Castle Howard, York

Castle Howard is a stately home in North Yorkshire, England, 15 miles (24 km) north of York. One of the grandest private residences in Britain, most of it was built between 1699 and 1712 for the 3rd Earl of Carlisle, to a design by Sir John Vanbrugh. Although Castle Howard was built near the site of the ruined Henderskelfe Castle, it is not a true castle, but this term is often used for English country houses constructed after the castle-building era (c.1500) and not intended for a military function.Castle Howard has been the home of part of the Howard family for more than 300 years. It is familiar to television and movie audiences as the fictional "Brideshead", both in Granada Television's 1981 adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited and a two-hour 2008 remake for cinema. Today, it is part of the Treasure Houses of England heritage group.

Castle Howard has extensive and diverse gardens. There is a large formal garden immediately behind the house. The house is prominently situated on a ridge and this was exploited to create an English landscape park, which opens out from the formal garden and merges with the park.
Two major garden buildings are set into this landscape: the Temple of the Four Winds at the end of the garden, and the Mausoleum in the park. There is also a lake on either side of the house. There is an arboretum called Ray Wood, and the walled garden contains decorative rose and flower gardens. Further buildings outside the preserved gardens include the ruined Pyramid currently undergoing restoration, an Obelisk and several follies and eye catchers in the form of fortifications. A John Vanbrugh ornamental pillar known as the Quatre Faces (marked as 'Four Faces' on Ordnance Survey Maps) stands in nearby Pretty Wood.

 

Four shots, taken on a red hot day - just what ya want, really. Ideal conditions - not to be sniffed at!

Not too much to say that hasn't been mentioned above, apart from a great day that was had. Came back home a shade of Lobster Red - it didn't half sting the next day. Sun cream is for pussies!

 

AC

 

 

 

Houghton le Springwatch - Part 2

And it's more Nature shots, as Spring well and truly kicks into gear once again. There's a few new shots in the bag, after one or two recent outings with young Mr Corr, aged 11. He's at that age when an interest in Nature, particularly Birds, takes a bit of a hold on these mild warm nights, so we head round the corner to Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve to check out the latest movements of a family of Mute Swans. These birds have been nesting for a month now, and the eggs were ready to hatch, so off we went. Some of the following photo's were taken at another nest site, at Herrington Park, opposite Penshaw Hill. Both clutches had six eggs in total and on arrival at both locations it was clear that the eggs had hatched as no swans were sitting - both were on the water, with their cygnets. Once again, a loaf of bread came in rather handy when coaxing the birds towards the camera - one shake of the bag and over they came. The parents were happy to feed on the bread, but the cygnets weren't interested at all. It was probably their first sighting of bread and they weren't too impressed. A few minutes in and the parents were off - back on water and out of reach for the bog standard lens holder that was me. Aye, but there was a nifty little 300mm telephoto job tucked away in camera bag - well equipped as always! So here they are, a selection of Nature shots, taken on the doorstep, and I'll be back with more at a later date, including Wren's and Blue Tits...

Cheers, Ash

  

Painting With Light - Part 1

Venue - Penshaw Monument, Tyne & Wear

As mentioned at the end of my last Blog entry, here are my latest shots which involve the art of Painting With Light. Very much an experimental exercise, this was my first attempt using very basic tools, such as string, an egg whisk and a small bag of wire wool. Naturally, a box of matches was needed, otherwise I'd still be at the location now, waiting for something to happen! In the run up to this experiment I'd visualised the finished shots, so a few days prior to the event I started putting the 'Ingredients' together in my head, so that when the day eventually arrived I was ready to put things into practise. First things first - I needed a location to carry out my little experiment, and not just any location - I wanted a backdrop that would compliment the drama that would unfold as I attempted to paint with light. One location that stood out in my mind immediately was Penshaw Monument, a place I know very well and which I visit very frequently. I've taken dozens of low-light shots at this location, although the walk up the steep hill doesn't get any easier when you're in your mid-forties. So Penshaw Monument it is - my location was decided on and it was now a simple case of waiting for a clear night sky and it would be 'All Systems Go'. An overcast or dull sky wouldn't offer my shots much colour, as opposed to clear skies giving a nice blue hue, so I checked the weather app on my phone and my preps were almost complete - Saturday 12th May was my night. All that remained was to gather a few bits and bobs to guarantee I wouldn't go up in a ball of flames, like a baseball cap, goggles and fire retardant clothes and gloves, which I had already 'Aquired'.

Saturday night arrived soon enough. Twenty years ago I would have spent most Saturday nights 'On the beer' yet here I was 'On the wool' - how times have changed, he he. I made my way up Penshaw Hill, noticing how ideal the conditions were - clear sky, with a slight breeze that became more than slight as I reached the top of the hill. Ideal for fire spreading quickly. Jesus - I sound like I'm ready to commit arson - Reeves Corner, Pt 2 !!! Just a lil' experiment folks, nowt ti' worry about about, knarr worra mean like? I had the place to myself, which was ideal - didn't want the local chavs coming over and saying 'Ere Mister, what ya deein like' before asking 'Giz a gan Mister, gan on - Giz a gan'. The tripod was in place and the 7D was hooked up, along with remote sensor on the hot shoe. I dialled in some settings to begin with, and tinkered with along the way before hitting the mark. Next the gear came out the bag and I stuffed a ball of wire wool into the egg whisk, which was attached to a piece of string. I lit the wool and it took hold immediately. I then fired the shutter remotely before spinning the contraption in my left hand. As expected, sparks were flying, but I was well covered up. I ran off a six second exposure to begin with, followed by another at 13 seconds. I was well chuffed with the results, shown here. The first shot (top) was a straightforward swing in a stationery position, but the second one was more complicated, as I was constantly on the move to create a 'Spiral' across the columns of Penshaw Monument. Painting with light - Part 1 - hope you like them as much as I did. Not a bad effort for a rookie 'Wool Burner'.

I'll be at it again at a later date. It's quite addictive!
Cheers, Ash

Black & White Shots

I really need to revamp my Black & White Gallery at ashleycorr.com as it has been rather neglected over the last year or so. I used to set aside some time for mono conversions, but that appears to be a thing of the past for no particular reason, other than my photography interests lying elsewhere. Sometimes it's wise to have a break from specific areas of photography, then when you revisit it brings out that creativity again, which reflects in the results, and here I have one or two examples of what I am getting at. The first shot was taken outside York Minster on April 23rd, 2012. The weather wasn't anything special that day - the sky was overcast and there was little or no sunshine to be had, but that didn't deter this photographer, as I planned to convert any decent shots into Mono (black & white). I spent 90 minutes inside the Minster, grabbing a batch of photo's to complete my York Minster Gallery, which, for the record, are all colour images. Upon leaving the Minster, via the Gift Shop, I crossed the road towards the shops and stopped to take a photo which is shown here (image one). The reflection in a shop window caught my eye immediately and out came the camera once again. I used a 10-22mm wide angle lens to cram as much content as I could into the frame, plus the use of a CPL filter on the window next to me, which made the lettering more prominent, when rotated to suit. I later edited the image in Photoshop CS6, which is the latest 'All singing, all dancing' software from the Adobe stable (a class bit o' kit!). I altered the levels and grey tones to suit, before converting the image to HDR (High Dynamic Range), which always works a treat with ancient stonework, and I think I pushed this one to its limit and brought out the best in what was a fairly 'Flat' image to begin with.

