AMERICAN SPORTING HERITAGE: CONTEMPORARY HUNTERS + THEIR GUNS DOGS
2012 - 2014

Hunting requires humility, which is what attracted me to this series. There is a transformation that hunters undergo in which they temporarily shed their human coil, entering into a primal dialogue with animals, the environment, and the immediacy of their senses. Experiencing all of this beside them is their gun dog, and I became incredibly curious about the intimacy that existed within that bond.

I traveled California on and off for two years, spending many very early mornings meeting complete strangers in the middle of dark fields, observing them in near silence as they calmly and joyfully became part of the landscape. Though typically a very private community, these hunters welcomed me into their world with the hopes of removing a greater sense of being misunderstood. The culmination of this project was a solo exhibit at The National Sporting Library and Museum in Virginia, and an artist's talk.

“The resulting series of hunting portraits is intimate, vibrant and fresh, yet has a modern appeal. In essence, Freidin is preserving two traditions – the art of analog photography and the generations-old experience of hunting. Through his camera lens, Freidin invites the viewer to join him in contemplating the question, “Why do people still hunt today?” and explore the relationship between the contemporary hunter, his gun dog and the modern landscape." - Elite Equestrian Magazine