Forty Farms - Conversations about change in the landscapes of Cumbria

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Nibthwaite Grange (‘Dodgson Wood’), Crake Valley near Coniston – Arts & crafts, beef, sheep, tourism I remember having lessons on style in evening classes and I always thought, “How am I ever going to create a style?”. I never thought that I had a style, yet people recognize my images now and so I have realized that I do have a style – but I can only recognize it to an extent. Have quite high contrast images, more low-key than high, and focus on story-telling imagery.

Helen has appeared on Sky News, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4, BBC 6 Music, BBC Radio Manchester, BBC Radio Merseyside, BBC Radio Lancashire, BBC World Service, talkRadio, and GB News. An experienced chairperson and speaker, she regularly chairs conferences and events for, among others, literature festivals, award ceremonies, and tech shows. She was also a Guest Lecturer at Westminster University in the Department of Journalism & Mass Communication, and a Guest Lecturer at City University and at MMU. She taught Music Journalism at Salford University for a number of years, and taught Political Reporting at Huddersfield University. In 2017, she was shortlisted for Person with Purpose at the Northern Power Women Awards. In 2019, she was a judge for the HWA Gold Crown Awards which recognise the best historical novels. Forty Farms is a touring exhibition that comes to the South Lakes from Rheged Gallery in the north of the county. It opens on Saturday 4 March and runs until Sunday 4 June. Image credit: Amy Bateman - Forty Farms) What is the most challenging and rewarding part of your photography?Low Sizergh Farm (‘Low Sizergh Barn Farm Shop & Café’), Sizergh near Kendal – Dairy, horticulture, hospitality, poultry, tourism The Forty Farms exhibition offers a unique insight into the everyday lives, fears and hopes of 40 extraordinary farmers, through photography, film, and words.

We've got 900 acres – that's a lot of land to be able to capture the landscape, farm life, farm animals, nature and food production. I get to capture the behind the scenes of farm life that people rarely experience. I know our farm inside and out, where to find the March hares when they're boxing, beautiful examples of regeneration in Juniper on our fell and time it just right to capture them in the best light. Lakeland Arts is hosting an exhibition by British Life Photographer of the Year, and Cumbrian farmer, Amy Batemanin the creative spaces and gallery at Windermere Jetty Museum. Forty Farms offers a unique insight into the everyday lives, fears and hopes of 40 extraordinary farmers, through photography, products, film and words to create an immersive experience.

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There’s that old saying that an image can tell a thousand words, but there are plenty of books about farming, but a lot of those books hark to the past. A lot of those books are just written in text and we wanted almost a coffee table book but with the stories of the farmers words. With the farmers intertwined. So there’s a very strong narrative that runs through throughout it.” There will be times when part of the Forty Farms exhibition can’t be viewed temporarily because the learning centre is being used for an activity. In March 2020, British Life Photographer of the Year, and Cumbrian farmer, Amy Bateman, embarked on a journey to record the stories of Forty Farms in the Lake District and Cumbria to produce a sumptuous coffee table book.