Field Sports Photography
Working dogs. Shooting days. Rural life.
Photography for the people, dogs and countryside at the heart of field sports.
Photography rooted in the field
There is something very distinctive about a day spent outdoors with working dogs, people and the countryside around them.
Field sports photography is about more than simply documenting what happens. It is the anticipation before the action, the concentration of a dog waiting for its next command, the relationship between a handler and their dog and the atmosphere that comes from spending a day in the field.
I photograph working dogs, gundogs, training and shooting days with a natural, unobtrusive approach, creating images that capture both the character of the day and the people and dogs who make it what it is.
Working Dogs
More than a portrait.
A good working dog photograph should show more than what a dog looks like. It should capture something of its character, its purpose and the relationship it has with its handler.
I photograph working and gundogs both at work and at rest, from young dogs learning their skills through to experienced dogs doing the job they were bred to do.
Sessions can include training, working exercises, individual portraits, dogs with their handlers and natural photographs taken in the environments where they are most at home.
The aim is to create photographs that feel authentic to the dog rather than simply placing it in front of a camera.
Training
Young dogs, developing skills and learning their craft.
Working
Natural images of dogs doing what they do best.
Portraits
Characterful portraits of individual dogs and their handlers.
Shoot Days
A shoot is a story that unfolds throughout the day.
From the early preparations and meeting of guns and beaters through to the dogs working, the people involved and the quieter moments between drives, there are photographs to be found throughout the day.
My approach is natural and unobtrusive, allowing the day to happen rather than constantly interrupting it for photographs.
Coverage can be tailored to the occasion, whether you are looking for a collection of images from a particular shoot, photographs of the people and dogs involved or a more complete record of the day.
Shoot photography can include:
Guns and beaters
Working dogs and handlers
Preparations and behind-the-scenes moments
Action and movement
People and portraits
The landscape and environment
Details and atmosphere
The quieter moments between drives
A Return to Field Sports
Field sports photography isn't entirely new territory for me.
Earlier in my career I photographed shoots regularly, although it has been around six years since I last worked in this area. I'm now returning to field sports photography alongside my wider work photographing horses, dogs and rural life.
While the field sports side of my portfolio is being rebuilt, I bring years of experience working around animals, movement and outdoor environments, as well as a genuine understanding of how quickly moments can unfold when you're working around animals.
I'm currently taking on a limited number of field sports commissions while I develop this part of my portfolio again.
The TMS Photography Approach
Natural
No endless posing or forced moments. The aim is to photograph people and dogs as they actually are.
Considered
Beautiful light, composition and the surrounding landscape are as important as the action itself.
Personal
The photographs should mean something to the people who were there. They're memories of the dogs, people and days that matter to them.
What Can I Photograph?
Working dogs
Gundogs, Labradors, spaniels and other working breeds.
Training days
Individual training, group sessions and young dogs developing their skills.
Shoot days
Driven shoots, game shoots, simulated game days and other sporting occasions.
People & dogs
Natural photographs of handlers, beaters, guns and their dogs.
Rural sporting life
The people, places and details that make a day in the field memorable.
Where I can Work
Derbyshire & the Midlands
Based in Derbyshire, I photograph field sports and working dogs across the East and wider Midlands, with commissions further afield considered such as Scotland, Yorkshire Dales & parts of Wales
Then list places naturally:
Derbyshire · Staffordshire · Nottinghamshire · Leicestershire · Warwickshire · Lincolnshire · Shropshire · West Midlands · Northamptonshire · Cheshire & Gloucestershire
Planning a shoot or working dog session?
I'm currently taking on a limited number of field sports commissions while I rebuild this area of my portfolio.
If you're looking for photography of your working dogs, a training day, shoot or rural sporting occasion, I'd love to hear a little more about what you have planned.