28/04/2025
Just in case you don't have time to read the below π
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(The 21/04/2025 Glebe Farm SJ Show was my last for this venue)
I'll be following up with a few images & memories throughout my time there in another post, likewise, specific thanks to a few.
If there are any images you have yet to purchase or screenshot, please do so in the next couple of weeks, as I'll be clearing out online & physical space where I'm at my limit & simply can't justify paying for another plan upgrade π
βsorry but I've got 10 tonne of Ukraine aid & other Equestrian content to get through.
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'The long-winded goodbye'
Having partially grown up on this yard, believe it or not, I actually used to attend the pony camps, sleeping in the hay barn (I can still plait from those days!).
Later, I graduated to intermediate stable boy, chasing that never-ending list of yard duties β hanging on the side of the tractor for dear life, or being hoisted up to undo what felt like ten million bolts from the old farmer's barn (now MA Equestrian's stables).
Glebe was often my school pick-up point β or rather, the place I would walk from Wollaston School in the hope of securing a slightly more prompt lift from my mother. Iβve yard-sat, house-sat & dog sat Glebe. During the COVID lockdowns, the closed cafΓ© even played host to a Valentineβs date, an attempt to replicate some sense of normality in a very strange & unusual time (Literally set a table up for a candlelit dinner for two)π.
Iβve seen my fair share of history pass through this yard β different management, different liveries, different yard politics & varying levels of involvement, both chosen and obligatory, due to family ties. Glebe is also the place where I began my equestrian photography journey, a happy accident.
No matter how much I tried to escape the "hereditary involvement" in the equestrian world (& Glebe itself), somehow, I always found myself drawn back β for one reason or another.
And honestly, picking up the camera opened my eyes to my own connection to the equestrian world: the deep connection between people and horses.
Beyond the creative blood that runs through my veins, I've always had a huge passion for psychology β understanding people, & understanding myself.
While I love capturing those epic moments between horse and rider, for me, the real magic lies in what you don't always see: the bond, the healing, the calm these animals bring to people, especially those who've been through trauma, which is where my own genuine interest in the equestrian world sparked beyond the photography.
Itβs something I'll never get tired of witnessing β genuine smiles, quiet healing, and magical moments between humans and horses. That's why I've genuinely enjoyed alone time with this special animal.
Glebe will always be part of my history and my life.
But now feels like the right time to conclude my chapter & part ways.
There can sometimes be a perception that this work is financially sustainable, but what you see β three or four hours of me photographing β is only a fraction of the reality.
What you donβt see are the eight hours spent afterward, uploading, editing, and preparing everything.
The Christmas & New Year's Eve campouts were spent the majority alone, chasing a slightly faster internet data connection to get show photos online.
In all honesty, while it might seem like the money flows when you see the cost of an image, it doesnβt β and although I'd love for it to be my sole income (and be able to dedicate even more time to it), the reality is quite different.
I wouldn't have carried on this long if it were just about money.
After a while, it felt more like an obligation. Itβs been the joy of being "the memory maker" that kept me going β and admittedly, that & anyone who "truly" knows me, will know I don't give up easily.
But with all that said β it's time. Time to conclude my journey here.
While this chapter closes, the journey itself is far from over β in many ways, it is only just beginning.
I'll still remain available for private shoots & commissions, & my equestrian photography will continue to grow through new events, new faces, & new venues.
In time, perhaps even a new, more permanent home base will find me should the place, moment & people feel right.
Thank you Glebe.
π€
Lewis