BEAST SIDE
From our cover star Alfie the donkey to Stumpy on Minchinhampton Common, Gloucestershire photographer Kitty Juggins has captured the very distinctive characters of some of our favourite Cotswold animals
“Iam an amateur photographer who has been fortunate enough to be born and raised in beautiful Gloucestershire. I have grown up surrounded by stunning countryside and immersed in the outdoors lifestyle, sparking a passion for animals, and leading to me becoming a keen horse rider and owner.
When I was very young, I picked up my Dad’s compact camera on a walk and experimented with landscape photography for the first time. Consequently, I have never put a camera down since and have developed a strong interest in capturing day-to-day life in the Cotswolds. It made complete sense for me to combine my two greatest interests - animals and photography - and subsequently much of my photography these days is animal based. As I grow as a person, my photography follows me on this journey and evolves with me, showing the experiences of my life in their natural form.
I particularly love that sharing my unique perspective on the world and animals around us through photography is capable of bringing a smile to someone’s face, especially when I can offer an alternative outlook to a local scene that may be ingrained in someone’s memory, or otherwise share moments that people may relate to.
Photography allows us to freeze a split-second in time; I have always loved to capture action shots, such as a horse flying over a jump or a dog bounding through long grass towards me. I also have great fun with capturing the not-so-perfect moments, as I believe there is so much enjoyment and hilarity
in a photo of a dog with ears flapping or their tongue lolling out to the side! I find that sometimes these ‘outtakes’ can truly express the character of an animal or evoke an emotion in the viewer in a way that traditional studio portraits frequently cannot.”