Documentary

Home Straight

Photographer Mike Butt explores the underground community and sport of pigeon racing.

Home Straight is a photo series which explores the underground community and sport of pigeon racing. The story is based around is Nicola Gay and racing partner Bill Silk. Nicola is a single mum and was looking for a way to meet new people in the area, and a hobby to keep her active and social.

Pigeon fancying is an extremely inclusive sport, and within a few weeks of joining her local club, Worle East, Nicola had found companionship and friendship with many of the members. Some members even donated their birds to Nicola so that she could kick-start her hobby. The sport has given Nicola a purpose and introduced her to many new faces in the area.

All the individuals featured within the project are members of the Worle East Club

Baz showing off his most recent purchase
Inside the Lofts
Nic with her prized bird, assessing the condition
Phil holds his prized bird
Leon prepares to take the birds to a race
The youngest fanciers
A young bird is given a flight to see if it is race conditioned
Magic
Champion
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The photographer

Mike Butt

Mike Butt is a documentary photographer whose work often focuses on social and environmental influences, exploring how people are influenced by their surroundings.

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