DRY TO THE BONE ...

DRY TO THE BONE .... 

Being a Fieldsports photographer means I spend most of my days out in the elements, and funnily enough the winter months generally seem to be the busiest for me.  

From August and the start of the Grouse season through to the end of January and the Pheasant  and Gundog Trialling Seasons coming to a close, I can normally be found up to my knees in mud, dogs and camera equipment.  

One of the most important considerations at the start of any "shoot" day is obviously the weather followed very closely by "what to wear". 

And the "what to wear" question brings with it a whole host of other questions and headaches.  My outdoor gear needs to be waterproof, comfortable and durable and also able to let me carry what I need for a day on foot. 

After trying a host of brands professing to offer all the above, and still coming away, wet, cold or with ripped clothing or a wet mobile phone,  I really had decided to adopt the "wear it for a season and be done with it" approach.  

And then the Fortis Forrester Coat arrived in the post.

Now,  I need this coat to work, I really do.  There is nothing worse than trying to work when you are wet and cold.. and the day after I opened the box I was due to photograph a Field Trial in North Yorkshire. 

The forecast was for a wet day .. and it's didn't disappoint.  Driving rain and tough moorland conditions with nowhere to shelter really let me run it through it's paces. 

Whilst I normally carry a small game bag to keep my fuel in, the odd banana and chocolate bar, I also need to carry extra batteries and memory cards, cloths to keep the lenses clean and dry and of course the "mobile phone office".  

So, the Forrester has more than enough space for all the "stay dry" equipment. 

One inside pocket for the mobile, then two large pockets accessible with the zip remaining done up, and only having to release the outer poppers gives me ample room for all my batteries and memories cards and also a couple of lens cloths. 

I then have two large front pocket which happily carried extra gloves and cloths and then nice pockets to keep hands dry and warm. 

The hood is detatchable, but unlike most floppy versions this is attached with press studs and velcro so is nice and secure and has a wire rim to shape round your face, it's also big enough to be able to wear a woolly hat or baseball type cap underneath.  Press studs over the top of the zips all the way up to the top with closers on the hood meaning your are nicely snug. 

My photography involves a lot of bending and kneeling down and at the back are two zips which when undone allow for more movement and flexibility. 

Back to the car at the end of the day, a quick shake to remove the excess water and the verdict.... BONE DRY. 

For the first time for a very long time, my top half was completel dry.  The normal danger areas, across the shoulders and the elbows stood up manfully and not even a sign of damp. 

As the season has progressed we have attended Sheepdog Hill Trials in as bad conditions, various field trials in driving rain, shoot days in freezing fog and snow.  

So far so good........ 

Huge thanks to  the team at Fortis and I look forward continuing to put this Forrester Coat through it's paces.

Next stop, brambles and deep cover.  Watch this space !

And on the odd day off, plenty of room for leads and whistles whilst out training the pup.  

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT 

WWW.FORTISCLOTHING.CO.UK

THE BOOT BLOG .....

The New Boots...

In order to have new boots, there need to be old boots.  My old boots have been in service for a season or so and are most definitely past their sell by date.  Water damage, snow damage, and most latterly puppy damage have made sure that they are really not even fit for gardening.   They are the second pair that I have had, the plus side being that they fit like a glove, are as comfortable and have just about done the job and are pretty affordable.  The downside, they split across the middle of my foot and they aren't tall enough, and I hate wearing gaiters.

So it's a hard task.  I need something that is wide enough to be comfortable, that will give enough flex across the middle of the foot for me to be able to "bob down to shoot", and not split, that are tall enough to negate the need for gaiters, that are warm enough to see me through the coldest of seasons, that will survive all year round wear, the summers often destroy boots and waterproofs more than the winters, that look good (a small amount of vanity is surely acceptable) and that will above all last more than a couple of seasons.

And then I heard about Brandecosse and their Diemme range of boots and in particular the 11" Cervo's.   These boots are handmade in Italy and supplied in the UK by Jane Trueman and Brandecosse, two small family run businesses working in harmony.

From the moment you open the box, you are struck by the beauty and detail of the workmanship.  A beautiful warm chestnut brown, polished and buffed to a mirror shine, the smell of leather as you lift them from the box is intoxicating.

