Connemara Ponies
Nathan Dukes, 2017
County Cork, Ireland
Fujifilm X-T2, 35mm, F2, ISO200, 1/1000s
I have been fortunate enough to travel to rural Ireland quite regularly to visit my partner’s family. They love horses, and regularly travel the length of the country for agricultural shows and competitions.
I wanted to capture this part of their everyday life, so followed the family up to a nearby field
where they were moving one of their Connemara ponies, a breed popular in Ireland.
The County Cork landscape is quite beautiful. There is a sense of tranquility and slowness to the environment, almost like you inhibit a place that has stood still for centuries whilst time marched forward all around.
2020 Nathan Dukes
The overgrown hedges, the crumbling stonework, the rusted metal of the barns, and the lush green fields. Organic, purposeful and chaotic, yet peaceful.
I got a few nice photos of the family working, and was quite happy with the results. We all turned to leave, and I looked back to see the pony in this striking, statuesque pose. I didn’t even check the settings on the camera before I fired, knowing this fleeting moment would be lost forever had I hesitated for even a second.
The result was the spectacular photo you see today. The pony framed beautifully against the field and the dark forest, between the overgrown hedges and the lovely rusted gate.