Farmer and photographer Robin Mills has been capturing the lives of people from the farming community near his home north of Dorchester for a documentary photography project called Farmlife. His photographs are currently on display at Bridport Arts Centre. Robin has recently been awarded an Associateship of the Royal Photographic Society (Applied and Professional).
Robin Mills said: “My landscape photography is inspirational: my love of the land, particularly my home county, Dorset, comes from a lifetime spent in the countryside as a farmer. I consider it a huge privilege to live and work in this environment, and am constantly reminded of how precious and magical is this part of the world.
“Although working full-time as a farmer at Godmanstone, Dorset, I have been passionate about photography since 1997, after I had an accident and found myself in bed for three weeks and I started reading photography books and manuals.
“I have documented a wonderfully diverse selection of farming characters in Dorset, photographed in their working situations, showing the indomitable spirit of the rural community holding its own in a changing world. This ongoing project is intended not only as a record of a way of life under threat, but also an illustration of how farming is responding to social, economic, and political influences.
“I mostly use a medium format camera for the landscape work, and 35mm for more documentary situations, with conventional black and white film. I hand-print the photographs in the traditional way in my darkroom, on high-quality fibre-based paper, using archival processes to ensure permanence. A single print can take me four or five hours.”
Supported with funding from Chalk & Cheese, Dorset County Council, West Dorset District Council, Leader + and Defra, the exhibition runs until Saturday 2 August.
Photography exhibition:
Robin Mills: Farmlife
Bridport Arts Centre
until Saturday 2 August
Open Tuesday – Saturday 10am – 5pm
free admission
tel: 01308 424204
website: www.bridport-arts.com
