Elvet Bridge, County Durham

Durham City Centre offers countless photo opportunities. You notice something of interest at almost every turn and one area of interest that keeps drawing me in is the riverside walk from Milburngate to the Elvet Bridge. Between these two points on the route you pass probably the most iconic landmark in the whole of north-east England - Durham Cathedral. Some spectacular shots of the cathedral can be taken along the riverside, mainly from the south bank, during all four seasons, but especially in Autumn. After passing the cathedral the path takes a turn round the river bend towards Prebends Bridge. Again, there's photo opportunities here when rowing boats pass through its arches - mostly pleasure boats on hire from the guy next to Elvet Bridge. Elvet forms the subject of todays blog entry. It was an early Sunday morning when I took these shots and the weather was ideal - nice blue sky with some swirls of white to finish it off. Always nice for a landscape shot! Looking towards Elvet (first shot above) there was more than enough subject in the frame, making it quite a busy shot without too much clutter. Infact, from bottom to top of the frame there's enough to keep you interested, which I suppose was all I was trying to achieve. As I was in position early there were still plenty of boats tethered to the walls, giving a nice colourful and organised display at the edge of the shot. The Elvet Bridge, along with the houses behind it seem to give a nice balance in centre shot, with the ancient architecture of castle and cathedral sitting at the top. Incuded is a fair bit of green, giving a slight side step to the idea that this is a typical city centre shot, which it certainly isn't. The rowing boat on the water finishes the shot off quite nicely - mind you, I had to wait long enough for it to appear where I wanted it!

My second shot was taken at ground level where the boat hirer was sat. It was here that I switched lenses, opting for a wide angle perspective instead of the bog standard. The scene in front of me was crying out 'Wide angle' especially as I was almost on top of the rowing boats. I knew this change of direction would give a nice angle and slight distortion of the boats, so I went from there. The 10-22mm wide is great to use and it never fails to surprise. I often wonder why it took me so long to get my hands on one. I wouldn't be without it now. The composition looked even better through the viewfinder after I'd fitted my 77mm polarizer and rotated it for best effect. Another piece of kit that travels in the kit bag at all times.

Finally - shot 3. Taken next to Elvet Bridge. Something slightly different - boats under the arches with accompanying paddles, ideally placed against the wall. As soon as I saw the paddles I could see the picture in front of me immediately. It was simply a case of composing the shot as best as I could. I took three or four shots in both landscape and portrait format, metering off the stonework, which sort of burned out the sky in the background somewhat, but there ya go. After taking my shots I wondered whether I should get my arse into one of these boats and head downstream. Then I remembered it had been years since I rowed a boat and this made me think on. I decided to give it a swerve - maybe it was too much on the owld fella's body, he he. I convinced myself I wouldn't have time to get down the River Wear and back in time for Sunday lunch at 12 prompt, so the decision was made for me - maybe next time (ahem!) Of course, next time never comes does it.

Belly rumbling, I was back home in no time, fillin' me chops wi top notch grub. Job done

Back soon! Ash

Woodland Walks, Bedale, North Yorkshire

Hello again, and welcome to another blog entry of mine. My site updates have been sparse lately due to other commitments - mainly printing, mounting and framing. I've taken time out tonight to give you an insight into our recent visit to Bedale in North Yorkshire. As part of a family day out we visited Ripon and Harrogate, before stopping off in Bedale. The weather was kind, infact very kind as the whole day was filled with bright sunshine and good temperature, making conditions ideal for getting off the beaten track and taking in some photography in the bargain. Bedale is a bustling market town which lies between the North Yorkshire Dales and the North Yorkshire Moors, in the district of Hambleton.

The Riverside, although technically not a river, Bedale Beck makes a pleasant backdrop for walks and visiting points of interest along the way, including the Heritage Trail. Designed by the local Heritage Trust, the Heritage Trail provides an excellent insight into the extent of Bedale's colourful past. And it's colour all the way as you walk the many designated paths through the wooded areas and also the riverside route. We walked for miles, passing mant points of interest that I captured from behind the lens. A variation of colour awaits you at every turn, including daffs, cherry blossom and bluebells. There was even a sudden burst of bright red in the form of some stray tulips - strategically planted just off the main path behind the fence. An example of it is shown here.

Springtime is always full of activity and colour where plants and flowers are concerned. I'm not a big fan of this kind of photography to be honest, but sometimes seeing full bloom just isn't enough, so the camera records the moment for future reference. I like to think I've captured it quite well here. Today's photography was on the back of my recent visit to Mowbray Gardens in Sunderland, where once again I found myself capturing a burst of colour amongst the flowerbeds. At the turn of the year (2011) I made the decision to capture as many colourful flower shots as possible, mainly due to the fact that I had virtually no stock library and also my plans to include them on calendars and postcard designs. I'm not finished yet - I've earmarked more places of interest where I'm guaranteed some decent shots - just waiting the right weather and I'm off!