My second Mono shot, shown here, is another one that got the HDR treatment. Taken at a location that I have visited so many times - it's Penshaw Monument, on the outskirts of Sunderland, Tyne & Wear. I remember this visit very well - a freezing cold February morning, and there I was attempting my first ever Sunrise shots from the top of Penshaw Hill. Another one to forget though, as the sun only showed for a matter of seconds before departing behind a bank of low cloud on the horizon. I made my way back down Penshaw Hill after this non-event and stopped half way to photograph from the steps, which were well frosty, almost having me flat on my arse a couple of times. The 10-22 wide was paying for itself once again as it put itself to good use, with the pathway and steps offering the perfect 'Lead-In Line' to the shot, with Penshaw Monument once again providing the focal point for another Black & White effort. HDR came into play again, with two bracketed images instead of the single RAW file I used on the Minster shot above, tone mapped and aligned to create what is shown here. I've got this one printed on Ilford Galerie Satin Paper (280 g/sm) and mounted in textured white board, then framed in black - I have to say...it's a winner!    

And just before I pop off for a bite to eat folks, I'd like to tell you I'll be back shortly with some more creative photo's that I recorded last night, with the help of some string, an egg whisk and a roll of wire wool. Strange, eh. You'll be surprised at the results though. Not long to wait...

Ash 
www.ashleycorr.com

Houghton le Springwatch

I don't update my Natural Life galleries as much as I'd like to, mainly because I'm either photographing the Landscape or indulging in more Low-Light photography. Having said that, when the Spring arrives, and also during the summer season, I tend to swap priorities and nature photography suddenly gets the nod over everything else. I'm lucky enough to live near some decent countryside and some of it is within walking distance, so decent nature shots are never too far away. In Houghton le Spring we have Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve - formerly the site of Rye Hill open cast coal mine, part of the vast Durham coalfield, Rainton Meadows has now been restored as a wetland site and is the headquarters of Durham Wildlife Trust. Lakes and ponds have been constructed together with re-seeding of native vegetation and woodland planting to create a habitat for a rich variety of wildlife once thought to have been lost from the area. Over 200 species of birds have been recorded visiting the site since 1996 and sightings of the rare water vole have been registered in the ponds. Dragonflies, damselflies and butterflies are seen in abundance with occasional migrant species being spotted.

One area known locally as Joe’s Pond was once the site of an old clay pit. This area was named after Joe Wilson, a former employee of Nicholson’s Pit who leased the pond from the National Coal Board and personally carried out much of the early tree planting and island construction. A designated Site of Special Scientific Interest, the area attracts many birds including long-eared owls, mute swans, grebes and ducks, is a popular breeding site for newts, frogs and toads. The surrounding wildflower meadows host a wide variety of plants including several species of orchids. It is also home to roe deer and foxes. A couple of years ago Durham Wildlife Trust built a brick hide on the edge of the largest pond at Rainton Meadows, although it has been vandalised on a number of occasions by the local chav population. From here, me and my son Christopher checked out activity on the water. He'd been itching to try out his new binoculars and they certainly came in handy as we spotted a Great Crested Grebe on its nest. I managed to get quite close to it before attaching a 300mm lens to bring it even closer. The photograph is shown here. The bird sat for a while, with no concern about the daft lad with the camera. This was the first time I'd seen a Great Crested Grebe at the nest site. The male fetched food for its mate as it incubated the eggs, swimming to and from the nest at regular intervals.

We passed three Mute Swan nests on our walk around the meadows. Birds were sitting at each site, until one left its nest and walked towards us, covering at least thirty feet, after it probably noticed the bag of bread Chris was carrying. As he fed the swan I nipped off and quickly checked the contents of the nest, which had a full clutch of six eggs. They are due to hatch very soon, as the Hen has been sitting for a month now. I took a couple of photo's before leaving the nest site, which was in the same part of the reeds as the previous two years - obviously built by the same pair of Swans. The Cobb (male swan) was busy getting fed by people further round the pond, which was why it wasn't fighting me off, as in previous years. Mind you, as I photographed the nest it suddenly appeared from the reed bed, heading towards me at a fast rate. Time to do one! We left the area and made our way to the next pond on Rainton Meadows, one of five in total. The Hen (female swan) ate the rest of the bread before returning to its nest, where the Cobb was waiting for it and guarding the eggs during its absence. Our first Springwatch outing of 2012 ended at Herrington Country Park, opposite Penshaw Hill. We decided to check out the Mute Swans and discovered another three nests, plus three Cygnets that were only a couple of days old, at the very most. With a few Mute Swan nests 'On our doorstep' we'll be keeping tabs on them in the next couple of weeks, in the hope of some more photography, so keep checking my Blog for future updates. Until then...




Cheers, Ash

North Yorkshire Coastal Route - Pt 4

Robin Hood's Bay

The final leg of my Coastal Tour of North Yorkshire was at Robin Hood's Bay, a small town, again with lots of history surrounding its past glory as a haven for fishermen. In the 18th century, Robin Hood's Bay was reportedly the busiest smuggling community on the Yorkshire coast. Its natural isolation, protected by marshy moorland on three sides, offered a natural aid to this well-organised business which, despite its dangers, must have paid better than fishing. Smuggling at sea was backed up by many on land who were willing to finance and transport contraband. Fisherfolk, farmers clergy and gentry alike were all involved. Fierce battles ensued between smugglers and excise men, both at sea and on land, and Bay wives were known to pour boiling water over excise men from bedroom windows in the narrow alleyways. Hiding places, bolt holes and secret passages abounded. It is said that a bale of silk could pass from the bottom of the village to the top without leaving the houses. The threat of the excise men was not the only danger to Bayfolk. In the late 18th century and early 19th century, the Press Gangs were feared and hated. Sailors and fishermen were supposed to be exempt but, in reality, rarely were. Once ‘pressed’, their chances of returning to their homes were not high. Village women would beat a drum to warn the men folk that the Press Gangs had arrived and it was not unusual for the Press Gang to be attacked and beaten off. The fishing industry reached its zenith in the mid 19th century and a thriving community existed in Bay. The townsfolk liked to amuse themselves in the winter and there were dances almost every evening. Church and chapel were well attended and funerals and weddings were occasions for a festival. Like other fishing villages, Bay had its own gansey pattern. From the early 19th century, Robin Hood’s Bay began to attract visitors from the outside and this has continued to the present day. 

