PHOTOGRAPHER Kirstie Handley, of Eaglescliffe, documented fox hunting before, during and after the controversial Bill was passed four years ago.

Some of these pictures are included in this weekend’s mixed exhibition at Spectrum Framing and Gallery, Thirsk, In November, 2004, Ms Handley, 37, followed the Bilsdale Farmers and West of Yore hunts to present the sport from a genuine and honest perspective – capturing the community spirit and rural life behind it.

Her pictures have already achieved critical acclaim in the British Journal of Photography for this work.

“I am interested in lifestyles within British culture, in particular those that reflect rural communities, so this was a dream for me,” she said.

Ms Handley specialised in social documentary work following an early career in press photography and an honors degree in the subject.

The exhibition offers a selection of prints from two years of study towards her degree.

It documents the life of the hunt through people and their experiences within the context of the ban.

Her work forms part of a mixed exhibition which opens today and continues tomorrow and on Sunday. A percentage of sales will go to Carlton Lodge Outdoor Centre, near Thirsk.

Other exhibitors include Wendy Gibson-Brown (mixed media), Rob Lewis (photographer), Diane Miller (silk paintings), Mike Dobson (watercolours) and John Gabler (contemporary furniture).