I have very wide feet for a lady which normally means I wear a mans boot, which the Cervo's are, this also means that there is often a little extra room.  This small issue is cleverly covered by the inclusion of a set of insoles designed to add padding. 

I initially tried a size 41, and they fit, with a thin pair of socks pretty snugly, but knowing that I would be covering fair distances in these boots and would need to wear them with thicker socks, I opted for a size 42 and the addition of the insole created a perfect fit with a pair of standard thickness shooting socks.

Time for the test.

First up was an HPR training day on the moor.  No real mileage covered and pretty easy going, everything was good.  But the next couple of outings really would put them through their paces.

The Glorious 12th, and my boots and I joined our local Grouse shoot on photography duties for the start of the season.

Half a day on Friday across Yorkshire Moorland and I was over the moon that my feet were as good as new at the end of day one.   Saturday and a different moor, out with the picking up team and 10 hard miles covered.  I had plasters, spare socks and pain killers packed just in case, but needed none.

The terrain was far from easy, from near vertical climbs to the top of the moor, down gullies and ravines, across burnt heather and then out across the white grass.  Bog ponds, standing water, cloughs swollen for the previous evenings rain all added to the testing conditions.

I ended the day with dry, warm, feet that were as good as when I put the boots on.

THE VERDICT :

Comfort :  In terms of size, I did need to go up an extra size from my normal fitting but with the insoles this wasn't a problem and meant my feet had enough room.  I haven't worn tall boots before and the first morning lacing them up a few choice words may have been heard.  There is a definite art to lacing 11" boots.  I haven't as yet discovered it but I am sure the method will come.  What I did find is that if you lace your boots too tightly at the start of the day, as your calf muscles expand as you are climbing hills so the circulation becomes a little constricted.  Again this is just getting used to wearing longer boots.

The boots do feel heavy, but this is only to be expected after wearing short ankle length hiking boots and something I am sure I will get used to. The grip was fantastic.  First time out across the cobbles and boulders I felt a little unsure but after I learnt to trust the grip it was great to be able to walk down a bracken bank without the fear of slipping and to cross wet rocks and still feel sure footed.

The 11" meant that it didn't matter how many unseen bog holes I disappeared down my feet remained completely dry all day.

I also left my gaiters at home, which for me was brilliant, I find them a nuisance and it was nice to be  free of them, although i am sure many would continue to wear theirs.

Durability :  The three sessions out the boots have had have been pretty hard going.  My initial concern was that the beautiful Italian leather would end up looking like suede with all the grazing from the heather and rocks.  The boots were treated with Graingers conditioning treatment before they arrived and were good to go straight out of the box.  Brandecosse also recommend Cherry Blossom Renovating Wax to keep the leather in tip top condition.

I have to say when I looked at the boots on Sunday morning after they had dried out I was dubious that they would ever look the same.

I have brushed away the remnants of the moors, wiped away the dirt and applied two coats of wax and buffed,

 

I am happy to report, my boots are as good as new.   If you want to keep you boots in good condition so that they last, its simple, look after them.  Dry them out, clean them down, polish them back

 

Cost :  Expensive or not is a matter of opinion.  I spend my life out in the countryside, either as a fieldsports and rural life photographer or training and working dogs, all year round.  For me my boots are a tool of my trade and these are worth the investment.

Obviously everyone has different size feet and this only my view on how I have found these boots.

I was desperate for there to be a tiny niggle that I could mention, or something that wasn't quite right, just so it didn't sound like the perfect report, but there really is nothing, at the moment, that I would change about these boots.

As the season progresses and the weather changes I will report back on how me and my boots fair, so watch this space.

For further information please:

THE FLIGHT OF ...... THE KESTREL

It's strange what life sometimes throws at us.  Opportunities, that had the time been right, might have led us along a different path and those that you just grab with both hands and nothing is going to stop you. 

And so,  a chance meeting with the lovely Sarah Barraclough has led to a "blossoming" friendship between Moorland Falcony and Workingline Images, and one which is filled with excitement for the future.

