The Tyne through the eye of a fish

The last fews days have seen me exploring the area I call home, as I continue work on my next book project - Portrait of Tyneside.

I borrowed a Canon 15mm fisheye lens from local photographer (and friend) John Millard for the shot above featuring the iconic millennium bridge on the Gateshead / Newcastle Upon Tyne quayside. This was my first experience of using such a lens and whilst I do not feel that it would be suitable for many situations, I do think that it can provide an amazing new angle to your shots with the appropriate subject.

There are a few technical issues to consider before using the lens. First of all you can forget the use of a polarizing filter, or indeed any sort of filter that would normally attach to the front element. Secondly, it is incredibly easy to get the tripod (or even your own) feet within your composition. Thirdly, this lens will extremely distort the perspective of any verticals towards the edge of the frame which is often undesired - although in some situations it may just work!

2009 Photography Workshops Announced

We are delighted to announce the schedule for the forthcoming North East England based Photography Workshops, to be held during the first quarter of 2009.

New for 2009 is that all of the Photography Workshops are now entirely based in North East England, and all are led by award winning Newcastle Upon Tyne based photographer, Jason Friend.

The first five workshops for 2009 are held in the counties of Tyne & Wear and Northumberland. The workshop details are as follows:

South Tyneside Coast - 18th January 2009.

The South Tyneside Coast has to be considered as one of the most picturesque stretches of coastline to be found in the North East of England. Join Jason Friend for an early morning start to hopefully capture a sunrise image like the one above!

Plessey Woods, Northumberland - 30th January 2009.

A favourite location for photography during the winter months, join Jason in the Plessey Woods Country Park near Morpeth, Northumberland where we will hopefully get a chance to view the endangered Red Squirrel.

Ingram Valley, Northumberland - 8th February 2009.

Explore your photography and join Jason Friend on a day workshop in the Ingram Valley, part of the Northumberland National Park.

North Tyneside Coast - 20th February 2009.

Join Jason Friend in his home patch as he shares his intimate knowledge of the North Tyneside Coast - gained from numerous years photographing the highlights of this often overlooked region.

Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland - 15th March 2009.

Join Jason Friend along a spectacular stretch of Hadrian's Wall within the Northumberland National Park. As a regular visitor to the region, Jason will be sharing some of his favourite viewpoints of this famous world heritage site as well as his experience of how to make successful images from the location.

Perhaps the most amazing thing about the 2009 workshop schedule is the price tag! All workshops are planned around a 6 hour day and cost only £50 per person. Book your place soon as these photography workshop dates will probably fill up quickly!

2009 Photography Workshops Announced

We are delighted to announce the schedule for the forthcoming North East England based Photography Workshops, to be held during the first quarter of 2009.

New for 2009 is that all of the Photography Workshops are now entirely based in North East England, and all are led by award winning Newcastle Upon Tyne based photographer, Jason Friend.

The first five workshops for 2009 are held in the counties of Tyne & Wear and Northumberland. The workshop details are as follows:

South Tyneside Coast - 18th January 2009.

The South Tyneside Coast has to be considered as one of the most picturesque stretches of coastline to be found in the North East of England. Join Jason Friend for an early morning start to hopefully capture a sunrise image like the one above!

Plessey Woods, Northumberland - 30th January 2009.

A favourite location for photography during the winter months, join Jason in the Plessey Woods Country Park near Morpeth, Northumberland where we will hopefully get a chance to view the endangered Red Squirrel.

Ingram Valley, Northumberland - 8th February 2009.

Explore your photography and join Jason Friend on a day workshop in the Ingram Valley, part of the Northumberland National Park.

North Tyneside Coast - 20th February 2009.

Join Jason Friend in his home patch as he shares his intimate knowledge of the North Tyneside Coast - gained from numerous years photographing the highlights of this often overlooked region.

Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland - 15th March 2009.

Join Jason Friend along a spectacular stretch of Hadrian's Wall within the Northumberland National Park. As a regular visitor to the region, Jason will be sharing some of his favourite viewpoints of this famous world heritage site as well as his experience of how to make successful images from the location.

Perhaps the most amazing thing about the 2009 workshop schedule is the price tag! All workshops are planned around a 6 hour day and cost only £50 per person. Book your place soon as these photography workshop dates will probably fill up quickly!