Despite forecasts of severe snow and blizzards, we intended to take Mum's new caravan for a short test run this weekend to Hinderwell, on the edge of North Yorkshire. This is Port Mulgrave, about a mile away from Hinderwell and I remember it as a kid as my parents had a friend who live here. The harbour is almost gone now, but I remember my first trip out to sea from here, in a lifeboat my uncle had bought from Great Yarmouth. It was a bit of a family outing, though most of us kids and the women spent alot of time lent over the side throwing up.
The harbour was built in the mid 1800's when iron ore was found in the cliff face - well before the rich seams were discovered beneath Eston Hills. This seam only lasted a few years before it started to peter out. Another small seam was then opened in nearby Grinkle Park and the harbour continued to be used for several decades.
During World War I, the jetties and equipment were partially destroyed to prevent the harbour being used by the Germans for an invasion.
What's left of the jetties is still used by a handful of hardy fishermen.
Monday, 7 April 2008
Saturday, 5 April 2008
Scars at night
Its usually a bad idea to wander down the sea front with a camera at night during the extended weekend - from Thursday through until Saturday night - too many pubs and clubs with drunks milling around on the promenade. Still, the dog needed walking and given the low tide, I was looking for some inspirational views from the further reaches of the rocks.
The rocks themselves are known as scars, presumably as they run add odd angles from the shoreline and give the appearance of jagged scars running into the water. Local fishermen avoid them and follow a specific channel by lining up two red lights, one on the sea front and on a little further back. In the years before satellite navigation and GPS many ships have floundered on these scars. A list of the wrecks can be found on the Redcar.org website
I set this shot up to emphasise the rocky scars, using a 30 second exposure, using the puddles and ponds the retreating tide had left to capture a little of the reflected light. The green tinge in the foreground is seaweed and sea moss on the rocks themselves.
I took a couple of exposures before a few drunks started shouting something or other, milling around at the nearest edge of the promenade.....time to call it a night.
The rocks themselves are known as scars, presumably as they run add odd angles from the shoreline and give the appearance of jagged scars running into the water. Local fishermen avoid them and follow a specific channel by lining up two red lights, one on the sea front and on a little further back. In the years before satellite navigation and GPS many ships have floundered on these scars. A list of the wrecks can be found on the Redcar.org website
I set this shot up to emphasise the rocky scars, using a 30 second exposure, using the puddles and ponds the retreating tide had left to capture a little of the reflected light. The green tinge in the foreground is seaweed and sea moss on the rocks themselves.
I took a couple of exposures before a few drunks started shouting something or other, milling around at the nearest edge of the promenade.....time to call it a night.
House on the hill
I spent last weekend wandering down the coast towards Whitby. My daughter had to do a "Day in the life of...." project for University, a strange project for a Games Programming degree, anyway she had wanted to do her parents. It is amazing how off putting it can be when you are taking shots to have someone else shooting you and asking you to "hold that pose"! We all had a bit of a laugh though and the weather was surprisingly nice. We wandered across to Cowbar, though Staithes and then onto Runswick Bay. It will be interesting to see what she comes up with.
As a boy, I lived in this area for a few years and have memories of days at the beaches and regattas, ice creams and summer time. Our large and extended family often played football matches with the scouts on Sunday afternoons.
This shot was at Runswick Bay in North Yorkshire. Its quite nice down there, hardly any shops, just one cafe and the road down the hill is about 1 in 2 I think - very steep, so make sure your brakes are in good working order!
The old white house was a coastguard cottage and seemed quite fitting for the scene, though situated as it is on the edge of one side of the bay it must get a severe lashing from the sea during winter.
The other side of the bay is quite idyllic, all sand, cliffs and is quite a nice walk.
As a boy, I lived in this area for a few years and have memories of days at the beaches and regattas, ice creams and summer time. Our large and extended family often played football matches with the scouts on Sunday afternoons.
This shot was at Runswick Bay in North Yorkshire. Its quite nice down there, hardly any shops, just one cafe and the road down the hill is about 1 in 2 I think - very steep, so make sure your brakes are in good working order!
The old white house was a coastguard cottage and seemed quite fitting for the scene, though situated as it is on the edge of one side of the bay it must get a severe lashing from the sea during winter.
The other side of the bay is quite idyllic, all sand, cliffs and is quite a nice walk.
Saturday, 22 March 2008
Against the wind
We spent an afternoon in Whitby hanging pictures in the new gallery (have a look at the website at www.thephotospace.co.uk).
As we worked, the wind outside peaked at 35mph and the north easterly wind brought icy hail. Not a pleasant weather outlook for the Easter weekend!
