Mission 11.01 - Lockdown & The NHS

RETRO BLOG - JUNE 2020

As we came out of national Lockdown in June 2020, it was a relief to think that life was beginning to return to normality once again. Since March of this year, the world as we know it had been struck down by Coronavirus, with over 50,000 casualties. The NHS faced unprecedented times, as they were stretched to the limit and beyond. For weeks on end, lockdown affected everyone and life was very different, with an ever increasing threat that we all faced, as Coronavirus ripped through the world.

As we came out of lockdown a semblance of normality began to surface.We were no longer tied to the confines of our homes. It was an uplifting feeling to be able to do the normal things in life once again - things that we had maybe taken for granted, at times. I headed out one night to the Tommy statue (Mission 11.01) at Seaham Harbour, County Durham. Their was no plan, other than to get some fresh air and hopefully pull in a couple of decent shots. The backdrop that was an NHS sign seemed to be the perfect exceuse to get out of the car and record a snapshot of these very strange times. After all, if it wasn't for our NHS, god only knows how worse the death toll would have been!

Ash

Good Morning Seaham!

A rare sunrise outing for Mr Corr, on a chilly February morning in the north-east of England. I'd just finished a week of night shifts at the Nissan POW camp and my body clock was again out of fettle, as I woke at 5am and joined the wide awake club once more. With hindsight, I suppose it worked out quite well, as I bagged a decent shot or two - the first shots I 'd actually taken for a number of weeks and my first of 2019. I'd been out of the loop, due to illness and one or two other personal issues, so it was nice to get  back on the horse, so to speak, although I did feel quite rusty and almost had to remind myself how to use my camera ha!

So off I went, slipping back into the photography loop, with a ten minute journey eastward, to Seaham Harbour. I had no real plan, to be fair. It was another one of those 'Suck it and see' affairs, where I drive, observe, then choose. The choice wasn't a great one either, as I had two locations on my radar. My first choice was the harbour beach ... the second was the Tommy artwork, on top, at The Green. With sunrise in mind I checked out the sky for inspiration and a clue as to which location to plump for. The harbour won the day, so I headed down the bank and through the overflow car park - eventually reaching the pier parking area, where I dropped anchor. The tide was almost high and with the sun about to rise, I wasted no time in getting sand on my wellies and into position. A lump of driftwood drew me in immediately. It was ideally placed and looking very photogenic, for what it was. I began to feel that things were already piecing together and the prospect of some colour appearing in the sky was very promising. It was now a short waiting game...

I didn't have to wait long to be rewarded. It was a great start to the morning and the pastel shades suddenly appeared in the sky, with the incoming tide lapping against my driftwood prop. To my right hand side I was distracted by a man with a dog … and a short rake. Ah well, he obviously likes his props too, eh. It's just … he wasn't a photographer as such, just a man walking a dog. So why the rake, I asked myself. Not to be distracted any further, I turned away and fired off a couple more shots. The scene unfolding in front of me was rather special!

I looked across to my right once again and noticed said dog walker crafting something in the sand, with his beloved rake. From the angle I observed from, it wasn't easy to see exactly what he was writing, but all became apparent as I stood and watched him taking a photograph of it on his mobile phone. GOOD MORNING … was his greeting in the sand. Well, as I packed up and headed back to the car I grabbed a quick shot of his work, just for the record. I really do need to thank him, as my photo of it appeared on the Tyne-Tees Television weather bulletin later that day!

All things considered, this morning was a return to my photography after a four month exile. I have to say … it was a nice return, which yielded a decent shot or two. I really need to get back into the seascape scene... especially sunrises. If only there was a way around the early morning alarm calls, eh. Now, that would be ideal. I'll just have to make more of an effort to drag me jaxey out of the fart sack more often. Until then …

Catch ya sooner, rather than later.

Ash    

Tidal Surge Hits New Heights!

Hello again,
I write my latest blog offering one week after a visit to Seaham Harbour, County Durham. A fifteen minute drive had me looking out to the North Sea, as Mother Nature kicked off big style, with huge crashing waves that battered Seaham Pier and lighthouse. Strong winds from the north, fused with ice cold temperatures, made for a challenging afternoon as I stood for an hour or so on the shore. I was armed with my Sigma 150-600mm contemporary lens, fixed to my trusty Canon 5D and supported by a very rigid set of Manfrotto legs. I was surprised at the lack of fellow photographers last Saturday. By default there's usually a mass of the like-minded, doing what comes naturally on days like these, but not today.

I wasn't alone, however. Alongside me was Phil Wright and Andrew Davison, a pair of local togs who were also members of the Sigma 150-600 fan club. Despite the cold, we soldiered on as the light dropped and sunset approached. Shortly before sundown the clouds broke and we were treated to a brief show of sunlight, which transformed our shots when the light hit the waves and lighthouse. It was game on! I stood back, firing remotely from the warmth of my jacket pocket. Those remote shutter releases are a godsend, trust me. Firing off a couple hundred shots, it was now time to head back home and check the results. Well impressed I was. All in a days work.

