=Pelicanh

I am starting a series of journal entries called (obviously) "A Day in the Life". So many people wonder what it is like to be a photographer. Many people have expressed a desire to be a "fly on the wall" in my studio. Sometimes, even I can't believe the wacky things that happen around here!
Here are the events of one day. All the stories I post are true btw!

It was a particularly busy day here in the studio. I had just finished shooting a headshot for a lovely young actress (Kate Hudson) and was running a bit behind on my shooting schedule. I was trying to shove a sandwich down my throat while two people sat looking at my portfolio. There was another photographer here shooting in my studio at the same time and she had one client in hair and makeup while another looked at her portfolio. I also had a client in hair and makeup while her boyfriend sat on the couch. SO it was a bit of a zoo. Also...it was one of those muggy hot days we get here in LA so I had the back door to the studio open.

Then a most odd thing happened. In through the back door WALKED a crow. A BIG one! He sauntered in like he owned the place, walked over to me, looked up a said, "CAW"!.
Not being fluent in Crow, I didn't understand what he said. SO he repeated it LOUDER! "CAAAAWWW".
"Where the hell did YOU come from?? And what do you want?" I asked him.
At that point, decidedly frustrated by my inability to understand, he jumped up on my knee and took a shot at my sandwich!
"HEY!!!", I yelled, "What the fuck do you think you're doing!?? If you want some of my sandwich, then sit on the floor and I'll give you some!"
To my utter astonishment, he hopped down and just glared at me!!!!
SO I gave him a pinch of my ham and cheese and bread!

While all of this was taking place, everyone in the studio was watching in amazement and thinking this was MY crow!

The lady looking at the other photographers portfolio happened to be a rather zoftig sort and the owner of an exceptionally large set of breasts.
"My" crow, having had plenty of sandwich decided, now that he was fed, to check out the other guests in my studio. SO he took to the air, flew across the room, and to my utter horror, landed on the large lady's bosom!! She sat back and for a millisecond (or an eternity - I'm not sure which) they stared at each other!
"Well", she commented to the crow, "I guess you think my tits are good for something!"
"CAW", he responded in her face!

Evidently, he wasn't THAT impressed with her endowment because he took to the air again. As I said, a fellow photographer was shooting here and her client was in hair and makeup. The girl was sitting in the makeup chair with her hair teased into a nice big ball of birds nest which looked divinely comfortable to "my" crow! He landed on her head!
This time his arrival was met with shrieks and screams and lots of hand flailing.
"MICHAEL!!! Come get your crow!" yelled my friend.
"But it isn't MY crow!" I pleaded
Although my friend didn't SAY anything more....she glared at me with daggers flying out of her eyes.
So I walked over, held out my hand, and "my" crow hopped on!!!
The studio was in hysterics. There were people laughing, some were horrified, and others just sitting with their mouths agape!

SO I asked my friend to take a photo of my crow. We walked outside and I said to my crow, "OK....we're gonna take a photo. So I'm gonna look at the camera and CAW! SO ...you look at ME and CAW at the same time. Got it?
"Caw" he replied
Here's the photo.[link]

I realize , in retrospect, that my crow actually had come in for a headshot but didn't realize he needed to make an appointment. The fact that he was able to intimidate the other guests and get his way, I suppose, is just the way of crow culture.
My neighbor loves birds, so I let him adopt my crow. I visit once in a while, chat with my crow, and bring him ham, cheese, and bread bits.
He seems happy.

So now if you have odd animal stories.....share them with me here. Keep it short and to the point! Funny is always better!

Meanwhile....I'm gonna go sit on my patio and have a Heineken.