Forty Farms - Conversations about change in the landscapes of Cumbria

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Forty Farms from British Life Photographer of the Year, Amy Bateman, opens in the Gallery at Rheged, Penrith from today (Fri) to January 4 2023. Our family farm, some of our wonderful producers, and our farming friends, feature in a brand new exhibition offering a unique insight into the everyday lives, fears and hopes of 40 extraordinary farmers throughout Cumbria. Fell Foot Farm, Little Langdale, and 'Lakeland Farm Visitor Centre', Ings – Beef, education, hospitality, sheep

These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience – the local community. Image credit: Amy Bateman - Forty Farms) If you could only use one camera and lens forever, what would it be? Nibthwaite Grange (‘Dodgson Wood’), Crake Valley near Coniston – Arts & crafts, beef, sheep, tourism

Over the course of a year, Photographer of the Year Amy Bateman, has captured the stories of farms across Cumbria, to create this beautiful book and a visual record of farming at a period of profound change. The farmer and photographer behind the Forty Farms book and exhibition took a little time recently to talk to B4RN. It has allowed us to improve our farm business through the implementation of Wi-Fi heat detection ankle bands on our herd, and thus improving our business productivity.

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. After lambing 1300 ewes a good film is what I want to watch and because we have B4RN that is no problem. Just enables me and my family to get on. I’m attracted to slightly broken people who have a desire to get fixed.” Con O’Neill talks to Northern Soul The book has evolved into the Forty Farms Exhibition, offering 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.Forty Farms is the concept of my publisher and editor, who’s called Dave Felton, and he has a Cumbrian publishing house called Inspired by Lakeland. He approached me in November 2020 and said, ‘I’ve got an idea for a book and you’re my first choice. A photography book on farming’. You get a very well massaged ego when somebody approaches you like that. And so I said, ‘Ohhhh gosh, yes! That sounds good!’ The idea for Forty Farms was devised by publisher and Lake District enthusiast, David Felton of Inspired by Lakeland. He approached me about creating the book together. 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.

Lakeland Arts is a registered charity and the funding we receive from Gift Aid makes a significant difference to our organisation. 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. The book and the exhibition are at the heart of Forty Farms but there’s lots more happening too – I’ve been a bit overwhelmed by the enthusiasm for this concept, for the images and, at the heart of it all, for the stories of Forty Farms. A polarizer: Kase magnetic filters and polarisers are absolute game changers. They make it so fast to pop them on and take them off. I can't be faffing, screwing things in, putting extension holders and filter holders on my camera. But with Kase magnetic filters and polarisers, you just slap them on – job done. I’m very impressed with these, so they’re definitely in my essential kit.The first 100 books sold will include a free signed image kindly printed by photography printing specialists Fotospeed . My photography work is only done in school hours. The rest of the time, I'm determined to be around for my children. And so, there's a big compromise between being a commercial photographer and being a mum. I’ve turned significant commissions down as I can't travel to far flung places or have the ease of working to my own schedule. When seeing other people's photographs of sunrises, I need to remind myself that I have three young girls and I’m married to a farmer. My dedication to my family and farm makes capturing photographs of sunrises difficult, so I’ll just wait and over time I will have opportunities to capture those images. And of course I make the most of our land here at home, on my doorstep.

Photographer Amy Bateman says, “I’m absolutely thrilled to be working with Lakeland Arts to bring Forty Farms to Windermere Jetty Museum for its first stop on its national tour. It’s so important to me to tell the stories of the people and landscape of Cumbria and what a spectacular location to continue the exhibition’s journey, right on the shores of Windermere.” Dalefoot Farm (‘Dalefoot Composts’), Heltondale near Penrith – Compost, peatland restoration, sheep

B4RN Interview: Forty Farms Photographer Amy Bateman

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.