Cheers, Ash

Time Lapse On Tour

Hello again,

It's nice to get stuck into my blog on a regular basis after letting it fall by the wayside in recent months. There simply isn't enough hours in the day to cover everything, including work, family and other commitments. Quite often though, when I sit my arse down on the settee and there's nowt on the telly, I turn to my laptop and conjure up something to pass the time away. If it's photography related then that suits me fine, which includes writing about my outings with the camera and relaying them to Joe Public, via my blog page. Over the last year or so I've taken an interest in time lapse photography, after seeing one or two creations online and thinking to myself  'Hey, I wouldn't mind dabbling in a bit of that.' As visitors to my site may well know by now, it's not just still photography that interests me. I occasionally flirt with video, which is predominantly aerial, from my eye in the sky drone, plus the recent time lapses I've created with my GoPro action cam. It's the GoPro aspect that I'm gonna touch on today, as I bring you an insight with behind the scenes pictures and also direct links to the finished time lapse.

First of all, the tools. Last Christmas my wife bought me a GoPro Hero 5 (black edition), which was a big surprise - I certainly didn't see it coming. Well, it beats the obligatory pair of socks and a box of After Eights !!!  (Only joking Amanda, if you're reading this lol). I quickly got to grips with it and was immediately impressed at how much tech was packed into this tiny waterproof box. Although it's capable of pulling in some stunning 4K video footage, at 30 frames per second, I'm more than happy with the full HD 1920x1080p mp4's it delivers too, especially at 120 fps. The camera can be controlled through the GoPro app on my phone, which is a very handy side line, plus Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for good measure. The rear LCD touchscreen is excellent - a feature that is non-existent on previous incarnations of the GoPro cam. Also featured is a burst function at 30fps, Night Lapse and Time Lapse (photo and video). With advanced wind noise reduction, this piece of kit seems to have it all.

So off I went, with my little shoulder bag, armed with my GoPro, a tripod, and a  Rollei ePano 360 motorized swivel head, The swivel head would enable me to capture some motion time lapse, as it panned across my chosen scene. It's battery powered, with an internal rechargeable cell that would give me at least a couple of hours of shooting from a full charge. Setting up was fairly straightforward and the trickiest part, if there really was one, was levelling off the tripod legs and ball head. Keeping the panning head level as it made a 180 sweep was very important. Failure to level the legs and head correctly would almost certainly produce a poor time lapse with a bad horizon, so I double checked everything before I set the GoPro away. The pano head has a few different settings, including panning 360 degrees, panning 180 degrees from left to right and back again, plus a 90 degree pan with a 30 second pause, before panning again, pausing and panning again. No doubt I'll try all of these eventually, but right now I'm gonna pan from left to right at 180 degrees.

So, where have I visited? Well, I've ticked off a time lapse at Newcastle Quayside, the new River Wear Crossing, Seaham Pier, Sunderland's East End and Penshaw Monument, amongst others. I've put each time lapse into a compilation video and this, along with a few others, can be found on my YouTube Channel. FEEL FREE TO SUBSCRIBE !!!

This time lapse carry on is addictive and I'll be doing plenty more of them in the near future, so keep an eye out for them. Cheers.

Ash

Tidal Surge Hits Seaham Harbour Once Again

Hello again folks.

Almost a year has passed since my memorable visit to Seaham Harbour, County Durham, on a day when its pier was on the end of a rather nasty hammering by Mother Nature. The huge waves on that day were among the biggest and best I've ever seen, and it was great to have the camera over my shoulder, primed and ready for action. I remember the event as if it was yesterday. The kids running around on the windswept sands. The dog walker stopping in his tracks to watch the drama unfolding, much to the disapproval of his poor hound. The two canoeists, taking their life in their hands and battling against the incoming tide to manoeuvre forwards, between the harbour walls. Madness, to say the least. For the photographer it was one of those 'Box Office' events, as every minute that passed offered many photo opportunities. Capturing the moment unveiled itself many times over, so I couldn't go wrong, to be honest.

Fast forward 12 months and I'm having another crack at it, but this time the pier car park was locked and access was a definite no-go. Safety first - no argument there. I opted for a vantage point on a grassy outcrop, in full view of the Seaham Pier - a first for me, so I looked forward to grabbing a few shots from this angle. Around a dozen other photographers were in position around me within 15 minutes or so, some relying on tripods and others running handheld. I ran with both options, just for good measure. Wave after wave crashed in, all at different heights. You couldn't go wrong. I had an hour to kill, so I was confident of landing some keepers. It comes at a price though - the biting cold was nibbling away at my fingers, my feet, my face, and basically everything else, he he. Been there before though. Grin and bare it, I told myself. Suck that lemon and get on with it.

I had the company of Elliot Gowland, a fellow Nissan line rat and rookie photographer. I was passing on a few tips and he was pulling in some great shots as we went. His Mrs with us for a short while, before retreating to a warm car. One out of three of us has a brain!

Yes, it was a nice way to wake myself up after a week of working the night shift and feeling out of sorts. That North Sea air is one of the biggest wake up calls going. Here's a handful of shots from this afternoon's outing. No doubt I'll be doing it all again very soon, weather permitting.

