On a chilly January morning, I visited the yard of international three-day event rider Tom Rowland for a commercial photoshoot with the exciting new equestrian clothing brand Wolf London.
Wolf London is the creation of founder Andre Gardiner, also an eventer, who found himself frustrated with the lack of high-quality men’s equestrian wear. The name and logo of the company are inspired by his husky Storm, who featured on the shoot as the brand’s four-legged ambassador.
My first meeting with Andre was somewhat dramatic. Many years ago I was assisting at a polo match for Cirencester Park Polo Club, when a call went out from the field-side paramedic’s radio that someone in an arena neighbouring the grounds had fallen off their horse. I went to go help and keep the patient still before an ambulance arrived to take him to hospital. That person was Andre, who had gone out the side door and into the arena fence, face first. Ouch. Fortunately, he only walked away with a broken nose and a few stitches.
Cut to 6 years later, I am exhibiting at the Cotswold Cup Championships at Cirencester Park and a familiar face walks past my stand. We both did a comical double-take as we realised that we recognised each other, and later Andre visited my stand and told me all about his new business he was launching; Wolf London and how he was looking for a photographer.
I was so excited to bring his vision to life and we planned a ‘day-in-the-life’ style commercial photoshoot for the Winter, ready for the big launch on 10th January 2024. We wanted to tell the story of the brand through a collection of images, taking the viewer from opening their iconic ice-blue WL box to using the products in real-life scenarios. The team at Wolf London have carefully chosen products that can go from the stables to the streets, meeting the comfort, style, fit and aesthetic that men desire.
The Shoot
Tom Rowland, who competes at 5* level, is Wolf London’s first brand ambassador – you can read all about his journey with the brand here. We used his beautiful base in Ampney Knowle, near Cirencester, as the location for the shoot.
Tom’s yard has this stunning tree-lined drive that served as the perfect starting point for the shoot and we were blessed with gorgeous morning light throughout the shoot. I made sure to get a mix of perspectives and crops so that it will be easy for Andre to choose images for the website, social media and print.
Our equine model for the day was Tom’s stunning grey Dreamliner, who he plans to compete at Badminton Horse Trials 2024. We got a few shots as Tom warmed up before popping over the classic British flag jump for some incredible action shots that tied in nicely to Wolf London’s luxury British design.
We even took the time to get a few shots of Andre with Storm so he could put a face to his business. If you want to learn more about this exciting new brand, do check out their website here (and see more of my images on there!).
Andre had these kind words to say after our shoot:
“Wolf London launched in January 2024 and I knew that I wanted to capture the right images that shaped the direction of the company. It was very important to me that I pick a photographer that worked in and around horses and who had experience of shooting within these settings. Fast forward to a wet and muddy Badminton in 2023, I spotted Joss Ridley Photography and then again at the Cotswold Cup later that year in Cirencester Park. After talking with Joss, her bubbly and charismatic personality really made it a pleasure to work with her. She knew exactly what I was trying to articulate and really helped to develop the story I wanted to portray for the brand. Not to mention her patience with the photoshoot slipping from November to January to ensure we got that perfect day! And we did. Joss will now be at every key milestone and shoot for the brand as we grow”.
Looking to bring your brand to life with a commercial photoshoot?
From classic product photography to editorial images; I would love to tell the story of your brand. Each shoot is designed bespoke to your needs, with options for half-day and full-day shoots. If you have no idea where to start, then don’t worry – I work with each client to produce a comprehensive shoot brief and can source everything from locations to models if required.
To find out more please email info@jossridley.co.uk or call 07788282126.
