It's been almost two years since my first and last visit to Bamburgh, Northumberland, and once again I arrived at the crack of dawn to photograph the sunrise. On that occasion, back in 2011, it was a very cold October morning, and I was fortunate that my 140 mile round trip was rewarded with a nice sunrise. So, after a fairly long absence it was time to make a repeat journey North on the A1(M), but would I be as lucky on my second jaunt? Well, if the truth be told, it was far from a cracker, but I made the most of what was served up. I arrived at the small village of Bamburgh at around 5.15am, after leaving Houghton around 4ish, so I had about 40 minutes play time before the show started. This gave me ample time to assess the location once again, and on this occasion the glow on the horizon suggested the sun was about to rise further north, up the coast, unlike my previous visit when the sun rose directly behind Bamburgh Castle. As most determined photographers are aware, the sun rises and sets at different points on the horizon during the change in seasons, so it was a simple case of adapting by choosing a location to shoot from to get the shots I wanted. I made the decision not to shoot on the sands, as on my previous visit, but to take up position on the rocks at the Embleton end of Bamburgh Beach. I was in company once again, as a small pack of photographers arrived at the roadside as I began to set my gear up. Soon they dispersed and took up positions of their own, with two or three setting up their stall on the same rocks as myself. It was friendly enough, as is always the case when a pack of snappers are chasing the light, with the occasional bit of banter being exchanged as we waited for the sun to make an appearance. And as sunrise was almost upon us, more last minute photographers arrived, scurrying about in a frenzied rush, not wanting to miss a slice of the action. By this time I'd reeled in my first batch of shots and the sun was still to come, so I was up and running and feeling quite pleased with my effort so far.
When the sun finally appeared the shutters were tripping all around me, which was expected. We were all in full flow by this time and making the very most of the conditions in front of us. It was a good 'un, once again. As the sun lifted further, and the light increased dramatically, one by one the like-minded folk on the rocks packed up and headed back to their cars. I decided a walk along the beach was a good idea, so off I went, lugging my rather heavy backpack as I trudged slowly over wet sand. Their were some good lead-in lines along the sand, with nice texture, so I made a couple of brief stops to capture the scene, as you can see below, including the Castle reflection.
In the distance, along the sands, dog walkers and others were taking advantage of the situation. There was a clear blue sky above, with little or no breeze and a calm outgoing tide to boot, which was ideal. I photographed a family, walking in the distance, with a nice sandy lead-in, which you can also see below. Well, it looks like I struck lucky once again. Two out of two at Bamburgh, and I was well chuffed with the pictures I had made.
And as I depart once again, I'll stop the prattle, always preferring to let my pictures 'Do the talking',
so here they are. I hope you like them.
Until my next excursion...
Ash
(Click an image to reveal enlarged version)
Autumn colours were on display once again as 2013 geared up to it's final season that is Winter. I only made one journey out with the camera in search of a nice Autumn shot, and that was a morning visit into the Land Of The Prince Bishops - County Durham. Although Autumn only yielded one set of shots for me, I was more than happy with the results. In fact, one of them is earmarked for a magazine cover next year, so I hope to find a taker for this one, as it's too late to expect anyone to publish an Autumn shot now, especially with the Winter mags hitting the shops in the next couple of weeks. My visit to Durham was one that I had done a little research on in the days leading up to it. I waited for a bright sunny day to capture those colours at their peak, along with a focal point that simply had to be Durham Cathedral. I found myself deep in a wooded area overlooking Durham City Centre, looking for that perfect viewpoint. In the woods I stumbled across a young Australian girl who was sitting admiring the open view in front of her. She said 'Hello' as I was about to walk past, and I stopped briefly to chat about the stunning view (of the landscape, not her). I told her I was hoping to find a nice viewpoint to photograph the Cathedral from, and she told me to keep following the path I was on, until I reached a bench down the hill. She went on to say 'Once you reach the bench you'll see it all in front of you, I'll say no more'. I was well intrigued. I thanked her and swiftly moved on, looking for the bench in question. I found it in sharp time. As for the view, here it is, absolutely spot on...
