About  Esther Towler  

One of the most beautiful sights in the world to me is a horse running without restraint. The power and emotion of that wild, unrestrained movement — that's what drew me to photography and continues to fuel my creative practice.

Horses embody freedom, beauty, and spirit in a way that stirs something deep within us. When I photograph them, I'm not just capturing an image — I'm witnessing a moment of pure wildness, a reminder of what we risk losing in our increasingly managed world.

My passion extends beyond the horse to the landscapes they inhabit and the wild places that are disappearing around us. I'm drawn to photograph endangered environments threatened by overdevelopment and modern living, preserving their beauty before they vanish. These landscapes hold the same untamed spirit as the horses that roam them, and through my lens, I celebrate both the creatures and the wild spaces they call home.

Wild Hearts was born from six years of travelling across Britain, seeking out rare native horse breeds in their natural habitats. Each journey took me to remote moorlands, windswept islands, and ancient landscapes where these horses have lived for centuries. The project became more than documentation; it became a love letter to these animals and the wild places they inhabit, a reminder that we must protect what remains before it's gone.

Now, with Elemental, I'm exploring wildness through process itself — creating environmental cyanotypes, plein air Saddleworth Moor in the Pennines. Using site-specific materials gathered on location - moorland grasses, heather, ferns - and washing each piece in peat bog water from the moor itself, I'm documenting the landscape across all four seasons. The ancient chemistry of the bog interacts with the light-sensitive emulsion to create unique, unrepeatable imprints that capture the essence of place. It's experimental, site-specific, and deeply connected to the land.

And with Horses of Holy Isle, I continue documenting three rare herds of Eriskay ponies - one of Britain's rarest native horse breeds - living wild on Holy Isle, Scotland. The project began in 2023 and draws me back each year to witness their lives across the seasons. These semi-feral ponies roam completely free on this sacred Scottish island, living without human interference in a way almost unique within the UK.

Working across lens-based photography, camera-less cyanotype, and photo-encaustic mixed media allows me to express different facets of wildness. Sometimes I need the clarity of a photograph to document rare breed horses. Sometimes I need the tactile, layered quality of photo-encaustic art to express movement and emotion. And sometimes I need the alchemy of cyanotype printing — sun, water, plant material — to create something entirely abstract and elemental.

In Eastern spiritual traditions, there's a concept of the Windhorse — a creature that exudes powerful positive energy, capable of influencing outcomes and society. I find this deeply moving, and I like to think that each piece I create carries a little of that spirit within it. Every horse I photograph is unique and special to me, and through my art, I hope to share their beauty, light, and essence with those who seek their own connection to the wild.

I care deeply about the natural world and the fragile environments where these horses live. I believe art has the power to connect us emotionally and inspire change. Through my work, I aim to capture beauty and vulnerability, raising awareness while inviting contemplation, creating space for people to pause, reconnect, and remember the wild spirit that lives within us all.

Whether you're drawn to my work because you love horses, because you care about conservation, or simply because you're seeking beauty and connection — thank you for being here. Every piece I create is an invitation to witness wildness, to celebrate freedom, and to honour what matters most before it slips away.