Before leaving for work one morning, I noticed a dead bird in my front porch.

I suspect a neighborhood cat might have been the culprit.  I did what every responsible home owner would do—I removed the bird from my porch using a broom and dustpan.

Now the story takes a turn…

Instinctively, a dead bird is gross.  But for some reason I also thought it was fascinating.  So I decided to have a Dead Bird Photo Shoot that evening.

I took the bird to the back porch and set up one of my box lights outside.  To get good angles with the camera I had to get close… and I was able to smell death.  That was gross.

Here are highlights from the photo shoot. 
Admittedly, it’s not for everyone but I find that if I approach ‘gross’ things with curiosity or fascination it’s easier to manage.

For instance, the claws on the bird are interesting because they almost have a metallic look.  Who would have thought a run-of-the-mill sparrow could have nice features?

The next photo, I am told, resembles an album cover.  I forget the artist but at least that proves I’m not the only one to take unusual photos.  😉  For this blog I opted to convert the image to black and white.  It creates drama while also minimizing the gross factor.

Camera:  Big Bertha (Canon EOS 5D Mark II)
Date:  July 2012

Tips:
You don’t always have to photograph objects that are naturally beautiful or attractive.  Sometimes taking photos of objects that aren’t naturally appealing end up quite nice!  (Granted, there will always be individuals who are still grossed out with these photos and that’s ok.  There are plenty of butterfly and flower photos I’ll post down the road).