Jenny Bateman

Jenny was born in Alberta, but her parents moved to Westbank, BC when she was young. Being an only child, she found a connection with animals and loved exploring the backwoods near her home. She discovered a dude ranch and started working there, not even questioning the lack of pay because she loved everything about it. But life circumstances took her and her mom back to Alberta. Luckily, she got a job at another ranch through family connections. Jenny spent years working and living in Calgary, but her free spirit was gradually getting tired of the city hustle. A visit to Kimberley BC with some friends made her realize what she was missing in her life. She moved to the small town of Kimberley and it was there, with the encouragement of her husband, that she decided to follow her dream of becoming a photographer. While mostly self-taught, she received guidance from her friend Julie-Anne Davies and other photographers who were always ready to help. The open and accepting world of photographers helped her confirm that she was in the right place. After shooting the Cranbrook Rodeo, Jenny discovered her true passion for Western Lifestyle and Horse photography. Meeting her friends who own global outdoor travel opened her eyes to the opportunities that awaited or could be created by a photographer like herself. Over the past couple of years, Jenny has made some meaningful connections in the community, allowing her to experience and capture the authenticity of Western living in the Kootenays. One thing that Jenny shares with the country folk is her love and admiration for the horse. Whether she is shooting a rodeo, horse sale photos, or wandering the backcountry capturing wild horse images for her fine art collection, she never feels like it's a job. Every day, it's a dream come true and something she is forever thankful to be able to do. Years ago, she came across a quote by Robert Frank that resonated with her deeply. The quote reads, "There is one thing the photograph must contain, the humanity of the moment." Since then, she has endeavoured to apply this principle to all of the images she captures.