To continue my people and animals project (previous shoot) I recently took a trip down to Holebrook Farm near Exeter. This project is focusing on the interesting individuals who spend their life with animals.
Jim and Penny own and work on the farm alongside Angela. They keep and breed loads of different animals: furry pigs, goats, ponies, donkeys, chickens and Crufts winning Bernese Mountain Dogs. They love the animals and have a great connection with them all.
Talking to Jim you can tell he has encyclopaedic knowledge of Bernese dogs - even if, like me, you know very little about dog breeding. He and Penny are proud and dedicated to their breeding and produce gorgeous dogs which are friendly and fun. And they look totally stunning.
Penny and Angela love their horses too. Unusually for an English farm they ride in a western style on quarter horses that they breed on the farm. Western style riding is more laid back and chilled than the typical English style I'm used to. I knew nothing about it before visiting the farm but after a bit of investigating I thought it sounded pretty cool - apparently in competitions people can often be found swirling a lasso. Part of this riding style also seems to be the clothes they wear and both the ladies dressed up for our shoot looking great in their western outfits - tassels and all.
A huge thanks must go to Penny, Jim and Angela. They were so cooperative and up for trying out anything. Also a massive thanks to Olga for helping out all day and smiling constantly throughout.
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Labels: animals, dogs, farm, horse, people, personal, pigsm holebrook farm, portrait