Stay tuned - more blogging to follow. Take care,

AC


 

Tommy And The Pebble Poppy, Seaham Harbour

Hello again,

Visitors to my Facebook page will be well aware that one of my favourite subjects to photograph is the amazing Tommy statue, at nearby Seaham Harbour. There's something special about this piece of art and you really do get that vibe when standing next to the big man. The craftsmanship that went into this creation is there for all to see, especially on closer inspection when you can judge for yourself. I've photographed Tommy on numerous occasions, during different seasons, day and night, and in all weather conditions. 

For anyone who is unfamiliar with the statue, Tommy sits thoughtfully, head bowed, rifle in hand, as he reflects upon the sheer horror of World War One during the first minute after peace was declared in 1918. This imposing metal sculpture, entitled 1101, owing to the fact the armistice went into effect at 11am on November 11, 1918, stands 9ft 5ins tall and weighs 1.2 tonnes. Built out of special corteen steel, it has been installed on Seaham seafront in Country Durham to mark the centenary of the start of the Great War.

Created by local artist Ray Lonsdale, the sculpture is also intended to represent Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which many of the returning soldiers endured. Mr Lonsdale got his idea for the piece after hearing a story about a soldier from nearby Murton who won a war medal. Tommy was originally on loan for three months to the former colliery town, but local residents instantly took him to their hearts and raised a massive £80,000 to make him a permanent fixture. He certainly put Seaham Harbour back on the map.

 

In the week running up to Remembrance Day 2016, an eye-catching display was laid out in front of the statue. Hundreds of hand painted pebbles were arranged in the form of a poppy, which is 18ft wide. The artwork is the brainchild of former serviceman Dave McKenna, who wanted to create something to link the statue to the town’s cenotaph. “We have had help from the cadets and Seaham Veterans group,” said Dave. The poppy will remain in place until this Sunday, Remembrance Day.“It is not a permanent, fixture, it’s just there for this week,” said Dave.

Once again my tea light candles made an appearance, and in such a fitting way as a tribute to all those who paid the ultimate price during warfare. Just as well these were battery operated lights, as it was blowing a gale during the ten minute photo session. I could see the waves crashing over Seaham Pier, in the distance. I drove down there to get a closer look, but the car park gates were locked. Maybe just as well - I was soon back in the car and heading home. Another job done ...

Salute

AC 

Tommy, Mission 1101, Seaham Harbour

Hello again,
Another blog entry today - that's four in two days and that's got to be a record for me. My blog page gets neglected every now and again due to other online commitments, such as ashleycorr.com, Facebook, Twitter and more recently ... Instagram! Still finding my feet with some of those social network platforms, but I'll get there eventually. But yes, my Blog page is getting a bit of much needed TLC in the shape of another entry that brings you some of my recent images of Tommy, the very popular wartime sculpture that lives in Seaham Harbour, County Durham. I often find myself drawn to this statue and I've bagged some great shot of him recently. Visitors to my site may well have seen the page I have dedicated to Tommy. Night time visits is what captures my imagination the most and I quite often have the place to myself, unlike day time when visitors flock to see the big man. I've captured Tommy on camera many times, including the Candlelit Vigil image, which still remains my most popular Facebook upload to date, raking in more than 7,000 likes. Then there was the morning of all mornings when I photographed those amazing 'Mother Of Pearl' clouds, as a backdrop. One or two other shots spring to mind, but this blog entry concentrates on more recent night time grabs.

The shots you can see here were captured with two camera's - the trusty Canon 5D3 and a Sony A7S mirrorless affair, which, as the days and weeks pass, is becoming more of a primary body than the Canon. It's no surprise really, as the Sony is a master at pulling in night time shots with little or no noise, is much lighter and easy to handle, plus the manual focus is a dream to work with. I could go on and on, but less of the camera talk and more of the photographs, eh. The village green, where Tommy lives, has shops and a busy road to one side and the North Sea to the other. A cenotaph is situated a few yards away and one night I arrived to find a young girl spinning LED's to accompanying music. I politely asked if I could take a shot or two and she was more than happy to co-operate. One of the shots is shown here.

The Sony camera was shooting from almost ground level for some of my shots, with the tripod legs splayed and the centre column in a horizontal position. At best the camera was around 5 inches from the ground, which was ideal for grabbing a few shots from angles that I wouldn't normally shoot from. I think it all added to the drama and the subject suited it very well. Cars came and went, which is to be expected as the site is situated right next to a car park. Occasionally one car would pull up and face me with it's lights on. No problem really, until the driver decided to leave them on for a good ten minutes or so, ruining my shots. It was one of those 'Feck right off' moments. I bided my time and it wasn't too long before the car went on it's merry way.

Near the end of the row of shops is a fine chippery establishment. Downey's do a rather damn tasty portion of Fish n' Chips. Oh yes. Moolar handed over and it was down the hatch. Weshed down wi Coca Cola, it was time to head home with a belly full of scran. Ah well, all perks of being a wandering Mackem photographer (wink). For anyone who would like to know the background story of Tommy, here is a newspaper article (cut and pasted) to give you an insight into how the statue came to be ...

