Farm Life: A Collection of Animal Portraits [Hardcover]

2024 NEW YORK TIMES, NEW YORK POST, and PUBLISHERS WEEKLY HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE PICKS



From Highland cows to Polish chickens to Arabian horses, Ford’s compelling animal photography invites readers of all ages on a delightful adventure through the barnyard.

Following the acclaimed The Animal Kingdom and Good Dog, Farm Life takes us beyond the barn and into the very heart of America’s vibrant farm animals. This whimsical collection celebrates the spirited charm of these pastoral creatures and invites the viewer on a heartfelt journey of expression, play, and contemplation.

There are so many animals—some domestic and some exotic—featured: cows and calves, horses, chickens and chicks, ducks and ducklings, pigs and piglets, sheep and lambs, goats, barn cats, cattle dogs, rabbits, llamas, yaks, and barn owls. Ford’s unmatched ability to capture each animal’s expression not only entertains but also creates a connection between the subject and the reader.

Masterful, refreshing, and full of joy, this heartfelt collection of farm animal portraits gives us a beautiful look at the special breeds at the center of farm life, inviting us to witness the wild still within them.“Holiday Gift Guide 2024: Illustrated & Art Books. More than 150 animal portraits shot against neutral backgrounds highlight their subjects’ personalities, whether it’s the skeptical expression shared on facing pages by Hawk, a llama, and Octavius, a Barbados blackbelly sheep, or the tough-guy mien of flamboyantly feathered Blaze, a buff laced Polish rooster. Name-and-species captions accompany the images; in the index, Ford expands on his experiences with each animal. (He wlsÎ