Bedale was an ideal stop off and another place I shall revisit, maybe in Autumn when the place will be bathed in more colour. We had a nice bar meal in the Three Coopers Inn before heading home. Proper real ale too, although I gave it a miss as I was soon behind the wheel and northbound on the A1(M). A nice day all round - weather, scenery, pub grub and photography - why man, ya cannit get vexed!

Thanks for stopping by. I'll be back soon.
Ash

Fountains Abbey, Ripon

We've had some great weather recently, especially over the Easter period. During this time I made a visit to the North Yorkshire town of Ripon, which is approximately 56 miles from my base in Houghton le Spring. Ripon is the home of Fountains Abbey, the largest abbey ruins in the UK, which is situated in the Skell Valley and has 800 years of history behind it. The abbey was founded in 1132 by 13 Benedictine monks seeking a simpler life. They later became Cistercian monks. The River Skell runs through the valley and under The Abbey - which in itself is a masterpiece of twelfth century building ingenuity. It's quite easy to soak up the spiritual atmosphere, almost losing yourself in the passages, staircases and towers that display ancient architectural craftsmanship at its very best. I've visited a few ancient sites during the past few months and I'd safely say that I probably won't see another of this size for some time to come, unless it's somewhere overseas.

My first shot (shown here) was taken as I arrived in the abbey grounds from the footpath which began at the site entrance which was only a few minutes walk. It shows Fountains Abbey, straddled bya huge lawn - one of two that flank the east and west sides of the abbey. From here I made my way inside the abbey to an area known as the cellarium, which is shown in my second shot. Amazingly the cellarium roof has remained intact and the lay brothers ate, slept and socialised here, beneath the incredible vaulted ceiling which escaped Henry VIII’s brutal sixteenth century dissolution of the abbeys. Today the inhabitants are protected species of bat who live in the ceiling nooks and only come out after dusk. It is estimated there are over eight species of bats living in the cellarium. During the Autumn the cellarium is lit by coloured bulbs as part of the illumination tours that the National Trust runs at the site at dusk. Someone climbed down an embankment and into the far window of the cellarium as I took the shot, which you can see here.

From the cellarium I walked through to the cloister area which was surprisingly quiet, but ideal for photography, despite the high volume of visitors to the site while I was there. Once used for meditation and exercise by the monks the cloisters formed the centre of the abbey and many rooms lead off from this area, including the warming room where you can still see the huge fireplace where a fire was always kept roaring. Above the warming room up the external staircase to the left, is the muniments room where the monks kept all their important documents, it made sense to keep them above the warming room so the documents stayed dry in all seasons. The floor tiles in this room have just been refurbished and the room has recently been opened to visitors.

Today I was photographing solely with my 10-22mm wide angle lens. This glass is tailor-made for tight architectural passages and alleyways, plus the low level shots of overhead stonwork such as archways and high windows - perfect examples of which were found in the church area of the abbey. The dominating tower also got the wide angle treatment as I stood very close to its base. I have a selection of images, approximately 25, that I will be uploading to my web site ashleycorr.com in the next couple of days. They will form a new gallery page that is dedicated to Fountains Abbey and it will get the usual slideshow treatment with accompanying music.

The surprising thing about this National Trust site is that Fountains Abbey only forms a small part of what is actually on offer to the visitor. The grounds also extend to Studley Royal, a huge estate of beauty including the Georgian Water Gardens, a deer park, Anne Boleyn's Seat, Studley Lake and the Serpentine Tunnel, to name just a few. I'll have to cover that lot another day, as my three hour visit was over in no time and I only visited the abbey!

Anyway, that's about it for now. Keep an eye out for the new Fountains Abbey gallery which is due to go live shortly. You'll get an insight into the ancient ruins through my camera lens. I hope I done it justice. Until then, see ya next time.

Stacks of new photo's to get through!
Ash

Sunset Over Rainton Meadows

A quick word to accompany the two photographs here in my latest blog entry. Another calm Spring night and a visit to Rainton Meadows nature reserve in Houghton le Spring saw me grab my first 'Mute Swan In Flight' shots, taken on my Canon 7D. I was lucky enough to have a 300mm telephoto lens attached as this Mute Swan flew by, crossing the sun on it's path. The camera was also set to Quick Burst, allowing seven frames per second, which was just the job for this type of shot. I ran off half a dozen frames as the big bird flew past, then picked the best two depending on the position of its wings, hoping for a nice profile, which I managed to get. I had literally four or five seconds to set the dial with a fast shutter before raising the camera to take a shot. I haven't attempted this type of shot before so I wasn't expecting anything special - mind you, I'm more than happy with the results and I'm already thinking about trying it again, soon. An hour before sunset should be the right time to start shooting, especially as the sun is quite low and gathering more colour as it drops towards the horizon. I particularly like the second shot, that has a feather shaped cloud at the bottom.