When his sculpture reflecting the sheer horror of World War One was lowered onto a seafront just a few miles from his hometown, Ray Lonsdale didn’t expect it to receive the welcome it did. The imposing metal sculpture entitled 1101 - owing to the fact the armistice went into effect at 11am on November 11, 1918 - stands 9ft 5ins tall at Seaham, in County Durham. The statue, built out of special corteen steel, was installed to mark the centenary of the start of the Great War and was only expected to remain in place for three months.

After winning the hearts of hundreds of visitors to the town, it could now be exhibited permanently. Around £72,000 has been raised to keep the 1.2-tonne statue in the town, and fundraisers are only £12,000 from their target. The Journal included it in its list of 100 great things about the North East - alongside more established landmarks like Hadrian’s Wall and the Tyne Bridge - and regular crowds are flocking to Seaham to take in the artwork. In the process, Ray’s work has been catapulted into the public eye and his journey from metal worker to fully fledged artist has been completed. He said: “There was always a big risk with Tommy because there was no sale for it. It was just a case of me biting the bullet and having hope that someone somewhere would buy it. There was no guarantee that it would have sold and it could have ended up sitting around for sometime.

“Finally great things happened and they are just about there with the money now.”

The artwork, which was installed in May has attracted hundreds of visitors to Seaham, many of whom have donated cash to the Save Tommy campaign. A Facebook page called Mission 1101 has attracted more than 4,000 members with many pledging to support to Tommy, which is situated on Terrace Green. “I was surprised by the level of support 1101 got,” said Ray. “I’ve had a positive reaction to a lot of my work but not by as many people as this. The whole town has pulled together to put money in the buckets and raise cash to keep it here. That is a new experience.”

After leaving school Ray, 49, of South Hetton in County Durham, qualified as a maintenance fitter and began working at Coles Cranes in Sunderland, which closed in 1996. Following the factory’s closure Ray set up his own steel fabrication business, where he produced bins, seats and railings for local authorities and private clients. He always had an interest in art and at school he was always encouraged to go onto to art college.

But it wasn’t until 2007 that Ray decided to start his career in art and changed the name of his business to Two Red Rubber Things. The father-of-two said: “In 2002 I got back into art and drawing on an evening and I decided to try and combine my work and interest. That’s when I produced my first piece. I got into a competition at the Biscuit Factory and I won the competition. “That gave me the confidence to try and do a bit more and over the next five years I completed more and more art work. There was a gradual change-over from steel to artistic steel work. “Someone told me that I would never stand a chance making it in the art industry unless I had a degree in art. I started college but I soon realised it wasn’t for me. “I decided to do things off my own back and that’s how I started and finally things were well received. I didn’t feel I had time to do an art degree. It would take seven years and I felt I would be wasting opportunities. I just wanted to push myself. I’m big on having a go and I never wanted to get to a point in my life where I would think ‘I wish I would have tried that. I kept the steel work going alongside the art work and it wasn’t until 2007 when I changed the name of the business and decided to take a chance with the art.”

Ray now has 30 life size statues under his belt and another six large scale pieces. These include The Big Dance at Gretna Green - a 14ft depiction of a couple’s hands - which was put in place in time for Valentine’s Day, a soldier on a bench at North Bay, Scarborough and the Filey Fisherman, in Filey. Ray, who lives with wife Bev, said: “I like to create work that people can take something from it. Public art should be for the public. I don’t agree that it is an artist’s job to educate the public about art but if they like it then it’s been a success. “I like people to look at it and appreciate it and appreciate the work that’s gone into it. I also like them to look deeper into it and find the story behind it. Previously I would make seats, bins and railings. I had to get used to people buying my work for the way it looked rather than for its functional purpose. It felt strange at first. I realised that people were having a positive reaction to my work and that’s something I got used to, which was nice.”

Ray is keeping quite tight-lipped about his next project but he admits he’s been approached by local authorities. He said: “I have completed a lot of drawings since 1101 and I’ve been approached by a couple of authorities with ideas but nothing has been finalised yet.” Leaving his full-time profession to concentrate on his dream to make it as an artist was a risk but Ray has not looked back since, citing his family’s support for helping make the leap. He said: “Bev has been fully supportive. She had a lot of faith in me when I didn’t. If it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t be any of this at all.”

Until we meet again ...
AC

Surfed Up a Treat (Part 1)

Welcome back to the blog page of the wandering Mackem photographer. So far 2016 has been a complete washout as far as the weather has been concerned, with overcast skies and rain in abundance, so I'm far from surprised at the typical English weather January has delivered up to now. Photography isn't all about blue skies and a red hot sun, as any decent tog will tell you, it's all about capturing the moment in all weather, which is the beauty of my hobby - every season has something new to offer. Sunday January 3rd typified a miserable cold and windy day in the North-East of England. Looking out the window at home I saw nothing to get excited about, so after sitting down to a lovely Sunday roast I decided to park my backside once again and out came the ipad. I had a quick browse through Facebook and noticed a set of photographs by a local press photographer, Owen Humphrey's, who'd captured some big wave action at Seaham Harbour, a 15 minute drive from my home. At that point I thought about taking myself across there to see if the surf was still kicking hell out of the North Pier wall. Although I'd missed high tide by a couple of hours I still expected the show to be gathering momentum, so off I went with my Canon and telephoto lens.

