate on images that would showcase small details.

Then at some point, I simply turned around and the man, who was my tour guide, was just standing there backlit by the exterior windows. And he seemed to be in a staring match with the birds. I knew I had the image as soon as I shot it. It had everything I wanted: sense of scale, humanity, chickens, and as a bonus, it was just kinda weird!

Many people enjoyed the completed series. The project has been featured in a renowned UK publication The Creative Review. However, Ryan has also featured one of the images on his business card, which has served as a great conversation starter.

To round out this story, Ryan dropped us a fun fact about eggs – here it is! When eggs are first laid, the shells can be soft and kind of rubbery, then they harden later on. So, why might this be the case, you ask? Well after doing my own research, I learned that freshly hatched eggs can be as warm as 105ºF. News to me! 

See more of Ryan’s photography on his website.

Further Reading
Read more articles about Ryan Donnell.
Read more articles about Animals photography.

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