Film photography with the New Forest Ponies

It’s time for my first film blog circle of 2014 and what better way to start than to post some New Forest film photography! The New Forest is a very special area in the south coast of England, between Southampton and Bournemouth.  Previously a royal hunting ground, today it is enjoyed by many as a natural park, a particular feature of which are the “wild” ponies (and cattle and pigs) that roam wild and free!  The ponies are owned by New Forest Commoners who are generally people who live in a small holding within the forest and whose holding has been granted the rights of common pasture.  So although the ponies are technically not free, they do roam around the forest most of the time, only being rounded up once in the autumn for health checks, branding (which comes in the form of tail clipping), and to check stocks for breeding.  The ponies are very inquisitive, specially if they think you might have food for them!  Be advised that feeding the ponies is against the law for their own safety and safety of the public.  I didn’t have food on my when I took these photos, but my goodness, I nearly got mobbed when I opened my camera bag to change lenses!

film photogrpahy in Hampshire

portrait of a new forest pony in the sun

new forest pony in winter by jenny owens

Jenny Owens film photography in the New Forest

black pony backlit shot on portra 160    backlit beech leaves shot on kodak portra 160
friendly new forest ponies

stormy skies in winter in the New Forest

Camera used is canon eos3, film is kodak portra 160, lab is UK Film Lab.

I love this part of the world.  The New Forest is a beautiful place to have a photosession so do get in contact if you’d like to schedule one! And although it is called the New Forest, the area also has a lot of scrubland, some of which is covered in heather (see my wedding blog here for a film shoot in the New Forest heather).  If you’d like to see more film photography, then do visit Jen Golay’s blog here and then work your way around our very small blog circle for this month.