Steve and Sarah have been running Moorland Falconry for a number of years, and whilst previously they could be found carrying out displays at Game Fairs and such like they are now concentrating more on their birds and on the educational aspects they offer.   They specialise in British Birds of Preythey are both passionate to teach children and adults alike about their charges.  In fact, once Steve has started, sit back, relax and enjoy (but watch the time because it's gone in a blink).

Since I was a young girl, I have had a fascination with Birds of Prey.  My Dad was gifted The Audubon Society's Book of Wild Birds , it was huge and lived on the bottom shelf of the glass cabinet at home.  Thick, crisp, glossy pages, with stunningly beautiful photographs (which even then I could appreciate) held my attention for hours.  

And then, without so much as blink, forty years later, I am standing in the woods behind our home with Chesnut the Tawny Owl, in front of me and I am attempting to re-create those incredible glossy plates.

 

I was hosting a "catch up" event with one of our Dog Photography Workshop Groups and Sarah had offered to bring Chesnut for the girls to photograph as a surprise.  And from that point there was no going back !!.

Andrew also has a passion for wildlife and living on the edge of a moor, Curlews, Lapwings, Oystercatchers, Grouse, Buzzards and of course Kestrels are not uncommon sights.   But for him the Kestrel and Barry Hines' story "Kes" have a particular place in his heart. 

But, it was never going to be so easy as "come up and see my birds" ... Steve and Sarah are obviously extremely protective of their feathered family and so both Andrew and I need to learn how to behave around the birds and how to interact with them. 

What comes next is proving a challenge ...  we are both Learning the Lure.  Now, I will be honest and say that Andrew is far more coordinated than I will ever be... swinging a lure around standing still is one thing, swinging a lure and moving is something altogether different and then add a Peregrine, or a Kestrel or a Lanner Falcon coming towards you at full tilt and well... I may just stay this side of the camera.  As for Andrew, watch this space !

Then an incredible opportunity arrived, a new addition to the aviary ... and would I like to come and photograph her ???..  the question needed no real answer.

This is Blossom, she is a European Kestrel and I have the privilege of charting her life from fluffy chick to mature Kestrel in photographs.

I first met Blossom when she was 17 days old and was no more than a ball of fluffy feathers, albeit a ball of fluffy feathers with a steely gaze and razor sharp talons.   

Sat on Steve and Sarah's sitting room floor, Blossom was learning how to feed herself pigeon breast. 

Blossom is what is termed an "imprint", and I will cover this in more depth in my next blog, for now, it's a case of getting to know you and introducing Blossom to as many new sights, sounds and experiences as possible.

So the camera was a new experience.  I was initially worried that the flash would spook her, but Blossom is unflappable. After finishing her supper she strutted across the floor to investigate what was going on.

Much like a puppy or a child, after she had fed and amused herself for a while, it was time to rest.

Just over a week later, I got a message from Sarah telling me a I really really needed to come and see Blossom, that I wouldn't believe the difference.  So with camera in hand and new puppy as co-pilot we ventured up the hill.

What a surprise. I seriously could not believe the difference that a week had made,  no more the fluffy ball with steely eyes, now a stunning young Falcon finding her flying wings.

Steve and Sarah talked me through how the last week had gone and that Blossom had taken her first flight only the day before, I was there to witness Flight No.2 !!!!

Having spent the previous afternoon atop the greenhouse roof, Blossom was happily sat next to Steve's glove taking everything in.

Her first perch was the gate post at the end of the track adjoining open pasture land, she sat for a while before deciding that the time was right, and how my heart soared as she dropped from her post and headed towards us.  

From a photography point of view, it was a huge learning curve.  Dogs, horses and humans are to a degree predictable in their movement, but birds, and birds in flight are something very new and something very unpredictable.  Over the coming weeks, I hope to learn to read Blossom's movements and to understand how she will approach Steve and the lure, and maybe then I stand a chance of capturing a picture that does her justice, for now "snaps" will have to do. 

For some reason as soon as she lifted from her perch I expected her to soar, but no, she came in low and fast and straight for us  only lifting and arriving at Steve's hand at the last moment to take the prize that was waiting for her.

