Archive for ‘August, 2022’

Salon des Refusés at Aberystwyth Art Centre

Shortly after being told that my work had not been selected for this year’s ‘Y Lle Self’ (the art place) at the National Eisteddfod,  I received an invitation to show my rejected film at the Aberystwyth Art Centre as part of their Salon des Refusés exhibition.

The original Salon des Refusés was set up in the mid 19th Century by artists that had been rejected by the annual Paris Salon and decided to show their work in an alternative venue. The salon soon became a space where the many of the early impressionists could get their work seen by the public.

The Palais de l'Industrie, where the event took place. Photo by Édouard Baldus.

The Palais de l’Industrie, where the Salon des Refusés took place. Photo by Édouard Baldus.

Despite not making it to the Eisteddfod itself, the work in the exhibition was of a high standard. I was proud to have my film shown in such a great venue alongside a wide range of work produced by over a 100 highly accomplished Welsh artists.

Ffion Rhys, the exhibition’s curator selected Passing trade (Masnach sy’n Pasio) for the show. This work was screened at the John Ruskin Prize and the Small Axe Film Festival in 2019 but hasn’t been out much since so it was great for it to get an airing again in Aberystwyth.

Still image from Passing Trade

Still image from Passing Trade

I have also included some images of other artist’s work from the exhibition.

'Cranky' by Peter Stevenson

‘Cranky’ by Peter Stevenson

Weeping, by David Garner

Gallery 2, Aberystwyth Art Centre

Gallery 2, Aberystwyth Art Centre

Agriculture and rural affairs

Agricultural Photography

Jess Palmer, student at Royal Agricultural University

Portrait of Jess Palmer, Agriculture student RAU

I had the good fortune of growing up on a dairy farm in Pembrokeshire so love the opportunity to put my wellies on and take pictures down on a farm.  I was introduced to farm photography at an early age. As a toddler I appeared in a story about my parent’s farm in the Farmers Guardian.  Over the years, I have photographed most aspects of farming life. Below you will see a range of images I have taken on farms and markets across the UK.

Going through the shooting brief with my subjects - cow photography

Going through the shooting brief with my clients

Lifestock

Cows make great subjects, they are naturally curious and with little encouragement will come right up to you in a field. While this makes close-up shots easy, you cannot put your camera bag down for long or their curious noses will leave a trail of drool over all of your kit.

Brown Swiss Cattle, Rancourt Farm near Swindon

Brown Swiss Cattle and Friesians , Cancourt Farm near Swindon, for National Milk Records

Free range hens

Free range hens

 

ewe and lamb in field

Ewe and lamb in field

Ewe with two lambs in field

Brown Swiss Cattle, Rancourt Farm near Swindon

Brown Swiss Cattle, Cancourt Farm near Swindon for National Milk Records

Piglet

Piglet, Newton Farm

British Blue bull in field

British Blue bull in field

Turkey

Turkey

Location portraits

Every visit to a farm requires portrait images of the people behind the enterprise. I always try to provide atmospheric images that give a sense of the day to day working environment though the shot might be taken in the farm kitchen or in the middle of a field.

 

Male farmer sitting in field with 3 sheep dogs and sheep in distance behind

Male farmer leaning on Land Rover with red flag of military firing range in background

Free range hens

Ben Reynaldo and his free range poultry unit

Portrait of tractor driver

Portrait of tractor driver

Portrait of farmer

Portrait of Tim, Kingsclere Estate

Rob Addicott - Manor Farm near Wells for Farmers Guardian

Rob Addicott – Manor Farm near Wells for Farmers Guardian

James the Herdsman

James the Herdsman

 

Will and Dawn Hawking, owners of Marshfield Farm Ice Cream

Will and Dawn Hawking, owners of Marshfield Farm Ice Cream

Farm Profiles

If I am asked to photograph a farm profile, I normally try to document every aspect of the farm to provide an in depth record of the business and the people behind it.  Agricultural photography

Golden labrador from above

Gwen the farm dog

Market

Market photography is very different to farm photography. The pace is fast and there are normally people and animals everywhere. Moving around the market quickly is difficult so you often need to find a few good spots to work in before the auction starts, and introduce myself to the auctioneers well ahead of the main event.

An auctioneers gavel (hammer) at Frome Lifestock Market

Frome Lifestock Market – auctioneer

Sheep at the market

Sheep at the market

Diversification

Quite a few of the farms I have worked at have diversified into other product lines or services from ice cream and cheese to clamping pods. While I am on the farm it is normally quite easy to pull out a set of lights and set up a temporary studio in a barn or farmhouse kitchen to get some product shots or portraits of the staff or owners of the farm.

Strawberries growing in poly tunnel

Strawberries growing in poly-tunnel

Community Garden - part of Elims Direct Access Community (DAC) for rough sleepers at Manor Farm near Wells

Community Garden – part of Elims Direct Access Community (DAC) for rough sleepers at Manor Farm near Wells for Farmers Guardian

Agricultural machinery

Images of machinery for advertising, promotion and editorial applications.

Merlo - eworker electric tele handler

Merlo – Eworker electric tele handler

Merlo - Eworker electric tele handler

Merlo – Eworker electric tele handler

Case Axial Flow 250 combine harvesting wheat

Case Axial Flow 250 combine harvester

More information on agricultural photography

If you would like to know more, give me a call or drop me an email

Agricultural clients include; Dairy Farmer, Farmers Guardian, NMR, Cow Management Magazine, Marshfield Farm Ice Cream.

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