Like the town centre of Whitby, Robin Hood's Bay has two parts to it - old and new, or relatively new. From the top of the hill the main road suddenly turns into a steep bank, flanked by houses and shops, which is where the Old Town begins. It is here that you get a taste of what Robin Hood's Bay is all about. Similar to the period buildings I found at Staithes, RHB is almost an extension of that town - both have a steep bank, taking you down towards the residential area, a 'Lost in time' world from days gone by. The character of the place is wholly untouched, which is something that has been deliberately done to avoid moving with the times, and thus losing its identity altogether. I've walked these streets many a time, often hoping to discover something new, something that has me lifting the camera once again, and quite often I find it. The Old Town is maze-like, and more often than not I'll find myself in no-mans land, before attempting to retrace my steps in the hope of getting back to familiarity. It's very easy to become absorbed in these surroundings, like walking a tight alleyway and wondering who walked here in years gone by - what did they look like, and where were they heading, and why? Fascinating.

Today was very much another typical day in the life of. Tourists here and there, on land on sand, and even in the water. The Bay is quite small, but when the tide retreats its rocky shore becomes a magnet for families engaging in rock pool searches. We joined in but there was little or nothing of interest, so we headed back towards the Bay Hotel, which is the starting point of the climb back up the steep bank. The ramp which joins the beach from the back foot caught my eye, with its cobbled stones that made for an interesting foreground, with the backdrop of the hotel as my focal point. The Bay Hotel struck me as one of those creepy style residences - which wouldn't look out of place on the set of 'A League Of Gentlemen'. Are you local? My second photograph gives you an indication of where I'm coming from - Landlords, Edward & Tubbs! Can I have a pint of lager and a gum shield, please Barmaid!!!

Outside the Bay Hotel were a few punters, sitting supping their ales. The smell of a nearby Fish n' Chip shop filled the sea air around us. Temptation crept up on your writer once again, as I fumbled in my pocket for cash of the paper variety, in the hope of sampling the fried scran once again. I must add that my previous blog entries from my 'North Yorkshire Coastal Route' include my indulgence with Fish n' Chips - well they were on previous days during our mini-break, so don't be thinking I necked 3 portions all in one day. I might be a greedy get now and again, but not on this particular weekend! A sandwich board, tucked away to one side of the road, directed us up a narrow back land towards the Fish n' Chip shop. Tiny it was, with people huddled inside, but how do you form a queue inside a sardine tin? A five minute wait and I was at the front of the queue - it was more Fish n' Chips. Well worth the money. The little fella visited the Chocolate Fountain instead and enjoyed a 'Kebab Style' fudge and strawberry covering, and covered he was! The missus picked away at my Fish Lot, although your writer saw off the Lion's share, he he.


And that closes the 'North Yorkshire' blog until another visit - maybe next year, who knows. The whole 'Weekender' was great, and a nice time was had, so I would recommend this stretch of coast to all who have an interest in a break by the sea. Of course, there's a lot more to the North Yorkshire Coast than what has been written here - this was just a taster of what was on offer. Why not check it out for yourself. And on that note I shall now contact the North Yorkshire Tourist Board, Accounts Payable, to claim my 20% commission! Maybe it will subsidise more Fish n' Chips!!!

Until the next time..
Ash

North Yorkshire Coastal Route - Pt 3

Whitby

Three miles from Sandsend lies the popular town of Whitby, a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the earliest English poet, lived. The fishing port emerged during the Middle Ages and developed important herring and whaling fleets, and was where Captain Cook learnt seamanship. Tourism started in Whitby in Georgian times and developed with the coming of the railway in 1839. Tourist interest is enhanced by its location surrounded by the high ground of the North York Moors national park and heritage coastline and by association with the horror novel Dracula. Jet and alum were mined locally, and Whitby jet, which was mined by the Romans and Victorians became fashionable during the 19th century. The abbey ruin at the top of the east cliff is the town's oldest and most prominent landmark with the swing bridge across the River Esk and the harbour sheltered by the grade II listed east and west piers being other significant features. Statues of James Cook and William Scoresby and a whalebone arch all point to a maritime heritage. The town also has a strong literary tradition and has featured in literary works, television and cinema; most famously in Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula.

I've lost count of the amount of times I've visited Whitby with the camera in tow. I tend not to have a plan in mind when photographing, preferring to 'Go with the flow' and to see where I end up on each particular day. I mean, one time I will opt to photograph up top, in and around the Abbey. Another time I may find myself in and among the shopping areas, in particular Sandgate (The Old Town), with its many old fashioned shop fronts relating to times gone by, such as Victorian Costume, Whitby Jet and Maritime, amongst others. Today I concentrated on the area known as West Cliff, which overlooks the whole of Whitby and offers excellent views across the Harbour and Piers, as well as Sandgate and the Abbey. BE WARNED - the food part of this Blog entry is coming shortly, so if you're hungry as you read this, I take no blame if you suddenly have the urge to dash out and buy Fish n' Chips. Well, come on . . . no visit to Whitby would be complete without your writer indulging in a Fish Lot, eh. So heed the warning folks - the scran bit is on the way, he he. But before I rabbit on about that I'll fill you in on the photographs I've uploaded here.

Four new photo's, taken at Whitby, North Yorkshire - April 2012.(Click image to enlarge)
1. River Esk, across Sandgate towards the Swing Bridge - taken on West Cliff.
2. The world famous Magpie Restaurant, with NO QUEUE, which must be a first!
3. River Esk, across Sandgate towards the Swing Bridge - taken at ground level.
4. Panoramic stitch - Whitby, from West Cliff.

And finally, Fish and Chips at the Magpie. There was a massive queue at the restaurant door, which is very common no matter which day you visit. Not being a patient soul when me belly is rumbling, I persuaded the other half to dodge the queue and join the much shorter one next door, at the Magpie takeaway. We didn't fancy waiting an hour in the queue, for the restaurant to open its doors to us, so common sense prevailed and it wasn't long before we were at the counter next door, placing our order. Mind you, the Magpie has an excellent reputation for its food, which often means paying a premium to get yer gob round it. Ah well, it's only money and ya can't take it with ya when your number is up, so we filled our boots and done the necessary. Fish n' Chips cost £6.70 each - aye, the robbin' bastards should have worn a mask - Dick Turpin did when he robbed folk! I nearly keeled owa when yon lassie clagged an extra pund on the bill for small tub o' Mushy Peas. When I hoyd salt 'n vinegar on me scran I half expected yon lassie to shout 'That'll be an extra ten bob, mister'. They like cash in the Magpie. But hey, all thoughts of robbery were put firmly to the back of my mind when I took my first bite of that battered cod fillet - it was the Bee's Knee's, mak nee mistake about that. Nee soggy batter, like they dish out at some of these cheap seaside chip shops, this was the Real McCoy and the fish was thick and white - neen o' this grey rubbish that the Pakistani chippy's knock out! Lush chips anarl, norra bit o' fat on them, so ah hoyd the lot down me neck and weshed it doon wi' the usual Coca-Cola. In culinary terms - it doesn't get much better than this, unless it's a full blown Indian meal wi' all the trimmings. Nee wonder The Magpie is number one - no complains from us.