It wasn't long before I arrived at the coast, swinging right after the Seaham Hall turn off and seeing how rough the sea was at Vane Tempest. I was most definitely in luck. I headed straight down to the harbour and parked near the end of the North Pier - a front row seat as far as entertainment goes. Well I wasn't gonna bag the shots I wanted from the car window and I had no intention of staying off the sand, so off I went, with tool bag and tripod for company. There was a few people dotted about on the small section of sand in the Harbour. At first I set my camera up on the tripod and aimed in straight at the lighthouse, which was clearly the focal point of the composition and a subject that was clearly receiving major abuse from the cruel North Sea. This was Mother Nature at her best, or worst, whichever side of the fence you prefer. Kids ran around on the sand in front of me, adding some much needed foreground interest. Weather photographs, especially in adverse conditions, are most eye-catching with an added human element, so it was my task to pull in a few action shots to depict an aspect of fearless photography. More on that later.

I ran off a few shots remotely, observing the waves and pressing the button when the big boys gave the pier a back-hander. What a sight! Only two days previously I witnessed a fine Aurora display by Mother Nature and here I was, literally a few hours later, watching her carve out some magic once again. A Canon 5D3 was used to pull in the shots, combined with a 75-300mm lens, which was ideal and up to the task in front of me. Focus lock on was instant, as it should be, and when more people showed up on the beach I took the camera off the legs and shot handheld for the remainder of the hour or so I was on location. I got chatting to a fellow photographer, Alan Cook, who I 'd met previously at Penshaw Hill, Sunderland. Great bloke and we had a laugh in between shots. Still running handheld, it was ideal, swinging the camera here, then there, not wanting to miss a slice of the action. The gloves were still at home though - not sure what I was thinking about there, but I do know my hands were heading towards Numb Street, a very long street at that. I was friggin' freezing!!!! What to do eh, other than grit ones teeth and suck a lemon.

Then the star turn arrived. Now, this had to be seen to be believed. A pair of adrenaline junkies from a local kayak club decided to wade in and compete with the surf. Oh dear, surely this was a David and Goliath scenario, with only one outcome. Me and Alan gave each other an odd look when the pair headed into the water, albeit for a very short time before being tipped out and onto their arses. Surely they were risking their lives! And this is where the fearless photography comes in. Their determination was to be admired, but that was easily overshadowed by the thought in my head that these two blokes had mentally lost the plot. I wondered whether it really was two blokes out there, or John & Ann Darwin, in disguise - click here for the connection.  It wasn't long before they attempted another entry, only to be thrown over once again, resulting in the pair giving up the ghost completely. A blessing in disguise, if ya ask me. How on earth they thought they'd beat the adverse weather conditions is beyond me. God loves a trier, but this was just plain idiotic!

After an hour of photography I called it a day and headed back to the car, where a nice cup of coffee was waiting. Very much needed. I sat in the car as I downed it and watched the last of the surf before heading back home. Later that evening I had a look through the shots on the back of my camera - they looked quite good, so it was mission accomplished. It wasn't until I viewed them on the laptop that I decided to post one or two on Facebook. I was a bit unsure at first, but decided to upload them as my first post of the new year. The response I received was very flattering and I was quite surprised, to be honest. I added a set of 5 shots to three different pages, which raked in over 1,000 likes, as well as many positive comments, which was very nice. The best thing though was witnessing such a spectacular show at Seaham Harbour. Mother Nature throws up some interesting events, with this being up there with the best of them. 2016 kicked off in fine style. Part 2 of this episode is coming soon. Stay tuned!
Thanks again for visiting my blog.

Ash

Tommy 1101 - Facebook Meltdown!!!

As the dust begins to settle on an amazing few days for Ashley Corr Photography, I'd like to personally thank everyone for their support following my recent photo upload here on Facebook. The photo in question was captured at midnight on Tuesday 25th August, 2015, in Seaham Harbour, County Durham.

The subject was Tommy, a corteen steel statue that was originally on loan to the County Durham town. The statue, by local artist Ray Lonsdale, was so popular that people in Seaham began a campaign to buy it, and after a mammoth effort, £60,000 was raised in a bid to secure permanent residence. The town council agreed to contribute the remainder of the £85,000 price tag before the deadline. The piece, called Mission 1101, known locally as Tommy, was inspired by World War One and is named to reflect the first minute of peace.

My brother Chris and myself headed over to Seaham in the hope of photographing Tommy, despite the rain. I recently had an idea floating around in my head that involved placing candles in front of Tommy, which would be so poignant and fitting that I just had to give it a go. Real candle flames wouldn't have stood a chance in such a breezy open space, coupled with the fact that rain threatened to spoil the party, so I decided to use battery powered tea lights which would give an identical effect to the shot, plus I wouldn't be pulling my hair our lighting one match after another to get them restarted. After a couple of minutes arranging the candles, it was time to let the camera go to work. As I dialed in the camera settings the rain kicked in once again, driving us back into my car that was parked nearby. I wasn't at all bothered about getting wet, but more concerned about keeping the camera and lens dry. Oh, go on then...truth was, I didn't want me mullet getting spoiled, he he.