I had been photographing Mute Swans for an hour or so at the same location, but those on the water, not in the air. Infact, you don't often see many Mute Swans in flight at Rainton Meadows so you really need to take your chance when it presents itself. Flights of geese are not uncommon at the meadows, plus ducks and other water birds, including waders. Tonights debut was easier than some, as Swans are slower in flight than most other water birds, so I'll have a bash at the quicker stuff another time. The pond I was photographing at was calm and the weather was fine. I photographed a male Mute Swan as its mate sat on its nest in the reeds nearby. It was a little bit touchy at first, understandably, but as soon as the bread made an appearance it settled down. Aye, they're not daft these buggers! As soon as the bread was gone, so was the Swan!

That's all for now folks. Plenty of new photo's to come - just trying to find the time to upload them. Until then, see ya later,

Ash

Sunderland Coastal Area

Following my visit to Mowbray Gardens I decided to visit the beach at Roker, Sunderland, while the sun was still shining. The broken clouds caught my eye, so thinking they could add to some decent seascape shots I drove across the Wearmouth Bridge and headed for the water. Having done a job in Mowbray Gardens I wondered whether their was similar shots to be had in Roker Park, but a brief stop off proved a waste of time as there was very little colour on show, so it was a case of driving the short distance to the seafront near Roker Hotel. I parked up and took a few steps across the road where my vantage point took in the whole of Roker beach and its well known 'Cat & Dog Steps.' The sands were quite desolate, which was somewhat of a surprise considering the nice weather. There were a fair few walking along the promenade though, towards Seaburn, which lies just along the coastal route, heading north. The tide was low, which wasn't ideal as I'd hoped for some shots with an incoming tide below my vantage point, but I wasn't complaining - I suppose you can only work with what's in front of you!
I was tempted to drop down onto the beach itself but decided against it as I was pushed for time. Anyway, the sea was calm so I wasn't missing much, as far as crashing waves are concerned.

From experience I've found that good beach shots are amongst the hardest to achieve. Last year I was commissioned by the Tourist Board in Sunderland to supply beach shots of Sunderland, which wasn't an easy proposition. I made a few visits to the Roker/Seaburn beach area and planned where to shoot the best scenes, which were mainly up top, overlooking the sands. It was around this time, October 2010, that I'd captured a few sunrise shots, so it was finally time to grab some daytime shots to go with them. I captured 5 shots which were later reproduced as postcards, which have sold well in Sunderland Tourist Information Centre, as well as further sales in the Winter Gardens and Cafe Bungalow, Roker. Examples of the cards can be found here - Postcards > ashley Corr.com. My latest beach shots, shown here, aren't commissioned work, although I do plan to reproduce one as a new postcard which will increase the set to 20. Beach shots are in demand, so I plan to test myself further in the coming weeks to add better shots to my portfolio. A good sky is a must have - get that and you're well on your way! Both beaches in Sunderland (Roker & Seaburn) are very clean and relatively tidy - unlike the beaches further south at Seaham and Easington, where decades of coal mining are still evident on their sands.

The seaside area of Sunderland is buoyant during the Summer months, as expected. The usual run of pubs, restaurants and amusements lie along the promenade, especially at Seaburn, the central area of Sunderland's coastline. Seaburn's Marriot hotel is a popular resting place. Overlooking the North Sea, its easterly facing rooms give perfect views of the sea which often crashes off the nearby walls during the winter months. I remember one day last year when I was fortunate enough to witness the waves in full force, keeping a sensible distance from them and avoiding a soaking, as I took a few photographs. A gang of kids were dodging the waves as they crashed against the wall, but not one of them evaded a soaking. Quite funny at the time!

Once again, thanks for visiting. I'll be back shortly with my latest work - Ripon, North Yorkshire...more of those Mute Swans... Historic Durham...and more.

Catch ya then, Ash

Mowbray Gardens, Sunderland

A couple of weeks ago I visited Mowbray Gardens in Sunderland City Centre. My last visit was at least two years ago, as I remember taking a few photographs for a calendar I was contributing to at the time. During the Spring and Summer months the well maintained gardens are bouncing with colour, so the visitor count rises considerably during this time. The weather was fine so I had the perfect opportunity to get the shots I wanted.

