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2023

This is one of my favourite photographs from the entire wild horse project, possibly because it was a shot I had always dreamed of capturing from the moment we began the project.

The horse is a herd animal, they thrive when surrounded by their equine family, and I wanted to capture a portrait that spoke of that herd instinct. For me, it had to feature horses ranging in age, they had to look united, and I wanted their faces to be visible – it wouldn’t be enough to have them grazing.

We had come close throughout the project, and I had been lucky enough to photograph a few equine families, but I felt I had stopped short of capturing the exact frame I had in mind.

I had one final shoot left, in early September 2023, at a location I knew well and had enjoyed relative success at. I knew the ponies here were a close-knit family unit, and very protective of each other – this meant it would be hard to get a photograph of any young foals, they would be fiercely protected, especially when a man with a camera appears in the distance.

I positioned myself behind some hawthorn bushes, and let the herd go about their normal routine, hoping that I might have a moment or two. They had their heads down grazing on the lush grass for most of the afternoon, until something in the distance caught their attention. That gave me a chance to capture the photograph I had so desperately wanted to capture.

I hope it reminds you of love, of protection, and of the importance of family.

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