Esther Towler
Esther Towler is an equine photographer who has exhibited in England, Scotland, and the United States. Notable exhibitions include shows at Frank Gallery, Ebor Studio & Gallery, and Northlight Gallery in Lancashire, PhotoPlace Gallery in Vermont, The Glasgow Gallery of Photography, and Northlight Gallery in Yorkshire. Esther’s awards include several recognitions at the British Institute of Professional Photography(BIPP), SME Global Award, and Refocus Awards. Her work has been published in Lancashire Life, Your Horse, Style Reins, Equestrian Life, and Rare Breed Survival Trust.
Majestic and beautiful, Esther’s equine photography captures wild horses in highly stimulated states, such as galloping through beaches and open terrain, or through intimate composure with each other. The audience could imagine the amount of patience one must endure in order to capture the precise moment of these horses in action or harmonic state. Some say the art of photography entails not pushing the button, anticipating the right moment for the perfect shot. Much of Esther’s works entails what could be described as prime shots, capturing horses in rare states of action and activity.
The most aesthetically pleasing and stimulating photographs in Esther’s portfolio tend to be her depictions of horses galloping, especially in groups. These equines in a state of action, against the backdrop of black and white photography, express a purity of form amongst the cropped landscape. Symbolizing strength, endurance, and stamina, these great beasts roam freely untamed and feral to human conditioning. Their natural state of mind and action, removed from human impact, remains a spirit to be cherished and celebrated through the acute documentary photography of Esther Towler.
White horses of the Camargue # 13 (pictured above) remains one of Esther’s finest photographs. The image has deep inclinations outside of nature photography and delves into Greek mythology. Esther’s photograph could be renamed Poseidon if she wished, because the piece exemplifies the Greek god of the ocean and lord of horses. In mythology, the horse and ocean are intertwined as simultaneously symbolizing the strength and power of natural elements, such as the thunder of the horses’ hoof galloping or the crashing of the ocean waves. Juxtaposing the majestic white horse in a natural state against the mythological overtones of the ocean creates a work of great aesthetic and philosophical value.
Esther Towler embarks on a journey through the wild terrains of open territory claimed by wild equines. Her determination to capture these beasts in rare states of emotion and action represents a significant development in raising awareness of human impact and the power of nature. The photography can be described as spirited and beautiful while containing thrilling analogies and metaphors based in history, philosophy, and poetry
