Kenneth Bamberg

I photographed my first cock in 2009 in the Philippines, where cockfighting is a national sport. It was the first time I stood eye to eye with a bird that carried itself like a fighter, balanced between tension and elegance. Since then, I have continued to photograph cocks on Åland, my home islands, and across Finland. I return to farms and backyards where they live and move freely.

I set up a temporary studio on site: a black wool backdrop, daylight or a single lamp, a quiet space inside the noise of the yard. The cock moves constantly, never posing, never holding a gesture for me. I wait. Sometimes for a long time. The photograph happens in the small pause, when the bird is completely still for a fraction of a second.

What I look at is posture. How it stands. How it carries its head. How the feathers settle or rise. The eyes that follow the surroundings without hesitation. I shoot from its own height, on its line of sight, close enough to be in the encounter and careful enough not to break it.