On the subject of Chickens and Eggs

I feel an urge to blog that I have never felt before, as today is a very special day. I guess its special in lots of ways, the sun is shining and its a beautiful morning in South East Queensland (although I’m sure its cloudy for some Maroons fans , but thats not the reason. I have just eaten the tastiest egg that I have ever experienced, even though it was probably the smallest egg that I have ever eaten, and I feel like a proud Dad. Two months ago we got some Chickens (I will get some photos soon) and this morning I had the most wonderful surprise, Lil gave us our first egg. I knew I would be excited when this moment came (although its been a long two months waiting, hint hint Ivy, Mertle and Petunia!) but I didn’t realise how reflective it would also make me feel. I really have a feeling that I am on a journey through life and this is a major milestone on that journey.

Ten years ago I was very much a city boy, loving life in London, travelling all over the planet on business; eggs for me were normally served up in a trendy cafe for breakfast or part of a rushed hotel buffet before a meeting, somewhere in the world. Now I am living a semi-rural lifestyle, I make my living from photographing animals, it really is a big change. Recently I have been noticing how much I have changed over the last ten years, and apart from my beautiful wife Beck, its the animals who have had the biggest impact on my journey.

I have always loved pets, I grew up with mainly Dogs but also a sprinkling of Cats, Rabbits, a Budgie, Hamsters, I have inherited my Parents love of all creatures great and small. When I left my job that saw me travelling all over, the first thing we did (I was with Beck by this time) was get two cats, Willy and Lucy, and a camera, and I guess you know how this panned out. But I never realised just how big an impact this would have on my life. When I moved to Perth in 2006 it seemed so natural to continue my exploration with Camera and Cats, and my family immediately expanded with our two much loved Goldies Sophie and Tian. And so did my photographic interests. My passion for capturing their personalities and little ways with my camera soon expanded into a business, and Ken Drake Photographic was born in 2006 and re-branding to Zoo Studio followed soon after that! And slowly, my love for my subjects expanded into a fascination for learning about animal behaviour, a realisation of true animal sentience, a horror of how many animals are forced to live their lives, and an urge to do what I can to make their lives better, through my photography.

So to help me make sense of it all, and hopefully to provide some insights and entertainment along the way, I have decided to write this blog. My thoughts right now are to write about the animals I meet, the thoughts they promote in my head, and the issues and joys I see and experience every day. I hope you enjoy it, and come along with me for the next part of my journey.