Upland Farming

Lake District Hill Farmers

I’m finally back on the ground after shooting several projects for the Princes Countryside Fund over the last few months, Biomass fuel projects, portrait sessions, booking weddings for 2013 and 2014, photographing jewellery for a client, and now tonight a Christmas party to photograph in a 14th Century barn.

Now the dust is settling and we are just about ready for Christmas it’s nice to be able to sit down and reflect on some of the work I have done over the last few months, I will continue to blog about my Princes Countryside Fund projects as they were most interesting and something I would like to share with my viewers.

After my trip to the North Yorkshire moors I travelled to the Lake District to photograph two more farming apprentices in the hills who are sponsored through the The Farmer Network. It was damp and miserable but that’s what these lads have to put up with day after day, it’s a hard life but also most rewarding I would imagine.

Here are just a few of my favourite images…

FarmapprenticeLake District Sheep FarmingSheep Lake DistrictHill Farming Cumbria

The Farming Life Centre, Blackwell – photographed for the Prince’s Countryside Fund

Earlier this week I was up early and heading up north to Bakewell, not for a tart but to meet a gentleman who works for The Farming Life Centre to photograph him and the work he does for the Prince’s Countryside Fund. We arranged to meet at Bakewell cattle market to take some photographs there before moving on to a nearby farm. Jonathan met me and after a brew and a chat in the canteen I set to work taking some pictures around the cattle market. Jonathan’s role is to help farmers in need of assistance in the local area, this can be anything from computer problems to livestock management.

Jonathan is the gent in the middle at the top of this compilation of images.

On an interesting note, the farmer holding his arm out above is holding a one pound coin. This is called luck money and he is the seller of the sheep currently being auctioned and  will give this money to the winning bidder of his sheep once the hammer goes down. So, anyone who wins 20 lots of sheep at auction will also walk away with £20 for a few well deserved pints down the local that night!

After the auction we headed up to a nearby farm who Jonathan works with.  After meeting the lady from the farm I got taken around meeting some of the animals and workers, one who was fixing an old tractor (worker not animal!) A perfect photo opportunity, I thought, so we wheeled the tractor forward a bit to get some light on it and I did some nice portraits of the chaps with the tractor. Here are some of my favourite images from the shoot on the farm.

Finally we arrived  at The Farming Life Centre for a well deserved cuppa and a massive cookie in the 1950’s style kitchen with manager Julia Cook. The reason for the 1950’s style kitchen is the centre holds social groups for retired farmers in the area and having old objects around helps them to reminisce about the good old days. After a few pictures around the courtyard of the staff and I  headed back home. Well, nearly, I just had to pop over the yard and have a chat with the resident Blacksmith for a few pictures….. (to follow soon)

To find out more about this brilliant organisation please visit The Farming Life Centre by clicking here.

‘Did I have a Bakewell Tart’ you ask? Drive 300 miles and not try a Bakewell? What do you think? 🙂