And on that note, I shall bid thee farewell til the final part of my North Yorkshire Coast blog - Robin Hood's Bay.
Ash

DISCLAIMER - Should you now be rushing out to order Fish n' Chips, simply blame me and forward the bill to Ashley Corr Photography, where I shall promptly 'Return To Sender'. That is all.

North Yorkshire Coastal Route - Pt 2

Staithes to Sandsend

The short journey from Saltburn By The Sea to Staithes was approximately 9 miles, heading south by car along the North Yorkshire Coastal Route. The tiny fishing village of Staithes is a place I've visited on many occasions, mainly to photograph it from the many vantage points along its steep cliffs and hilltops. Exploring the many back streets is one thing, but it's not until you 'Get up top' that you see what Staithes is all about. From the dizzy heights of Cowbar Nab you are able to see right across the rooftops of picturesque Staithes - a sight that almost has you believing you've travelled back in time, judging by the old fashioned buildings that have deliberately been left untouched over decades (shot one). The place is oozing character - you only have to walk its streets to witness this. The powers that be must be hellbent on retaining Staithes' character so much so that planning permission for any building work must be considered very carefully. There's not a great deal in Staithes to attract the tourist to be honest, other than it's Olde Worlde existance and its photogenic attraction. Shops are very few and far between, there's a couple of pubs and the odd antique shop and art gallery. The Cod & Lobster is where you'll find a decent Real Ale, if you're that way inclined. No decent food on offer though - toastie's were as good as it got - no thanks missus, I'll give that one a rain check. On each occasion I've been to Staithes it's been blue skies all the way, but chilly also. Odd that - maybe it's like that most of the time. I have an uncanny habit of turning up when the tide is out - something that I'll have to put right next time as photographs from Cowbar Nab are much better when the tethered boats are floating on water, as opposed to sitting lopsided on dry harbour. I'll have to check the tide tables prior to my next showing.  

From Staithes we headed south through Loftus, eventually stopping off on Lythe Bank to photograph a stretch of great coastline from Sandsend, heading towards Whitby. Conditions were ideal - visibility was perfect as I photographed the coastline from Lythe Bank (shot two), next to the Church Of St Oswald. Some fine beach lay straight ahead of me, with its clean sands, so I spent a short while photographing it using a bog standard 18-135mm lens, followed by a 300mm Telephoto, to pull in the scene from afar.  This was to be our last stop before the 3 mile journey to our next port of call - Whitby. The weather was kind to us and it made for ideal photography conditions once again. Hang about and bring ya more photo's. The wait won't be too long (wink).

AC  

North Yorkshire Coastal Route - Pt 1

Saltburn By The Sea

Another day out by the sea, from Houghton le Spring to Robin Hood's Bay, via the North-Yorkshire coastal route. No car journey from Tyne & Wear to the quiet olde worlde fishing village of Robin Hood's Bay would be the same by taking the 'Route One' path, missing out the towns and views that lie in between. This stretch of coastline has a lot to offer the tourist, if he or she is prepared to go looking for it, so you'd be cheating yourself if you didn't make the effort. I say this because of the picturesque towns and villages that lie along the coast, just waiting to be picked off, one after another. Forty Four miles into the journey we find ourselves at our first stop-off, at Saltburn By The Sea, a town that has retained much of its charm as a Victorian seaside resort. Saltburn has the oldest water-balanced cliff tramway that is still in operation, linking the town with the pier 120 feet below. You can park the car at sea level where the old fishing village straddles Skelton Beck. The Ship Inn remains as a focal point, steeped in smuggling folklore, but there wasn't time to prop up the bar today, opting for Fish n' Chips at lunchtime instead. The takeaway next to the pier car park comes well recommended - trust me.

The fully operational Water Tram Lift and Pier are without doubt the most eye-catching attractions at Saltburn, which is why I decided to photograph them during our one hour pit stop. The weather was fine, although a tad on the windy/chilly side, and the fluffy clouds had me reaching into the 'Tool Box' for my Circular Polariser - a must for these conditions. My first shot shows Saltburn Pier, stretching out towards the North Sea, propping up many a visitor that decided to tread its boards. A stretch of pier railings was adorned with knitted figures to commemorate thesforthcoming Olympic Games in London, although mystery surrounds the origins of this artwork and who was responsible for attaching it to the pier. Rumour spread recently that it was attached to the railings during the early hours when no-one was around to witness it. Dozens of knitted characters, featuring athletes from various disciplines, such as Cycling, Running, Rowing, Fencing and Swimming, covered at least 40 feet of the pier railings - hours of work and effort, from an unknown creator! A small section of it is shown in my second photograph.

After lunch we headed, rather gingerly, up the steps towards the top of the Water Lift tracks. From here there was an excellent view across the bay of Saltburn, including the Beach, Pier and Water Lift, right ahead of us. A brief history of the Water lift...

The two 10 person cars are each fitted with a 1,000 imperial gallons (4,500 L) water tank, and run on parallel standard gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) funicular railway tracks. Double steel wire ropes are attached to both cars, controlled by a brakeman in the upper station. The car at the top has its water tank filled until its mass exceeds the mass of the car at the bottom. It then travels down the incline, counter-balanced by the mass of the other car, which travels to the top, with the brakeman controlling safety and the speed of travel. When the car reaches the bottom, its water is released thus reducing the mass of the lower car, and pumped back up to the top of the cliff. It is believed that the Cliff Lift opened on Saturday 28 June 1884, but there was a period of inconsistent operation at the start. The opening of the Cliff Lift allowed the pier company to undertake an extension to that structure. The original cars, capable of seating 10-12 passengers, had stained-glass windows. But when the Cliff Lift was refurbished in 1955, the car bodies were replaced without these. When the wholly new aluminium cars were introduced in 1979, modelled on the original design, stained-glass windows were reinstated. Owned since post-World War II by the local council, Marks' design was so good that, beyond maintenance and refurbishment, little has changed since 1884. In 1924 an electrically operated water pump was installed, and in 1998 the main winding wheel was replaced for the first time, together with the installation of a new hydraulic braking system.

The best view across the sands were up top next to the Water lift, as it led the eye straight into the composition, taking me through the frame that was interesting from front to back. Positioning the moving Tram in the composition was pretty straightforward - I thought the shot would balance better with the car at a certain point on the track as I fired the shutter. It worked well, as did another effort with the stationery car at the top, preparing its descent to the promenade below. Many a lazy bugger used the tram lift, opting to dodge the steps, taking the preferred soft option. Mind you, if it wasn't for the lazy folk there would have been no tram movement and ultimately no photographs of it in operation - so maybe I should take back those criticisms and thank myself lucky. Maybe I've just had too much my own way, he he, Fish n' Chips weshed doon wi Coca-Cola - not to be sniffed at. Returning to the car we found we were blocked in by an Ambulance, for a good 30 minutes. Lights flashing, and judging the way the Ambulance was bouncing up and down it seemed someone inside was most definitely in a bad way. Eventually it drove off - lights off and no sirens - not a good sign.