Mowbray Gardens are situated behind Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens - another place that's worth visiting if you're in the area. The Winter Gardens stimulate the senses with over 2,000 flowers and plants brought together in a spectacular showcase of the world's natural beauty. Here is a selection of shots from my recent visit, which lasted 45 minutes or so. Cheers, Ash

Where Spring Meets Summer

Hello again! The months of March and April are traditionally Spring months, although the end of March signals the official beginning of BST - British Summer Time. Todays blog entry combines the two seasons, so my latest photo offerings reflect those typical Spring/Summer sights that are fairly commonplace during this time of year. Flowers, such as daffodils, typify everything that Spring is synonomous with, so I was keen to capture one or two scenes containing daffs at the height of the season. My first shot shows blooming daffs at a local English Heritage site - Finchale Abbey, County Durham. I made a previous visit to the ancient site a few weeks ago but the daffodils had just sprouted so I was way too early for the shots I was after. A calculated revisit brought me better luck though. I knew I had to be there early to catch the sun hitting the abbey from it's 'best side', and in turn bringing the best colour out of the flowers. As I walked through Cocken Wood towards the abbey I could tell instantly that my preparations had paid off - the sun was shining brightly and a burst of yellow could be easily seen between the trees as I walked the approach path. I was now in the abbey grounds and determining what settings to run with when a massive cloud slowly passed over, taking the sun out of the equation - great (not)! After 15 minutes or so it had passed over and I was off and running again. Bright sunlight and no breeze - perfect conditions. Wide angle was the way to go, guaranteeing full coverage of the abbey facade and flower bed in the foreground. Infact, I was practically in amongst the daffs to begin with, shooting low angle up a slight incline. Handheld, with a small aperture, the camera delivered a pin sharp image from my first effort, which was the whole objective, and a quick review on the histogram and monitor and gave me the thumbs up. I took full advantage of the conditions and pulled in at least 20 good shots from different angles, in both portrait and landscape format. These daffs don't last too long so better to strike while the iron is hot. Don't think I'll be back here this year so it was a simple case of making the most of my opportunity. I submitted this Finchale Abbey image to Tyne-Tees Television and it was shown on their weather bulletin a few hours later. The footage can be seen here, by activating the video clip on the control panel. My second Spring shot, which also features daffodils, was taken at Staithes, an olde worlde fishing village on the North-Yorkshire coast. A viewpoint near Cowbar Nab, the highest point at Staithes, offers an excellent view over the rooftops and harbour, including the river that runs through the village. As far as photogenic fishing villages are, Staithes is as good as it gets in this part of the world. Exploring the tight streets throws up many photo opportunities too and the character of the place has been retained after all these years - it often feels like you're in a different age as you walk the cobbles. There's a nice watering hole in Staithes too - The Cod And Lobster, so a pint of Yorkshire Ale is a canny little option before walking back up the very steep hill to the car park. I'd recommend Staithes if you're in the area - it's well worth visiting. My next shot (three) was captured by simply being in the right place at the right time. I was in Northumberland, travelling back from my visit to Warkworth Castle during the lambing season. Another possibility for a typical Spring type shot. Parking off road was very limited as I drove through the country lanes, until I reached a junction in the middle of nowhere. I noticed a few lambs jumping around in the corner of a nearby field so I grabbed my 300mm telephoto, fitted it, then got out the car and headed across the road. At the edge of the field was a sheep, sitting minding its own business when Mr 'CameraGluedToHis Face' showed up! One of the lambs was sitting on it's mothers back, which is something I've never seen before. Now this would be a shot and a half! Just as I raised the camera to my eye the sheep stood up and I feared the shot would be missed, but it stood there for a few seconds with the lamb still sitting, so I took full advantage by firing off a few shots in quick burst mode. The sheep then walked away and the lamb slid from its back and onto its feet. This shots epitomises the phrase 'capturing the moment'. Finally, shot 4, taken in Mowbray Gardens, Sunderland town centre. This is the colour of Spring, jumping out at the camera. Beautifully maintained flower beds and lawns, with added features like water fountains, bandstands and statues - more of that to follow in my next blog entry. Here is a quick preview, taken early on an April morning when the place was quiet, give or take the odd person here and there. Gone are the wino's and stray dogs - Mowbray Gardens is on the up, judging by what I saw as I walked through its grounds for the first time in years. The adjoining Museum and Winter Gardens are quite picturesque too and I have some shots of these that I will add to my next blog entry, coming soon. Until then, catch ya later... Ash