Reality of having goats in the studio
From Jessica:
Our friends at Flegal Family Homestead brought 4 of their young goats into the studio to be photographed as a personal project of mine. I have wanted to get goats in the studio for a long time because I loved the idea of the contrast a clean white background and farm animals would create. Challenging the typical imagery that comes to mind when you think of any animal changes the way we see that animal. This can help a rescue animal get adopted, help advocate for animal care, and create striking art.
We are always looking for new ways to learn, improve, and challenge ourselves as photographers and animal lovers. Having 4 goats in the studio was definitely that and more. I was well aware that having goats in the studio would not be practical and would be messy (I may have sat in pee) but documenting the beauty and personality of these animals was worth the effort. There were 4 humans in the studio trying to carall 4 goats, stop them from nibbling on things, keep up with messes, and take photos, it was not enough. The biggest thing I have learned about photographing and caring for animals is to have no expectations of the animals to perform in any other way then to be 100% an animal. The expectations are placed entirely on the humans present at the time. Be flexible, relaxed, watch body signals, work within the animals comfort zone or just outside of it for small intervals, and know when your time is up.
Thunder
He is 9 months old trouble maker. Thunder had a difficult birth and was very underweight, weighing 1.5 pounds. What he lacked in weight he makes up for now in mischief.
Patti
She is 9 months old and is full siblings with Thunder. She was one of the most willing to pose for the camera.
Astrid
She 8 months old and was not interested in standing still. She likes to be the boss and is not as familiar with the other goats, so there was some literal butting of heads.
Scout
She is 10 months old and is a native born kentucky girl. She had no problem being the center of attention and was Astrid’s rival.
“You guys were so easy going and fun to work with. It was just a blast. You guys were patient and kind. Getting a stubborn goat to do what you want is difficult but they persisted and the pictures speak for their amazing work!” -Shelbie Flegal
The Flegal Family goats can be found on their social media accounts and the Goat to Soap website:
All photos were taken at the Trumbull Photography Studio in Toledo, Ohio by Jessica Trumbull.
TRUMBULL PHOTOGRAPHY IS A PET, FAMILY AND HEADSHOT PHOTOGRAPHER TEAM LOCATED IN TOLEDO, OHIO. THEY HAPPILY SERVE TOLEDO, OHIO AND ALL OF NORTHWEST OHIO WITH THEIR PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY AND COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY WORK. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET MORE DETAILS ON BOOKING A PHOTOGRAPHY SESSION, PLEASE FILL OUT OUR CONTACT FORM!