A few minutes later the rain passed and we set up stall again, only for the rain to fall again, heavier than before. Beat retreat to the car. At this point I considered giving the whole thing a miss, almost deciding it would be best to try again another night. Although the rain was against us, it actually played a massive part in what was to become my most popular photograph to date. The steel statue was sparkling in the rain and at that point I imagined those brave soldiers, like Tommy, who paid the ultimate price fighting for the cause, and how at times they fought in torrential conditions, such as heavy rain. It was at this point I decided I wasn't leaving without the photograph I wanted. It was in my head, exactly what I wanted, so it was up to me to capture it with my camera.

We've all heard the saying 'Third time lucky', well that applied to me as I set up my gear and placed the candles into position once again. The rain subsided and it was GAME ON. Tommy sparkled and the dry spots under his toe caps added a little extra to the shot, giving a strong impression of a very recent rainfall. There was no-one around, just me and Chris along with the odd passing car. As I finally got to trip the shutter, Chris took a photo or two himself, including one of me standing next to my gear. Within a minute or two we were out. Driving back to Houghton le Spring, I was quietly confident I had bagged the shot I wanted.

Without further ado, here it is...Tommy 1101, Candlelit Vigil...

The following day I posted the shot on 'Sunderland In Pictures' during late afternoon. My Facebook mobile phone app went into meltdown!!! As I was working a night shift that same day I went back to bed for a few hours in preparation for the slog ahead. When the alarm clock shifted my backside outa bed I went downstairs and made a coffee. I sat and looked on my mobile phone. To my amazement I learned that my Tommy photo had over 600 likes and many comments. Within another hour (11.10pm) it cranked up to over 900!! Break time at work (1.45am) the like counter had tipped over to 1360 likes. This was beyond anything I had achieved previously and way beyond anything I had expected when the candle concept entered my head. The response to 'Candlelit Vigil' was overwhelming to say the least.

The following day it went onto another level completely. The comments and likes were coming at a rate of ten per minute. The kind words were very touching and this was very satisfying. I was happy that so many people were moved enough to comment and send private messages of thanks. This meant a lot and I knew it meant a lot to others too. There were far too comments to thank everyone individually, so I made a point of thanking everyone on a few occasions in the comments column. Then a comment came in that was the cherry on the icing of the cake. The designer of Tommy, none other than Ray Lonsdale, gave high praise, sharing my photo to his own page 'Two rubber red things/Ray Lonsdale' and saying how it was up there with the very best photo's he'd seen of his creation. Wow, it doesn't come much better than that'.
Within a few hours the photo had over 500 likes on his page.

Skipping the chase, it's now three days since I posted 'candlelit Vigil' to Facebook. On Sunderland In Pictures alone it has over 4,500 likes and almost 400 comments. The 'Picture' has also been shared no less that 4,300 times!! Once again, thanks very much for the response to my photo, which has been very humbling. I take a lot of satisfaction most of all by sharing the photo, which in turn moved many people, not only from the North-East of England, but much further afield. It's a fitting tribute to all those who fought in conflict, especially those who paid the ultimate price. Lest we forget...

Tommy 1101, Seaham Harbour

September 2014 was a blank month as far as blogging goes, which is something I needed to address quickly. Facebook activity was the main reason for time spent away from my blog page, so I've decided to step back from that in order to regain my commitment to blogger. With quite a few photo's already in the bag, it gives me enough ammunition to step up my efforts in October, beginning with today's blog entry that features the 'Tommy 1101' sculpture that is situated in Seaham Harbour, County Durham.

The imposing metal sculpture entitled 1101 - owing to the fact the armistice went into effect at 11am on November 11, 1918 - stands 9ft 5ins tall and is built out of special corteen steel, was installed to mark the centenary of the start of the Great War and was only expected to remain in place for three months. But after winning the hearts of hundreds of visitors to the town, it could now be exhibited permanently. Around £72,000 has been raised to keep the 1.2-tonne statue in the town, and fundraisers are only £12,000 from their target. The Journal included it in its list of 100 great things about the North East - alongside more established landmarks like Hadrian’s Wall and the Tyne Bridge - and regular crowds are flocking to Seaham to take in the artwork. In the process, Ray Lonsdale’s work has been catapulted into the public eye and his journey from metal worker to fully fledged artist has been completed. He said: “There was always a big risk with Tommy because there was no sale for it. It was just a case of me biting the bullet and having hope that someone somewhere would buy it. There was no guarantee that it would have sold and it could have ended up sitting around for sometime. “Finally great things happened and they are just about there with the money now.”