We then headed down the coast to our next anchorage, Staithes - A 9 mile journey to another idyllic fishing village on the North-Yorkshire Coast. Coming next...

Cheers, Ash

Penshaw Tea Rooms

Situated between Chester le Street and Sunderland, just off the the A183, lies one of the North East's most iconic landmarks - Penshaw Monument. To those of you who aren't familiar with the Monument click here, it'll save me the bother as I'm off out to collect an Indian takeaway shortly and time isn't on my side, he he. At the foot of Penshaw Hill is Penshaw Nursery & Tea Rooms, a place that has been exhibiting and selling my work for over two years. People flock here from far and wide, if not to buy the plants and shrubs, then probably to sample the fine food and drink that is on offer each day. Who knows, some folk might even make the journey just to admire the artistry on the walls, before digging deep and walking out with a piece of their own. Although one or two other artists exhibit their work in the Tea Rooms, I have established myself as a popular photographer, judging by the amount of sales that Tony and Robert (The owners) have made during the last two years. It all started off with an enquiry by myself, which led to my feet getting well and truly underneath their table, before going on to bigger and better things. Originally, half a dozen mounted prints were sold, then I hooked up a couple of A4 framed prints to test the water, and they sold. I then exhibited larger mounts and larger framed prints (A3), which followed suit. The trend continued well into my second year of involvement so expanded my product range to A2 framed prints, Canvas Prints and Postcards. The decision paid off handsomely as more of my work was ordered due to the sales of previous deliveries. The majority of orders by request are photographs of Penshaw Monument, although we have had success with other subjects, such as Angel Of The North, Durham Cathedral and various coastal scenes throughout the region. Penshaw Tea Rooms is now stocking a large range of my photography in a variety of formats, featuring lots of new scenes. There are approximately 20 framed prints in a variety of sizes and colours, 6 Canvas Prints, 30 Mounted Prints and a small selection of Postcards. No spare hooks to be at at the moment, but hopefully that will change soon, especially after the heavy volume of people that pass through the doors over the Easter period and beyond.

Why not get thee'sel owa and check it out!

AC

Another Close Encounter

Venus/Jupiter Conjunction (March 2012)

Well, as promised, here's my second batch of photo's of the recent terrestrial event, known as the Venus/Jupiter Conjunction. I was aware that this 'Meeting' of the planets was due to last only a couple of weeks, so I made every effort to get out there to strike while the iron was hot - this was my second and third attempt to photograph this optical illusion and once again I was presented with a clear night-time sky on both nights - perfect visibility for this kind of photography. My second outing took me on a short car journey to Gateshead, home of the Angel Of The North, where I was very hopeful of landing some good shots, as I usually shoot the sculpture when facing West, the same direction the conjunction appears to the viewer. On arrival I had the place to myself, apart from my 11 year old son who was 'Helping Dad' by posing in the frame, here and there, Lowepro bag weighing him down! (see picture 1). Once again, the inclusion of people offer a sense of scale to the shot, so if you've never visited the Angel you'll get a rough idea of its size when compared to the 'Extra's' in the frame. Mind you, it's a pain in the arse when folk start climbing onto the feet of the sculpture as this spoils the photograph and I usually rely on Photoshop to bail me out with the odd bit of brush work. Luckily this time round the group of youngsters didn't bother with climbing routine, so there was no need for me to run at them with an extended tripod, he he. Sensible Geordies they were - I never knew they existed!

So there I am, for a short time, probably ten minutes or so, pulling in a half dozen shots of the Angel with Venus and Jupiter lending themselves to the shots. As night fell rather quickly I was running with 30 second exposures. Any more loss of light and I was heading quickly towards Bulb Mode, a function that allows shutter speeds of beyond 30 seconds, which is the maximum speed when shooting in Manual mode (my preferred function mode for low-light photography). For the tech heads amongst you, I made these pictures with a Canon 7D, with an attached 10-22mm wide angle lens, fired remotely with the camera sat on Manfrotto legs. The unwritten rule applied - image recorded in RAW format, highest possible resolution and the lowest possible ISO setting of 100, to give crystal clear 'No Noise' clarity when printed out at A2 size (25x17 inches). Those remote control units are priceless! I got my hands on a piece of cheap Chinese rubbish via eBay, which actually does a brilliant job - it does as it says on the box (Yes folks, I do know the odd word or two of Chinese ya know...............................Chow Mein! Oh no, here I go again, turning the subject towards food once again! Sorry about that. Yes, the small hand-held transmitter communicates with a receiver that slides onto the camera hot shoe. With a range of 50 metres the transmitter triggers the shutter and Bob's yer Uncle. At a price of just eleven sheets ya can't get robbed. Camera shake is most definitely a thing of the past. God bless the Chinese!

And I wasn't done there. The very next night I was at it again. Penshaw Monument was the venue again, just like my first excursion to photograph the Venus/Jupiter Conjunction. This time there was another guest to the show - the Moon. Sitting close to the two planets, my luck was in and conditions were once again very favourable, so three planets make up my last batch of shots, shown here. Penshaw Monument - let's av it...

Ash

A Very Close Encounter

In all the years I've been making photographs, I don't recall a time when I recorded a terrestrial event, on film, transparency or digital media. I had no interest in Star Trek and rubbish of that particular ilk - infact, the only stars I remember seeing were the ones spinning around my head after a heavy night out on the tiles during my earlier 'Social' years. Ahh, memories.

So before the skeletons threaten to burst out of my cupboard I dramatically swich tack and quickly return this blog post to a semblance of normality, in the shape of my first ever 'Close Encounter'. No, I won't pretend I was recently abducted by aliens or any such nonsense - this was an event that I recorded on memory card, and I'm ready to share the results. Let me aquaint you with the details of my search for the planets in question - A search that didn't take long, in all honesty. A look over my shoulder during a meal was when the TV grabbed my attention. The local weather bulletin on ITV , presented by Philippa Tomson, informed viewers that during the last two weeks of March 2012, the two planets, Jupiter and Venus appear to be at their closest point in the sky, approximately 3 degrees apart, and a clear night time sky would offer the ideal opportunity to view this 'Close Encounter' when looking West. The two planets have been travelling in a westerly direction across the Northern Hemisphere and the phenomenon is known as the 'Venus & Jupiter Conjunction'. It is however, an optical illusion!