The coast road through Sandsend was closed off to through traffic, so we detoured around the moors and came back to the coast at Saltburn.
The pier itself was closed as the high tide and stormy seas pounded the shoreline. We spent a little time down beside the pier and then on the way home, stopped at the top of the cliff to take this image.
As we worked, the wind outside peaked at 35mph and the north easterly wind brought icy hail. Not a pleasant weather outlook for the Easter weekend!
The coast road through Sandsend was closed off to through traffic, so we detoured around the moors and came back to the coast at Saltburn.
The pier itself was closed as the high tide and stormy seas pounded the shoreline. We spent a little time down beside the pier and then on the way home, stopped at the top of the cliff to take this image.
Monday, 17 March 2008
New Photospace Gallery in Whitby
Well, I have been invited to display some images for sale in a new gallery in Whitby. Time is a bit tight - the opening is on Easter Saturday - so I have been dashing around getting prints and frames sorted and all that sort of stuff, in between updating my website.
I bought most of the frames myself and had the RGB labs do the professional printing. When I went to collect them, they were all the wrong size, but they were really helpful, acknowledging the problem immediately and did a second batch on the spot while I waited.
The image of the Abbey on the right is one taken last September, but only recently processed. It is said that Bram Stoker penned Dracula here, and Whitby attracts a fair number of goths, hosting two gothic weekends each year. Its a great place to visit.
This is possibly one of my images on display and available to buy. If you find yourself at a loose end on Easter Saturday, get yourself down to Whitby and say hello, I will be around most of the day and the gallery is on Skinner Street, just next to the Post Office.
Wish me luck for the opening day!
I bought most of the frames myself and had the RGB labs do the professional printing. When I went to collect them, they were all the wrong size, but they were really helpful, acknowledging the problem immediately and did a second batch on the spot while I waited.
The image of the Abbey on the right is one taken last September, but only recently processed. It is said that Bram Stoker penned Dracula here, and Whitby attracts a fair number of goths, hosting two gothic weekends each year. Its a great place to visit.
This is possibly one of my images on display and available to buy. If you find yourself at a loose end on Easter Saturday, get yourself down to Whitby and say hello, I will be around most of the day and the gallery is on Skinner Street, just next to the Post Office.
Wish me luck for the opening day!
Thursday, 13 March 2008
The Sex Generals
I spent a great couple of hours on Saturday down at Steetley Magnesite in Hartlepool doing some promo shots for a local band - the Sex Generals. They chose the location so I gave normal disclaimers should any accident happen - being a large abandoned industrial plant that is wide open to the public, certain parts of it are distinctly dangerous.
The band members - Paul, Ben and Richard - were great fun to work with and the some of the shots reflect that - though their style of music is darker and we went for a number of images which reflect the mood they were looking for. They can be found online at http....
And a selection of shots are visible here.
I spoke with two of the band members during this week and they are very pleased with the results. If you are a local band looking for promo shots - get in touch.
The band members - Paul, Ben and Richard - were great fun to work with and the some of the shots reflect that - though their style of music is darker and we went for a number of images which reflect the mood they were looking for. They can be found online at http....
And a selection of shots are visible here.
I spoke with two of the band members during this week and they are very pleased with the results. If you are a local band looking for promo shots - get in touch.
Sunday, 10 February 2008
Get off the line
A bit of a surprise this weekend. Jess called from Uni, feeling a bit homesick and all her Uni friends had gone home for the weekend. So that was the weekend mapped out, cheaper to go see her than for her to come home.
We spent a lovely day walking around Southport, which struck me as a lovely seaside town, like an up market version of nearby Blackpool. We seemed to talk lots, about all the stuff she has been up to, difficult things she has had to deal with and the positive stuff too. We had a bit of a laugh too along the way.
Sometimes you cannot help feeling proud at the way your kids turn out when they tell you how they dealt with difficult situations.Though she is normally camera shy, she posed on the train track for this one - and got some funny looks in the process :-) I should perhaps point out that the tram was stationary at this point and even when moving, proceeded very slowly, stopping as pedestrians got in the way!
We spent a lovely day walking around Southport, which struck me as a lovely seaside town, like an up market version of nearby Blackpool. We seemed to talk lots, about all the stuff she has been up to, difficult things she has had to deal with and the positive stuff too. We had a bit of a laugh too along the way.
Sometimes you cannot help feeling proud at the way your kids turn out when they tell you how they dealt with difficult situations.Though she is normally camera shy, she posed on the train track for this one - and got some funny looks in the process :-) I should perhaps point out that the tram was stationary at this point and even when moving, proceeded very slowly, stopping as pedestrians got in the way!
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