Fancy That
Meet the Londoners Raising and Racing Pigeons
a photo essay by Mecha Morton, Elephant Gun
By the early nineteenth century pigeons were carrying, within Britain and across the English Channel, everything from vital military news to market prices to the results for gambling syndicates.
To this day, pigeon racing remains a long-standing, quintessentially British tradition with her majesty, The Queen as its devoted patron. Steeped in history and tradition, U.K. pigeon fancy clubs boast active membership of 60,000 fanciers; 42,000 of which are active flyers during the April to September racing season.
Fancy That is an ongoing project by Mecha Morton centered around the ancient art of competitive pigeon racing, its innumerable quirks, and the fascinating lives of its skilled fanciers, told in a visually informative and entertaining way.
Mecha Morton
After her art teacher said she had a knack for taking pictures, Mecha Morton’s interest in photography was pursued further through a specialist photography pathway in her foundation diploma. This spurred her on to achieve a BA (Hons) in Photography at Nottingham Trent University before beginning life as a press photographer based in Suffolk.
Aside from her professional life, Morton never goes anywhere without a camera creating the street and documentary images she is so passionate about. For Morton documenting life as it happens, whether humorous or sombre is what it’s all about. Often her work is highlighted by the structural aspects around the fascinating characters she finds.
More recently, Morton has been experimenting with photography in art form, staging unusual sights in standout locations. Morton’s portfolio is fast becoming as varied as her press work.
View more of Morton’s work on 750grain.com and Tumblr .
All images © Mecha Morton. All Rights Reserved
ELEPHANT GUN is a global, contemporary collective telling compelling stories via multimedia. ELEPHANT GUN, headquartered in Atlanta, operates across 11 countries in more than 15 cities. Follow on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook.