The whole world can see the two bright lights in the west after sunset now, but, for the Northern Hemisphere, mid-March 2012 presents the best time to see a Venus-Jupiter conjunction in the evening for years to come. At mid-northern latitudes, these two brightest planets – Venus and Jupiter – stay out for nearly four hours after sunset. That’s about the longest period possible at these latitudes. No matter where you are on Earth now, you can’t miss these two worlds in the west as darkness falls. In the opposite direction at nightfall – looking east – you can’t miss the ruddy planet Mars. This world won’t be so brilliant in our sky again until April 2014. Mars shines from dusk till dawn, whereas Venus and Mars set four hours after sunset at mid-northern latitudes.

And what better location to photograph this event - the summit of a fairly steep hill in my neck of the woods, with a well-known iconic landmark thrown in for good measure. Yes, it just has to be Penshaw Monument, illuminated and displayed in all its glory - visible for miles and dominating the Wearside skyline. Let's go!
I was up the hill for a good hour, from the fall of darkness, to the point where the sky was black and my job was done and dusted. I had the place to myself - even the previously ever-present cattle had gone AWOL, adding to an already definate sense of isolation at the top of Penshaw Hill. It was nippy, as expected, but when you're in concentration mode you tend not to feel the cold too much. Two fleeces and a body warmer kept the chill at bay. I must have stood in at least a dozen piles of cow-shit as I switched shooting position on the hill top - aye, you just know what's under foot when your boots slide about, here, there and everywhere. I must have spent an unnecessary 5 minutes wiping me boots on the grass before getting back into the car. All part and parcel of 'Shooting In The Field', so to speak. It was worth it though - very satisfied with the shots I pulled in. Here are a couple of them...

I'm planning to photograph the 'Venus & Jupiter Conjunction' again over the weekend, at another well-known site in the North-East. Coming next...
Ash

Clay's Garden Centre, Washington

March has been a month of few updates at ashleycorr.com. I did manage to get out with the camera on a couple of occasions, and the results will come your way shortly, but most of my spare time has been used on expanding my customer base throughout the North-East. Next week will see me follow up two more opportunities to display my photography in well known outlets, so stay tuned for more news about that as and when it announced here on my Blog.

Over the last week I have been negotiating with the director of Clay's Garden Centre in Washington, Tyne & Wear, in the hope of selling my wares through this popular, and rather busy outlet. Good news - Clay's are NOW stocking my work. A quantity of limited edition mounted prints are now available to purchase, along with a selection of postcards, all featuring a local scene that I captured during the different seasons of the calendar year.

Firstly, the mounted prints - initially available in two sizes only, 14x11 inches and 10x8 inches. Mounted in either Ivory or Textured White mountboard (acid free) and signed by myself, the mounts are numbered and available as limited runs. Various scenes can be purchased and they include most of the iconic landmarks in our region, such as Washington Old Hall, Angel Of The North, Penshaw Monument, Durham Cathedral and Roker Pier, amongst others.

The postcards - well, these originally kicked off as a ten card set, after I was commissioned by the Tourist Board in Sunderland to produce 10 different scenes in this format. My postcard collection now stands at 33, all matching and printed on glossy media, which are currently selling in a number of outlets in our region. Clay's Garden Centre are now stocking 15 different postcards from my collection and plans are afoot to display my cards on the front of gift packs, such as biscuit boxes, confectionary, etc. Again, more details on this to follow, as and when.

So, if you're in the region, why not pop along and get yourself through the doors of Clay's Garden Centre. There's a nice coffee shop on the premises too, so sit yer arse down and admire those postcards and prints you've just bought (wink). No shame, have I? he he.

Until the next time - see ya,

Ash

Lee Filters On Test

Hello again!

More low-light photography comes your way after I made a recent trip up the coast to St Mary's Lighthouse, near Whitley Bay. This location was featured on my Blog not too long ago, and once again I have more Sunrise shots to share. The alarm clock called out at 5am and a cold wash had me awake in no time, before I necked a cup of coffee and left the house. St Mary's is approximately 35 minutes from home, passing through the new Tyne Tunnel before heading down to Tynemouth and coninuing along the coast road. Passing Cullercoats I saw the first colour breaking through on the horizon, which is what you hope for on a freezing cold morning like this. Not many folk around at this hour, just the odd dog walker and a couple of photographers with tripods - must be mad! Today though, it was time to give my Lee Filters a run out - something of a rarity, which I need to address after paying an arm and a leg for them. The set comprises of 3 Neutral Density Grad's - a 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 - or 1 stop, 2 stops and 3 stops, whichever you prefer. Basically, each filter is clear at the bottom and dark at the top, the shading is graduated and fades out in the middle of each filter, allowing you to balance exposure between the highlights and shadows of your chosen subject. The filters are ideal for Sunrise shots, especially when you have a colourful sky at the top of your frame and darkened rocks at the bottom. Metering off the foreground rocks will expose perfectly for particular area of the shot, but will in turn burn out the detail in the sky. That's where the grads come in handy. After selecting the correct strength filter (based on the difference in f-stops between the dark and bright areas, the filter is then positioned over the highlights in the sky to 'Hold back' the detail in it. Just for the record, the filters are made of resin and are calibrated precisely to reduce the amount of light by either 1,2 or 3 stops - they measure 150x100mm and are dropped into a filter holder (Lee Foundation Kit) that is fitted to the lens. The dark portion of the filter is positioned carefully over the sky to retain detail. In the first two photo's shown here, the rocks and sky are exposed very well, but because of the big difference in f-stops between the two, I had to use two filters together, a 0.9 and 0.6 soft grad, stacked in the holder. Shutter speed was down to 5 seconds for these two shots, so naturally a tripod and remote release switch came into play. The tide was in when I arrived but it seemed to retreat quickly enough, allowing me to pick my spot on the rocks as I shot towards the Lighthouse. The sun rose over to my right, almost out of shot, but I managed to get some colour without panning to far across and losing St Mary's Island altogether.

Feet were stone cold, icicles began to form on the owld snozz, but there was work to be done so I persuaded myself to stop being a pussy and continue the task in hand. And no Blog entry of mine would be complete without a mention of food and drink at some point. As the sun came up and the colours faded I began to limber up for a pit-stop at McDonalds, on the nearby Silverlink. I could almost taste that double sausage n' egg McMuffin and the hot coffee!

Half a dozen photographers were scattered around me, as I packed up my gear and headed onto the sand. I felt I had the best spot out of all of us, so it was worth scrambling down the muddy bank onto those rocks, even though the tide was swirling around below. Fearless photography and all that - or am I just an idiot who puts his camera first? My last offering is a panoramic effort. Well, not strictly true - I simply cropped the top and bottom to create that format after deciding the bulk of the detail lay in the middle portion of the frame. Some nice subtle colour in the sky, coupled with the ancient groynes that add some interest to the right-hand side of the shot, with the focal point being St Mary's Island itself. And that's about all folks - another early start that saw me get to grips once again with those trusty Lee Filters. I feel that I haven't given them a proper run as such, and will use them heavily in the coming weeks and months, along with a new filter that I've just invested in - a Lee Filters 'Big Stopper'. For more details click here.