The artwork, which was installed in May has attracted hundreds of visitors to Seaham, many of whom have donated cash to the Save Tommy campaign. A Facebook page called Mission 1101 has attracted more than 4,000 members with many pledging to support to Tommy, which is situated on Terrace Green. “I was surprised by the level of support 1101 got,” said Ray. “I’ve had a positive reaction to a lot of my work but not by as many people as this. The whole town has pulled together to put money in the buckets and raise cash to keep it here. That is a new experience.”
After leaving school Ray, 49, of South Hetton in County Durham, qualified as a maintenance fitter and began working at Coles Cranes in Sunderland, which closed in 1996. Following the factory’s closure Ray set up his own steel fabrication business, where he produced bins, seats and railings for local authorities and private clients. He always had an interest in art and at school he was always encouraged to go onto to art college. But it wasn’t until 2007 that Ray decided to start his career in art and changed the name of his business to Two Red Rubber Things. The father-of-two said: “In 2002 I got back into art and drawing on an evening and I decided to try and combine my work and interest. That’s when I produced my first piece. I got into a competition at the Biscuit Factory and I won the competition. “That gave me the confidence to try and do a bit more and over the next five years I completed more and more art work. There was a gradual change-over from steel to artistic steel work. “Someone told me that I would never stand a chance making it in the art industry unless I had a degree in art. I started college but I soon realised it wasn’t for me. “I decided to do things off my own back and that’s how I started and finally things were well received. “I didn’t feel I had time to do an art degree. It would take seven years and I felt I would be wasting opportunities. “I just wanted to push myself. I’m big on having a go and I never wanted to get to a point in my life where I would think ‘I wish I would have tried that’. “I kept the steel work going alongside the art work and it wasn’t until 2007 when I changed the name of the business and decided to take a chance with the art.”


Ray now has 30 life size statues under his belt and another six large scale pieces. These include The Big Dance at Gretna Green - a 14ft depiction of a couple’s hands - which was put in place in time for Valentine’s Day, a soldier on a bench at North Bay, Scarborough and the Filey Fisherman, in Filey.
Ray, who lives with wife Bev, said: “I like to create work that people can take something from it. Public art should be for the public. I don’t agree that it is an artist’s job to educate the public about art but if they like it then it’s been a success. “I like people to look at it and appreciate it and appreciate the work that’s gone into it. I also like them to look deeper into it and find the story behind it. Previously I would make seats, bins and railings. I had to get used to people buying my work for the way it looked rather than for its functional purpose. “It felt strange at first. I realised that people were having a positive reaction to my work and that’s something I got used to, which was nice.”
Ray is keeping quite tight-lipped about his next project but he admits he’s been approached by local authorities. He said: “I have completed a lot of drawings since 1101 and I’ve been approached by a couple of authorities with ideas but nothing has been finalised yet.” Leaving his full-time profession to concentrate on his dream to make it as an artist was a risk but Ray has not looked back since, citing his family’s support for helping make the leap. He said: “Bev has been fully supportive. She had a lot of faith in me when I didn’t. If it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t be any of this at all.”

It wasn't until the back end of September that I finally made the effort to visit Tommy. I had seen many photographs of him on Facebook and he certainly was flavour of the month for a while, which was half the reason I held back. Didn't wanna jump on the bandwagon and head over there simply because every man and his dog were doing it. I arrived at the site around 30 minutes before sunrise, hoping for some decent colour in the sky, and I wasn't disappointed, Another photographer stood alongside and we chatted for a short while before stopping to grab our shots. We chatted some more then the sun rose on the horizon, so the talk stopped once again while we pulled in some more shots. He was already set up when I arrived so he had the prime spot, which was exactly where I wanted to be, He obviously knew what angle to shoot from, and even though I was practically shooting on his shoulder, that extra foot or so to my left was quickly mine when he decided he'd had enough and retreated to his car. It was from this position that I had a perfect silhouette of Tommy, with the sun rising to his left (shown here).

As the sun rose further, losing it's orange hue as it slowly ascended, I decided to take a few close up shots of the sculpture. This photogenic piece of artwork will be the subject of more photography very soon. One visit is never enough. AC

                                        

Waves Of Discontent

Welcome back!
Seascapes come in various forms, from the calm to the stormy, the peaceful to the dramatic. And it's drama all the way in my latest batch of photographs which were captured locally, at Seaham Harbour in the County of Durham. Last Sunday was a right old windy affair, along with overcast skies and lack of colour all round. That combined was enough to leave with with little option other than to make it down to the coast in the hope of striking lucky with some big waves. JACKPOT !!!
Good decision - I'd never witnessed a sea like this one, as one massive wave after another rolled in, battering the sea walls and showing next to no mercy. Seaham Pier was up against it too, which is what I focused on for today's shoot, beginning my task from the top of a hill which overlooked Seaham Harbour. The steps to the summit were out of bounds, cordoned off with a barrier, which was less than imposing, so over I went, climbing the dozen or so steps until my vantage point was right in front of me. Naturally, in weather like this you get an accompaniment of chill, and boy was it cold. I was layered up, doing my prep work to a tee, well...not quite. Before leaving home I doubled up on fleeces, adding a body warmer for good measure. How about a wooly 'Bin Man' hat - yes, I'll have one of those too, plus warm hiking boots and 3 tog socks. Sorted? No way! I forget the gloves and paid a heavy price. Me little fingers were like icicles and I was in so much pain, I wasn't far off tears. Friggin' nightmare. But what to do, eh, other than grin and bare it. I wasn't gonna walk away from an opportunity like this.

