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Combining her love of photography and farming has been a winning strategy for Amy Bateman, with diversifications built around the picturesque Cumbrian farm.

Amy’s passion for British farming has been a key driver, giving her a unique perspective for sharing farming’s story with the British public.

After winning the major title of British Life Photographer of the Year, Amy and her husband sat down to create a business plan capitalising on the win, conscious of farming subsidies being reduced.

This started with photography tours on-farm, before installing two luxury glamping pods to offer photography holidays.

The business has a unique selling point; learning about photography surrounded by nature. There is an on-farm studio in a stable, and the business offers photography days at Lake District farms, including their own.

Amy’s book Forty Farms was published in September 2022, bringing her work to a wider audience and sharing the reality of British farming. Alongside the book has been a photography exhibition which has toured the country, bringing the beauty of the
countryside, Amy’s work, and her business, to a larger number of people.

“My diversification is not just about adding an income stream; I want to add value to British farming,” she says.

She plans to release another book in September 2025. While they have run the businesses independently, the farming backdrop was essential to the success of the photography course, and the other diversification elements complemented the  photography.

As an image-based business, social media has been key for attracting customers. Amy’s book has also helped to bring in customers to the photography courses.

Sustainability was also a key focus for Amy, with the public demanding ‘guilt-free holidays’, using local suppliers, green cleaning equipment and producing solar energy on-farm.