I ordered this one six months ago and have just recently received it, due to the long waiting list from the supplier. Most definately the most sought after filter in the world! Lets see what I can do with the 'Big Stopper', eh.

See ya soon. AC

Tyne-Tees Television (Parts 35-39)

Another update to my Blog and it comes in the shape of more video clips taken from the regional weather bulletin on Tyne-Tees Television. I submitted five photographs, three of which were shown in one week during January 2012, with the remainder being shown late January/ early February. The first video player contains two of my photographs which were part of a slideshow of Winter Sunrise shots, followed by another set of Winter Scenes. My contribution was -
1. Seven Sisters Sunrise, Houghton le Spring
2. Bamburgh Castle Sunrise, Northumberland



The second video player contains a compilation of three photographs, which are as follows -
3. Millennium Bridge, Newcastle Quayside
4. Mute Swan At Sunset, Rainton Meadows, Houghton le Spring
5. Frosty Dawn, Penshaw Monument, Tyne & Wear

Thanks for visiting. More website updates to follow...stay tuned.Ash

Big Country - o2 Academy, Newcastle

In 2008 I saw Big Country perform at Legends, Newcastle - Bass player Tony Butler took on the role of lead singer, following the death of original frontman Stuart Adamson. With due resepect, Tony is no singer, but he done the best he could on the night and the fans went home happy. At Legends, back in 2008, the overall sound of Big Country was inevitably hollow due to the 'Missing' guitar parts that Adamson played, but again the band improvised and done a job as well as they possibly could under the circumstances. Tonight however was a very different matter, as the band had enlisted the help of Mike Peters (lead vocalist of The Alarm) and used his vocal prowess to compliment the anthemic Big Country sound, and he fitted in perfectly. Not many could have filled the void Stuart Adamson left, but Peters is a worthy successor judging by tonights vocal performance. And remember those 'Missing' guitar parts - well they were back and so was the full BC sound, courtesy of Jamie Watson, son of lead guitarist Bruce. Jamie was earlier drafted in as a kind of experiment after practising Stuart's guitar parts with his dad over a period of months. The band attitude towards a possible inclusion of Bruce's son was 'Let's give it a go and see what happens.' Some may have seen this is a gamble, but if it was, it was one that paid off as Jamie Watson fitted into the live set-up equally as well as Mike Peters - round pegs in round holes!

Big Country were founded in Dunfermline in the early 1980's, and another band with Scottish roots, Gun, supported them at tonights gig at the o2 Academy in Newcastle Upon Tyne. Gun weren't my cup of tea, to be honest, although they went down very well with the audience, who had turned up in large numbers and the event wasn't short of a sell-out. An hour in and I was still freezing cold - someone needed to hoy 50p in the gas meter to pump some well needed hot air into the place. It was -2 degrees outside yet it felt even colder inside the venue, but it didn't take long to warm up once Big Country took to the stage. The band received a huge welcome from the crowd as they started their set with a track called Angle Park. The place was soon bouncing - we were lucky to get places at the front so I was in confident mood of grabbing some decent live shots, taken with a modest Fuji F60 'Point and Shoot' affair. The band played their 1982 album 'The Crossing' in its entirety, to mark 30 years Anniversary of its release. The set list on the night was as follows...

1.Angle Park 2.East Of Eden 3.Another Country 4.Balcony 5.Restless Natives 6.The Crossing 7. In A Big Country 8.Inwards 9.Chance 10.1000 Stars 11.The Storm 12.Harvest Home 13.Lost Patrol 14.Close Action 15.Fields Of Fire 16.Porrohman...encore -17.Tracks Of My Tears 18. Look Away 19.Wonderland

From the freezing cold to the hot and sweating - the fast tempo of the music, coupled with a crowd paked in like sardines and bouncing about to the music, we soon warmed up. Highlights of the gig were as follows...

Mike Peters vanishing from the stage, eventually emerging at the rear of house, perched on someones shoulders and singing the 1983 hit 'Chance', much to the pleasure of the surrounding fans. As he made his way to the front of the audience he was helped over the barrier right next to us by security staff. I grabbed a shot of him at close quarters (second shot, above).
During one of the encores 'Tracks Of My Tears' Mike Peters altered some of the lines in respect of Stuart Adamson...'Since you left us, if you see me with another band, Looks like I'm having fun. Although I might be cute, I'm just a subsitute, cos you're the permanent one (Mike points skywards).
Another highlight (literally) was again centred around frontman Mike Peters as he turned his acoustic guitar to reveal a mirrored back, before pointing it towards the audience and reflecting the light from the rigging above onto the crowd in a 'Search Light' effect. It worked very well, easily reaching the seated audience on the balcony, as well as those at the back of the stalls. I can't remember off hand which song was playing at the time, but it covered atleast two minutes of instrumental as Mike's 'Search Light' flashed past most of the audience. I managed to grab the effect with my humble Fuji, shown here in my third shot.

I could ramble on, but I'll be here all night if I do. Enough said then. A great show - looking forward to seeing them again sometime. I hope BC can hang on to Mike Peters though. He's been getting rave reviews on The New Big Country Website for his performances on this tour so far. Bruce Watson, Tony Butler and Mark Brzezicki played their part as usual, leaving their fans with the feeling that there's still plenty left in the tank.
That's is all, until the next time,
Ash

Closer To Home - Rainton Meadows

It had been almost three weeks since my last outing with the camera, so I put the record straight with a recent visit to Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve in Houghton le Spring. That last outing - a 160 mile round trip that included visits to Bamburgh and Holy Island on the Northumberland Coast, was one that I'll definitely repeating soon, but my latest photo offerings were captured much closer to home, as mentioned above. Historically, January is a often a month of excellent Sunrises and Sunsets for me and 2012 has been no different - infact, this year has probably yielded more opportunities than previous years as there was one brilliant sky after another. If you can tolerate the 'Brass Monkey' arctic temperature then you're half way there, although there's still work for idle hands to do and a pair of wooly gloves comes in rather handy in these conditions. Of course I don't wear such 'Pussyfied' attire - well, maybe now and again, but keep that to yourself, eh.

So here I was, at Rainton Meadows, with my 11 year old son, just killing an hour or so before tea. Walking to the first pond we passed a young couple - the lad was armed with a Canon 5D Mk2, which was capable of doing a lot of damage with the attached 500mm telephoto lens. Of course, I couldn't tell when passing that it was a 5D, the strap gave the game away. I experienced a slight tinge of envy because of the kit he was carrying - full frame with top notch glass attached, it must have tipped the scales at around 4 grand, easily! As we passed he noticed the loaf of bread in my sons hand, then told us there was a hungry Swan on the water ahead of us, and that he had no bread himself and as a consequence he got no decent close-up shots of it - not that he needed close-up's anyway, with that size lens. Tough titty eh, get yersel' away son and leave it to the experts, he he!

