Forty Farms - Conversations about change in the landscapes of Cumbria

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I think also, there's something about photography of farmland that is quite unique. You kind of have to open your eyes a little bit more. I mean, landscape photographers do use the same leading lines of walls and fences, or gateways and openings that open a door or lead the viewer into your image. But then if you've got animals in your image, it changes the focus of the subject. A lot of people generally overlook the animals and consider them just part of the bigger composition. I generally tend to make the animals more part of the image and I like to add an element of storytelling to my images. The animals are essential because I'm photographing farm life, not only a part of it. Could you tell us more about the "Forty Farms" project? This March experience a photographic exhibition documenting the stories of 40 Cumbrian farmers at Windermere Jetty Museum in the Lake District.

I think the thing about documentary photography for me is that it's about telling the story. For farm photography in particular, it's different. It's not necessarily a wildlife photograph or a landscape. You're telling a story about what's actually happening in front of you. It's those elements of storytelling; your composition, the light, your leading lines, and the interaction of your subject with its environment. The Forty Farms exhibition offers a unique insight into the everyday lives, fears and hopes of 40 extraordinary farmers, through photography, film, and words. Derwentwater dawn (Image credit: Amy Bateman - Forty Farms) How did you go from amateur to professional photographer? 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.The exhibition is also supported by a Forty Farms Festival of talks, debates, films and creative classes, which will run from September-December, a full program diary of events will be unveiled at Rheged. It highlights independence, innovation and resilience in a post-Brexit world of declining farm subsidies, as we seek to focus on producing food closer to home, whilst balancing the drive towards net-zero, and restoring biodiversity. Image credit: Amy Bateman - Forty Farms) If you could only use one camera and lens forever, what would it be?

The accompanying conversations with farmers, often frank, sometimes funny, and occasionally painful, reflect the critical issues facing farming today.

I attended evening classes at Kendal Brewery Arts Centre completing the intermediate Digital Photography course and progressed through to the advanced course. I was hooked, read magazines and watched YouTube tutorials to constantly build on the skills I learned and put them into practice. There's always something new to learn in photography, different techniques or skills to hone, and although I've still got a lot to learn, I'm enjoying the process. Having the time and space to be creative is one of the most joyful aspects of photography. 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. Lakeland Arts is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England & Wales, company no. 8162578. Registered office Abbot Hall, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 5AL. 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.” In March 2021, British Life Photographer of the Year, Amy Bateman, embarked on a year-long journey to record the stories of 40 farms across Cumbria. One of the farms she photographed was our farm, Yew Tree Farm, Coniston.