Monday, January 21, 2013

A day at the taxidermist's...



What a weird way to start the year... I tagged along to help a very good friend of mine (Vincent Soyez) on a shoot... It was one of the first days this year that I was actually upright as I was dealing with a stubborn cold or flu... What an intense day... Lots of visual input and quite an experience in regards to smells as well... His shoot was very different, but luckily I was able to look around and take my own pictures...

I selected the top image as cover, because it reminds me of Georgia O'Keeffe's work... As well it deals with what's going on behind the scenes as well... One of the reasons I like being a photographer so much is that one gets to see different places all the time... From pig stables to operation rooms... I've been there... ;)



This image was right next to the one before... Under the tarp remnants of a buffalo delivered earlier that day...



Earlier that day... One of those moments when one might not want to know how sausages are made...


Covered in dust: Ordered and not picked up yet...


A wolverine awaiting pickup...



Another view at the "friendly" wolverine... On the background other trophies being stored...



Flipped this one upside down... It was being stored on its back, but the image was too confusing... The eyes all whited out remind me of how seers are depicted in the movies... Kind of scary...


Fish trophies are apparently no longer made using any part of the caught fish... A detailed photo with sizes and weight of the catch are sufficient for a resin replica to be created... These are then artfully painted to match the original... Items pictured are waiting for their owners...


An unfinished shark surrounded by various fish molds...



An elephant tusk waiting for someone / something...


I was quite impressed by the eyes... Seemed lifelike to me...


A zebra under wraps...


Everyone perky and attentive...


One of my last images of the day... The shop had closed, but the owner kindly offered to stay until we were done with the shoot and packing up... This is where it happens... At least part of it... The other part (Molding the fish and painting) happens upstairs...