The sun had just set in front of us and some colour lifted the sky as I took my first couple of shots. I was literally three feet away from the Mute Swan as I photographed it, all the time being wary that it may have a dig at me at any given moment. But the grub was the key and I was confident it wouldn't 'Bite the hand that feeds.' That was the case, so things went smoothly during the short time we were there and the big bird eventually fettled a full bag of Warburton's without hesitation. Hungry Swan indeed. Composing the shots was very straightforward - Swan, Sky and the inclusion of a reed bed to emphasise the habitat - it worked ok and the colourful sky finished the shot off quite well, although beforehand I had hoped for a better sky - beggars and choosers, and all that. Natural Life is an interesting subject to photograph, although I don't devote much time to it as I'd like to, mainly due to the fact that my biggest lens only covers the 300mm mark, but maybe sometime in the future I'll get more 'Into it.' Until then here ya go - two shots taken with the trusty Canon 7D and 18-135mm lens on it's widest setting. Happy snapping.

Back soon, Ash

Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland

After much planning, and more intention than enough, I finally visited the Northumberland Coast last weekend for some Sunrise Photography. I recall a Blog entry of mine last October, when I announced that a trip to Bamburgh Castle was imminent, but one thing or another scuppered my plans and the outing never materialised. Three months later, and a willingness to let nothing get in the way of a January trip to the same location, and suddenly here I am driving north on the A1(M) at 6.30am. I had plenty of sleep the night before and my preparations had actually started three days in advance, so everything was neatly in place by the time I awoke at 5.45am on Saturday morning, the day of the event. I had been out the night before for a nice Indian scran and the plan was not to pouch anything too hot otherwise I might be in a spot of trouble the next morning. As it was, I'd put away a mild 'Lamb Tikka Bhuna', made the necessary bog stop the next morning before I left for the coast, so that side of things was taken care of and I felt confident I wouldn't be running around like a loppy dog, looking for a netty amongst Bamburgh sand dunes at 8.00am. So the plan was to leave home at 6.15am, to arrive at Bamburgh Castle around 7.30am, giving me ample time to find a vantage point and get my gear set up with time to spare before Sunrise. I packed my camera gear into the car, along with flask of Coffee, Wellies, Spare Socks, Goodie Bag, and Music. I drove the car off the drive at 6.17am, two minutes over planned departure, which was neither something or nothing. The morning chill was something else, and it took a good fifteen minutes to fill the car with warmth - the temperature outside was minus 2 degrees! After 15 minutes on the road I passed the Angel Of The North whilst filling me fat face with Salted Peanuts - not the usual typical breakfast fayre I put away on a Saturday morning - it's usually cold Vindaloo, leftover from the night before! As I reach the bottom of Bowes Incline my eyes are drawn to the chimneys over Team Valley and the smoke that bellows from them. The smoke instantly freezes upon exit and rises high into the morning sky, offering a great photo opportunity, but I'm stopping the car for no-one and nothing. I pass the MetroCentre and the odd car here and there before crossing the River Tyne near Scotswood, noticing the still water and the perfect reflection of the riverside buildings and street lamps. Again, a great photo opportunity in front of me, but I'm heading somewhere else so I quickly leave the reflections behind. I'm now on a clear stretch of the A1(M) and there's not much company on the road, other than the chill-out sound of Enigma playing through the speakers. It's now 6.35am and I'm warm as toast by this time, still pouching those Salted Peanuts and beginning to think today is going to be a good one.

Around 7.00am I pass the historic town of Anlwick and notice bright red sky to my right, on the coast and exactly where I'm heading. There's an hour to go before sunrise, yet there's enough colour on display to start photographing right here and now. No good to me though, I'm thirty minutes away from my destination and I've still got to get off the big road before heading inland to my eventual stop. Hopefully the colourful sky is a rehearsal for what will follow, before and during sunrise, at which time I'll be tripping the shutter and grabbing what I can. At 7.15am I'm finally off the big road after getting caught behind a haulage wagon on single carraigeway for a good few miles. I'm still on schedule and the planned arrival time of 7.30am becomes reality as I now see the illuminated Bambugh Castle ahead of me in the distance. The bag of Salted Peanuts have bit the dust by this time and I'm feeling rather sickly - greedy 'Bar Steward' that I am. I enter the small village of Bamburgh and pass through it, approaching the grand castle on top of the craggy outcrop. Up the ramp and towards the castle car park I go, stopping the car at precisely 7.30am - things are looking very good indeed! There isn't a soul to be seen, just me, a backpack and a hefty tripod, as I step out of my trainers and into a cold pair of green wellies. There may be the need to walk into the incoming tide to get the necessary shots, so the wellies are a must if I don't wanna get the toes wet.

From the castle car park I head through the sand dunes and onto the beach, and a fine beach it is. The tide is low but incoming, so I'll need to monitor it as I photograph from the beach, as the tide has a habit of creeping up and I have no intention of becoming marooned. By 7.40am I'm off the dunes and onto the beach, where I want to be, and for the first time I'm about to photograph a sunrise at a location that has been on my wish-list for far too long. The day has finally arrived and colour begins to burst through the clouds at 8.00am. The purple hue is a nice backdrop for the silhouetted castle and I'm now beginning to mentally compose my shots, before unpacking my gear and getting down to work. And I'm not the only person with that idea in mind on Bamburgh beach - there must be around a dozen or so of the like-minded folk, all jockying for position along the sands as the tide crept in slowly. I photograph a couple of snappers as they lean forward, looking into their viewfinders as they, like myself, make pictures of the scene that appears directly in front of them. I'm remotely firing off frame after frame as the incoming tide swirls around my feet, and I feel them sinking slowly into the sand. I'm unaware that I'm about to get a good soaking as I take my eye off the ball, so to speak. I'm engrossed in the stunning sunset that now unfolds around 8.30am and the freezing cold water of the North Sea suddenly flows over the top of my wellies and I'm suddenly a far from happy bunny. I continue to photograph from the same spot on the beach and as the sun rises above the castle and the colour in the sky diminishes. I call it a day and head onto dry land. I'm soon back at the car park and supping a cup of hot coffee from my flask - just what the doctor ordered. I stand for a while and watch the waves rolling in as I pour myself another cup. It's a grand view. A few minutes later I make a swift sock change before slipping into my hiking boots - no more soaking wet feet.

I finish off with a few shots of Bamburgh Castle from the sand dunes. One particular shot is shown here with the sun bathing the foreground grasses, as well as the castle itself. At 9.15am I'm back on the road and heading north to Holy Island for some more photography. Bamburgh was an experience and now that I've done my first sunrise shoot from its sands, I'm now aquainted with the location and know where to grab the best shots. I'll be back soon for more of the same. I hope you like the selection I've posted here, and don't forget to click them to reveal enlarged versions.

When on the road I fettled a bag of Salted Peanuts, a Gregg's 'Spicey One' Pasty, a bar of Toblerone, half a box of Miniature Heroes and two cans of Pepsi. However, I balanced the boat of healthy eating by eating a single white grape. Aren't I good? (wink).
Until the next time...Ash