A Short Introduction to a Country Photographer
By Rachel Foster
As one of the Countryside Store’s new sellers and traders, I have very kindly been asked to write a blog post to give you an insight into myself and my work. I see myself as a typical country person, a farmer’s daughter and now farmer’s wife, Yorkshire born and bred. I have always had a real passion for shooting, coming from a shooting family it was all I ever wanted to learn to do as a child, shooting clays from age 12 and my first game in my late teens. There is nothing I love more than being out in the field, whether as a beater, loader, shooter or indeed photographer.
After graduating with a BA(Hons) in Photography in 2014, I knew that my way of making a living had to combine all I learnt with all I love so I promptly set up my own business as a canine, equine and game shooting photographer. After six years of hard work alongside part-time jobs I am now very proud to say that it’s my full time profession. My photographic work is in the most part fairly evenly split between private commissions and creating imagery for my prints collections. Throughout my career I have covered a wide range of commissions; from game shooting days to country weddings and social events, to auction mart sales and local shows. However my most loved has to be equine and canine portraits, I’m often found behind the lens capturing memories of our four legged friends.
My ‘Game and Gundogs’ prints collection is ever evolving and expanding. From my first and still some of my most popular prints, ‘Eject’ and ‘Rainy Day Spaniel’, images I feel typify game shooting, to recent shots like ‘Above the Heather’ as I now seek to excite viewers with different insights into this traditional pursuit. One of my personal favourites ‘The Designated Driver’ depicts a springer spaniel patiently waiting behind the wheel of the Beaters truck at Snilesworth one sunny August morning. Whilst waiting for the beaters to gather for the first drive one lady nodded and pointed in the direction of the truck, the sight instantly brought a smile to my face and a little giggle as she explained that the loyal spaniel would wait for his owner to return to the vehicle in this way every morning. To me this encapsulated in one simple and humorous image the special bond and companionship owning a working gundog creates.
Through the recent changes to daily life thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic I have had to adapt the focus of my business slightly, leaning more towards producing products with my work. This has lead to the expansion of my greetings card range. They are available to buy individually or in multipacks, they are blank inside so perfect for writing thank you notes after a day’s shooting or indeed for sending to any shooting, working dog or game bird lover on any occasion. I’m currently in the design stage of producing coasters and glass work top savers which will be coming to my platform on the Countryside store in the coming weeks.
I am very much looking forward to working with the countryside store, both as a trader and a potential customer. It is brilliant that there is now an online platform specifically aimed at country folk, for all we love, create and do.
