Girls and Their Toys – A Day Behind the Lens
One of the joys of photography is discovering stories that quietly challenge our assumptions.
Spend a day at a clay shooting ground, and you quickly realise this isn't about stereotypes. It isn't about men in tweed discussing cartridges over a bacon sandwich. It's about people who love a sport that demands concentration, discipline, patience and respect.
On this particular day, what really caught my attention wasn't the shooting itself—it was the women.
Hence the slightly tongue-in-cheek title...
Girls and Their Toys.
Before anyone reaches for the comments section, no, these aren't toys. They're beautifully engineered sporting firearms, treated with enormous respect by the people who own and use them. The title simply reflects the enthusiasm we all have for our hobbies. Photographers become obsessed with cameras and lenses. Cyclists with bikes. Anglers with rods. Clay shooters? They appreciate a beautifully balanced shotgun just as much.
And that's perfectly okay.
Confidence Looks Different on Everyone
One of the first images I made was of a shooter walking confidently towards the stand, shotgun broken open over her arm, flat cap pulled low and shooting glasses catching the light.
She isn't posing.
She isn't trying to look dramatic.
She's simply walking with quiet confidence.
As photographers, we're always searching for authentic moments, and this was one of them. The relaxed posture says everything about someone completely at home in their environment.
Total Concentration
When the referee calls "Pull", everything changes.The conversations stop.
The smile disappears.
Every ounce of concentration becomes focused on a tiny clay travelling at astonishing speed.
Several of these photographs capture that exact moment.
The cheek pressed firmly into the stock.
One eye fixed down the rib.
The finger poised.
The upper body perfectly balanced.
Whether someone had been shooting for twenty years or twenty minutes, that intense focus was exactly the same.
As a photographer, these are wonderful moments to freeze because they reveal determination without needing words.
Style Meets Function
One thing that struck me throughout the day was how individual everyone looked.
Wide-brimmed hats.
Wax jackets.
Leather boots that had clearly seen plenty of muddy mornings.
Colourful ear protection.
Vintage scarves.
There is a style to country sports that develops naturally. It's practical first, but there's no denying it photographs beautifully.
One image of a lady standing with her Springer Spaniel could almost have been lifted from a country clothing catalogue. Yet nothing about it felt staged.
The dog sits patiently.
The owner watches quietly.
The colours all complement one another.
Sometimes the best portraits happen simply because people are comfortable being themselves.
More Than Just Guns
If you look beyond the obvious, clay shooting isn't actually about guns.
It's about people.
It's about friendships.
It's about shared experiences.
One photograph shows a young woman carrying her shotgun while laughing with friends between stands.
Another captures someone kneeling to talk gently to a Labrador, completely forgetting that anyone is holding a camera nearby.
These moments tell us far more about the day than another photograph of a clay exploding ever could.
Photography isn't always about recording what happened.
Sometimes it's about recording how something felt.
Every Detail Has a Story
I always enjoy photographing the small things.
A pair of beautifully crafted over-and-under shotguns resting on a picnic table.
Leather slips worn smooth from years of use.
The colours fascinated me.
Yellows. Blues. Purples. Reds.
Against weathered timber and gravel, they created little abstract compositions that many people simply walked past.
These details help build the story of the day. They are the supporting cast that gives context to the portraits and action photographs.
The Real Professionals
Then there are the dogs.
They probably deserve top billing.
One Springer Spaniel proudly charging back with a dummy in its mouth could easily steal the entire collection. Ears flying, feet barely touching the ground, eyes fixed ahead—it perfectly captures everything people love about working gundogs.
Another image shows a Springer calmly sitting beside its owner, waiting patiently for whatever comes next.
There is enormous trust between handler and dog.
That relationship is obvious even to someone who knows very little about the sport.
As photographers, we're often told never to work with children or animals because they rarely do what you expect.
Personally...
I rather like the unpredictability.
Why I Photograph Days Like This
People often ask what I enjoy photographing most.
People doing something they genuinely love.
Whether it's a steam rally, a carriage driving competition, a theatre performance or a clay shoot, enthusiasm is infectious.
You don't need to understand every technical detail of the activity.
You simply need to recognise passion when you see it.
That passion appears in body language.
Expressions.
Concentration.
Friendship.
Small conversations.
Shared smiles.
That's where the real photographs live.
Final Thoughts
The title Girls and Their Toys was chosen with a smile, but the photographs tell a much richer story.They show confident sportswomen enjoying their chosen pastime.
They show beautifully trained dogs doing what generations have been bred to do.
They show craftsmanship—in the equipment, the clothing and the skills developed through years of practice.
Most of all, they remind us that every hobby has its enthusiasts. Whether your "toy" is a camera, a classic car, a fishing rod, a motorbike or a shotgun, the passion behind it is remarkably similar.
As photographers, our job isn't simply to document what people do.
It's to reveal why they love doing it.
And I hope these photographs do exactly that.
Comments
Post a Comment