I made my first few pictures from up top, before driving the car a short distance to the entrance of Seaham Pier, where I got the distinct impression I was getting a little bit too close to the action. The high North Sea to my left was frighteningly close to breaching the sea wall, it was that lively. The car was rocking to and fro, the winds doing their very best to intimidate. To my right, where I was now parked up, the Pier and lighthouse were both taking a battering from the incoming waves. This wasn't a happy sea and it wasn't taking prisoners in its state of discontent. Cars came and went, with occupants taking in the drama before heading off to safer ground. It was now time to take more shots, so I got out the car and almost got knocked off my feet with the full force of the wind that greeted me. I noticed the owld couple nearby, in the Morris Minor rust bucket, pointing towards me and laughing, but it was alright for them, they were safe and warm, they could laugh. I had a little chuckle to myself, ah well, I gave them summat to smile about. For a few minutes I stayed out there, opting to take the bad weather firmly on the chin, as the strong winds whipped up sand, straight into my eyes and mouth - not a pretty experience, to say the least. I imagined the owld folk behind me, laughing again, as I gave them better entertainment than 'Sunday At The Palladium' he he. As I
almost fell to my feet once again I turned my back on the wind and the seascape in front of me. From the corner of my eye I noticed owld Ernest & Elsie laughing their tits off at me, as I wrestled the elements, scoring nothing during the first three rounds. But hey, points were scored 'In camera' so I was consoled with that thought and fired off more frames to balance the boat, as it were. I was fighting my way back into the bout!

By this time my face and hands were in severe pain, chilled to a state of almost complete numbness, which I couldn't tolerate any longer, so I jumped back into my car. A safe haven, albeit temporarily, and with the added luxury of heaters. We take these things for granted usually, but what a godsend they were today, as they pumped out some much needed heat, making me look human once again. After recovering enough feeling in my hands I continued making pictures from inside the car, with a window lowered just enough to stick my lens out of. But with that came another snag - sand, sand and bloody more sand was thrown into the car through the five inch window drop, but I wasn't gonna miss capturing the scene in front of me, so I was more than happy for the interior to take one for the team. The Mrs can always hoover it up at a later date, he he. She'll kill me if she reads this. After ten minute or so there was, erm... quite a covering of sand along the dashboard, and the seats, and the floor. What a mess! Time to leave. Job done - I'd pulled in quite a bit of drama, a good slice of angry sea, all recorded on memory card, so off I drove. I made the decision there and then to get my freezing cold arse along the coast and into Gods Country, Sunderland, home of the devoted Mackem. It was destination Roker, for more big waves and the last drops of action before the tide turned. I parked up near Roker Hotel, up a height, along the seafront, shooting down towards the pier. The waves weren't as dramatic here, but enough to grab a couple of half-decent shots.

Enough was enough, as I waved (no pun intended) the white towel and made my way to Macdonalds, where hot coffee awaited. The 'mender' was well appreciated, and well needed, well deserved too. Soon I was back home, reviewing my 'Catch of the day' and being well pleased with the results. It may be some time before I witness another sea like this one. Until then, I think I'll play safe and stay at home, feet up in front of the fire. It's a much better place, trust me...

Ash

Photo's 1-5 > Seaham
6&7 > Roker

Canon 5D MkII - First Test Shots

As promised, here is a handful of test shots that I captured yesterday with my new camera. The location was Seaham Harbour, County Durham, a fifteen minute drive from my home in Houghton le Spring. The weather forecast on my mobile phone was accurate enough, predicting a cloudy and windy day, with the odd burst of sunshine. Wind direction was ideal for some big waves, breaking over a pier, so I decided to check the tide tables for Seaham. I was in luck, the tide was incoming around mid-day, so I expected ideal conditions around tea-time when the sea was high and Seaham Pier would be on the wrong end of a good old battering - well, hopefully, but more often than not the roaming photographer doesn't get what he wants. With nothing to lose, and the overwhelming itch to get my first run out with my new toy, I was quickly on the road and heading to the coast. As I reached the junction near Seaham Hall I got my first glimpse of the North Sea. It didn't look at all menacing, despite the dodgy weather, but as I drove along the coast road towards the harbour I could see some big waves rolling towards the beach. Hmm, I might hit lucky here. I parked up on the promenade opposite the shops and walked the short distance towards the cliff top, excited at the prospect of testing out the 5D MkII for the very first time. Looking across towards Seaham Pier I could see some big breakers bashing against the pier walls, which was exactly what I was looking for, so my decision to check the weather conditions on my mobile phone proved to be a good one. From a decent vantage point I still didn't have enough reach with my 24-105mm lens, so I fitted the 70-300mm telephoto and pulled in the first shot (shown here).

Focus lock was instant, with no hunting, even though I was spot focusing on the lighthouse, which was quite small in the frame due to the composition I had chosen. One click and the shutter fired - the image review was also instant, fading in from almost black to the perfectly exposed final image, which is a nice extra feature that the 7D never had. I was running with Quick Burst, 3 frames per second, capturing the waves at different formations, giving me the opportunity to cherry-pick the best hots from the bunch. A fast shutter and Auto ISO was chosen in P setting, which worked very well in these conditions. I got a soaking as I photographed next to the pier wall, taking a few on the back as I shielded the camera under my jacket. Very happy with what I got. Hopefully the start of many more.
I'll be back soon with more test shots and feedback, so stay tuned...

Thanks, Ash