The next attempt saw Blossom initially mobbed by Swallows on the barn roof.  Deciding that she had had enough of the pesky critters she decided to venture out across the paddock.  Coming out from the shelter of the barn the wind had increased and was obviously something new for a our young Kestrel.  Sat on a stone wall a good distance away from Steve, Blossom decided to that really Dad needed to make this a little easier, so with much coaxing and reducing of distance she finally managed to reunite herself with the glove.    More than enough excitement for one day.

I can't wait to see the difference another week will make. 

For more information on Moorland Falconry please visit either their website 

MOORLAND FALCONRY

or find them on 

FACEBOOK

To see the full gallery of images please visit the WORKINGLINE IMAGES

I spend most of my working life out in the field, on shoots, at hunts, trials, tests and gundog training classes and such like, and carrying kit around has taken some refining. 

Instinct would say the less gear you take the better, shove it in your pockets and away we go. 

Over the last few years I have learnt that "things" (including expensive memory cards and batteries) stowed in a pocket can inadvertently be lost when retrieving a cleaning cloth or sweetie.  Likewise there is nothing worse than having spent a day in the field without food or drink and then arriving back at the car and KNOWING you put the keys in THAT pocket .. but where are they now.  No one is going to help you go back and find them, believe me I know !!

WHAT BAG AND WHAT GOES IN IT ....

• My mini-kit bag is in fact a small game bag which I bought from the lovely Helen at Hi Lost. My first "game bag" to take to  gundog training sessions when the lovely Bob and I started on our adventure, we have now progressed to a full size game bag and this little beauty has a new role in life ..Caro's Kit Bag, and what I can't get in it doesn't need to be coming to work.

• The most important for me is some "snap" ... a piece of fruit, a chocolate bar and a drink, I can get a sarnie in as well if it's going to be a long day.   In the beginning I used to shove a mars bar in my coat along with everything else, bar the drink because it was just too bulky,  and by the end of the day was exhaused and de-hyrdated... not good on either count especially if you have a long drive home ahead of you. Don't forgo the sustenance ... if you are on form, your photography is on form. 

• Hankies Hankies everywhere and never one when you need it.   I have clear filters over my lenses and am happy to clean with a nice soft, clean cotton cloth (this is my choice you need to read up and do what's right for you and your kit) Hankies are perfeect for this and I have plenty, including the odd lucky one.  I always make sure that I have at least two for the camera and one for my nose.

• My Goodie Bag... this little bag was made and given to me by a very lovely friend, Caroline Griffin-Woods ( and for those of you that know her, if you ask her nicely I'm sure she will start a production line of these).   In my goodie bag are my memory cards and spare batteries. Empty cards are in the bag, they go into camera and then once full go into my inside jacket pocket.  This is to make sure I don't inadvertently re-use a card.

• Along with all the above are my KEYS, stored in the inside zipper pocket of the bag.  
• A 5.00 note and a pound coin in case of emergencies.
• My spare chapstick (the current one is in my jacket)
• Spare pair of gloves (as per yesterdays blog)

The lovely long strap means I can sling this across me, throw it round the back and have two free hands to work the camera's, knowing that everything is safe.  

Oh and I always pack my bag, bar the snap, the night before.  Nothing worse than rushing like a loon the morning of a shoot and leaving the spare batteries behind.

ON THE LEGS ....

The big question "what waterproofs do you wear ?" .. I hate to be asked this.  We all spend so much money trying to keep ourselves dry that it's scary to recommend anything.  

For me waterproofs have to be hard wearing and keep my dry.  Simple ?? ... NOT SO.  

If you take your dog training, or to a test or trial, or even out beating you tend to be stood up or walking around.  You tend to wear your waterproofs for a few months of the year (hopefully) and then the ground dries up, the season ends  and the waterproofs go away .... but if you are a fieldsports photographer you spend all your time  on your knees in the mud and the filth .. and then when the winter passes you still have your waterproofs on because you are still grovelling around on the edge of lakes (water training and working tests) and just generally getting pretty mucky. 

In my experience, when waterproofs start to leak it tends to be round the knees, so whatever I choose needs to be properly tough.

I have yet to find the perfect pair... and anyone who reads this that has found a pair that do stand up, please let me know.   My current pair are Sealand Crieff Over Trousers, very very kindly donated to my cause by a very good friend who found them too long.  

