The 8th Earl of Leicester

Earlier this summer, Spears, the wealth management magazine commissioned me to photograph the 8th Earl of Leicester at Holkham Hall, his ancestral home in Norfolk. I relished working on the project as it combined two loves of mine, portrait photography and historic architecture. Holkham is a 25,000 acre estate on the stunning north Norfolk coast, the house itself is an impressive Palladian style mansion full of opulent rooms full of world class art and antiques. The article was about the Earl’s philosophy on farming, conservation and how to preserve eco systems for future generations. His land includes sustainable farmland, a large stretch of coastland and a wetland nature reserve. We first headed to the edge of his lake to capture an image of him with Holkham Hall in the background, once done we then headed into the hall to the ‘Landscape room’ for another portrait, the room was a gallery of artists such as a Titian, Claude and Poussin and made a stunning setting. I was also tasked with capturing a portrait of Jake Fiennes who is the Head of Conservation on the estate. We headed to a bright yellow field full of different crops which was grown as animal feed, the location made for a striking image.

For more information on The 8th Earl of Leicester talk to Christopher Doyle Photography