Photographer sets sail for UK equine adventure

June marks the UK’s month-long nature campaign 30 Days Wild and there are few things wilder than setting sail to photograph the free-roaming horses living right here on the UK’s islands.

That’s exactly what Brimpton photographer Karen Bennett and her husband Mark have set out to do, aiming to travel from Yarmouth Harbour all the way to the Faroe Islands by the end of the summer, completing a series of breathtaking photography shoots in many locations along the way.

Karen and Mark are documenting their remarkable journey, which can be followed on Instagram @saltpotsailing.

Professional photographer and former amateur jockey Karen is taking to UK waters in search of the free-roaming horses and ponies making their homes right on our doorstep. Karen and her husband Mark, have embarked on the ambitious journey aboard their sailing boat SaltPot, travelling around the UK in a one-of-a-kind photography adventure. Their goal is to capture a series of breathtaking images that celebrate these beautiful animals in their natural environment, and so far the trip has certainly delivered.

Having successfully completed the first leg of their journey from Yarmouth to Oban accompanied along the way by a dolphin entourage, the couple set sail again on Saturday, heading to the Outer and Inner Hebrides with the hope of photographing wild horses, before going on to the Orkney Islands.

The third and final leg of their remarkable journey will take place in August, when they are planning to push on to the Shetland Islands before attempting to reach as far as the Faroe Islands.

On the journey so far, Karen said: “It really has been a fast and furious start to our adventure. Some days we sail from 4am until dark to give ourselves the best chance to reach our next location, which is both exhilarating and exhausting!

We need to be prepared for anything because we really are in the hands of the elements, and the animals appear and disappear in the blink of an eye. So far we’ve been incredibly fortunate with our windows of opportunities, with successful shoots on Logan’s Rock, on Lundy and Holy Island.”

Visit their Instagram diary @saltpotsailing to follow the remarkable highs, lows and everything in between.