They have lasted me 6 months so far and I haven't as yet got wet.  They have full length side zips, two zips to each leg which means you can, if you need to, put them on without taking your wellies or boots of first.  They have a belt loop at the top, although if you need a belt to hold up whatever you are wearing underneath and then a belt for these it gets a bit bulky and poppers around the bottom to keep your zips from unzipping.

They are thick with extra padding to mid thigh, mine have been in the wash a good dozen or so times and are are still keeping me dry. 

They will, however, be far too hot come the spring.  I am currently  looking for either a pair of over trousers that are light weight but resilient enough to stand up to the job or a pair of trousers that are splash / light shower proof, comfy fit (so preferably not a mens cut) and also tough enough to last.

Whatever they are, they need to last more than a season.  Watch this space and I will let you know if I manage to find some.

The whole winter seems to have been dictated by grey skies and rain.   Weather that found me sat in a coffee shop with a very large and very "not on the diet plan" Hot Chocolate DELUXE  whilst I waited for the spare tyre to be re-attached to the truck after a spot of serious off roading at my last Field Trial of the season.

So whilst I swirled my chocolate flakes and marshmallows round in the milk chocolate goo, I thought about how far my photography has come in the last two years and what I have learnt along the way.

Not the "rule of thirds" or the "ISO triangle" but mistakes I've made, lessons I have learnt and things that I absolutely do not leave home without.

So in no particular order.....

 

ESSENTIALS

SKIN !!

I don't enjoying wearing gloves... full stop.  I don't like wearing them when I wash up, when I am doing the gardening or when I am working the camera.  This does however cause me some issues.

Last year I worked through the winter without even thinking about it, and one particular day my hands were so cold and wet  that I ended up operating the camera virtually on muscle memory, I had to trust that my fingers knew what they were doing !!!. By the time I finished my hands were scarlett and frozen almost to the point of Chilblains.

The result of having such cold and wet hands was very sore, dry and chapped skin, which eventually split and became extremely painful eventually hindering the use of the camera.  I was left with no alternative but to have gloves in the pocket and shove them on as soon as there was a lull in shooting.

So this year I swore this wouldn't happen.  So far so good... I have found a very lovely and hard working hand cream with hemp, which i use in the evenings, the mornings and before I put my "gloves" on !!

The gloves I refer to are surgical gloves.  Strong enough to handle a day in the field, they keep my hands dry, waterproof but fine enough for me to use the camera.  If my hands start to get very cold, I can slip a pair of fingerless gloves over the top.

So, waterproof, lightweight gloves and hand cream are the first two items on my list ... followed very closely by Lip Balm.  

In fact I will turn the car round and head back home to collect a pot of vaseline or a Chapstick if I forget to put it in the camera bag.  There is nothing worse than the irritating, itchy soreness caused by chapped lips which, without the balms, are only soothed by that childlike licking which just serves to make them even worse.

Now I am just waiting for someone to design a lanyard that will carry my Chapstick next to my whistle !!!

FAST FORWARD TO 2016 ....

Well what a rapid fire end to 2015 .. lots of orders, lots of calendar sales, lots going on and so much to look forward to for 2016.

The New Year always heralds a date with The Holderness, and already I can't wait until the next time we meet up... 

THE HUNT

WAITING...

SETTING OFF...

RANK & FILE

THE HOUNDS

THE SHOOT

It has been great spending time out this season on a local shoot, not only has it been great getting to meet new people but also to see some of the dogs I have watched training all summer now being put through their paces, and some for the the first. 

IT OFTEN PAYS TO EYES IN THE FRONT, BACK AND SIDES OF YOUR HEAD.  THIS WAS A REAL CASE OF "DUCK"

HAPPY DAYS FOR YOUNG BARNEY WORKING HIS FIRST SEASON

THE GALLOPS ...

A new adventure for 2016 .. I have decided to take a set of Equine Portrait and action shots.  I am looking to cover a number of disciplines from dressage, point to point, show jumping and regular hack ..... 

Watch this space for special commission rates and portrait days

EARLY MORNING GALLOPS

YARD TIME

PORTRAITS

 And then a couple of Puppy Shoots ...

COCKER POWER ...

SWEET SPRINGERS