Gorgeous wool for gorgeous carpets
Take a World Champion Herdwick sheep and an award-winning Cumbrian photographer and put them together in a barn with arguably the highest quality pure Herdwick wool carpet you can buy. Such a photoshoot was always going to create something a bit special and just how special, you can see for yourself.
Posing for the camera, Gorgeous, the current World Champion Herdwick ewe, owned by Anthony Hartley of Turner Hall Farm at Seathwaite in the Duddon Valley.
Organised by the team at Wools of Cumbria Carpets, Gorgeous, the current Eskdale Show World Champion Herdwick, posed for Amy Bateman’s camera on a floor of light and dark Herdwick carpet set up in Anthony Hartley’s barn.
“We met Anthony, who farms in the Duddon Valley, some time ago and were keen to do something together to celebrate the very best of Herdwick,” says John Barraclough of Wools of Cumbria Carpets. “We knew Amy’s work as we display and sell her prints from our Cumbria Woolshed shop in Kendal so it seemed a novel idea to organise a photoshoot with her on Anthony’s farm.”
Amy Bateman created a fully lit studio environment in a barn to capture Gorgeous.
Amy brought her studio, complete with lighting, to the corner of a barn on Anthony’s farm, not quite knowing how it was all going to work out. “I’ve never photographed a sheep with full studio lights and a back drop before,” she explains, “but I practised everything possible at home before the shoot. The main challenge was showing off the fleece at its best while also achieving accurate tones for the two carpet shades.”
“When they brought Gorgeous in, they cleaned off her feet and Anthony stood with her in position and I got some great shots of her.
Initially, Gorgeous was photographed with Anthony in shot before happily posing on her own.
“She was so relaxed that we thought it worth trying some without her handler in shot and she was amazing – it was as if she was posing for the camera! I don’t think anyone’s ever captured a sheep on camera like this before but I thoroughly enjoyed it and am thrilled with the results.”
Wools of Cumbria Carpets have been creating their Herdwick Graphite range since 2008 and will be using the images of Gorgeous online and in their promotional materials in the months to come. “We set out to celebrate the best of Cumbrian Herdwick wool,” says John, “and I think Gorgeous has done her breed proud.”