Photography workshops for a xmas gift

The 2010 workshop dates are proving to be a very popular choice of a Christmas gift for the forthcoming festive season, with the South Tyneside workshop being now fully booked and only 1 place left on the Hadrian's Wall workshop.  There are however a few places left on the Whitby, Northumberland Coast and the other workshops running throughout the year.

Apart from being outstanding value for money, all group workshop participants attending during 2010 will also receive a copy of the first book by Jason Friend - Photographing Wilderness. Published by GMC Publications in 2003, it was released to positive reviews throughout the UK photographic press and led to his images being showcased throughout the world.  With a recommended retail price of £19.99, a free copy of Photographing Wilderness for every participant clearly makes the group workshops a fantastic gift! (Please note that the books will be distributed at the actual workshop. However if you would prefer the book in advance, this can be arranged for a small charge of £3.50 to cover postage and packing. The last postage date for Christmas is the 21st December).

So if you are finding it hard to decide what present to buy the budding photographer in your family, why not take a look at our range of workshops?

E-Cards are back!

Just a quick post to let you know that we have reintroduced our popular e-card service - Just in time for Christmas!

Click here to send your friends an electronic postcard.

Touching Base

December seems to have arrived without any warning, bringing with it the promise of a new year just around the corner.  I am starting to consider my forthcoming projects for 2010 which include a number of new book commissions to work on, alongside my own personal projects such as the Fungi image featured here.

The last couple of months have found me using my Canon EOS 50D more frequently than I ever expected when I purchased it as a back-up camera for my main workhorse, the EOS 5D.  I have being using it almost exclusively for my macro images alongside another relative new piece of equipment - A Canon Speedlite flash gun.  This partnership, combined with a lot of experimentation, has allowed me to start capturing images that look like they have been shot in the studio although they have been totally captured in the field. This shot here was captured by setting the 50D to ISO 100, with a shutter speed of 1/250 second and a aperture of f18. The fast shutter speed / small aperture combination allowed me to render the background black, whilst the subject was illuminated by the strobe placed to the rear and below.  A gold reflector was used to bounce the light back into the subject.

Whilst I enjoy the freedom to express myself through my artificially lit Fungi compositions, you just can't beat the feeling of standing on Scottish mountain, capturing the play of light on a distant peak.

This image again is testament to the image quality available with the 50D. Whilst the image quality is not as good as the 5D, and it really does need the finest quality lenses to get the best from the 15MP sensor, it does prove to be a relatively small camera to use hand held whilst hiking up the hills. I will still carry my 5D for the forthcoming work on my forthcoming Cairngorm Trilogy, although I fully expect that the 50D will be used to capture a number of shots, such as this one of storm clouds above the mountain known as Stac na h-Iolaire and the image below of the frost covered ferns, again within the Cairngorms National Park

In between these projects, I will also be sharing my knowledge of these techniques, alongside many others, during the forthcoming 2010 Photography Workshop schedule. Both the January and February dates are nearly fully booked, but there are a number of places left for later in the year - And I'm always available for private '1 on 1' photography workshops.

Finally, I now have a Facebook page and I'm also starting to Twitter, so hopefully I will be able to keep you posted on everything that is happening over the next few months - and also share some more of my favourite images!

Blackpool Rocks

I have recently been on a stock photography trip to the north-west coast of England to capture images of a stereotypical seaside resort. The destination? Blackpool of course! I timed my trip to coincide with the annual Blackpool Illuminations display, an event which would excite any photographer who enjoys capturing images during the hours of dark.

There were a handful of obvious subjects which I needed to photograph, such as the tower and the pleasure beach, but I was also looking for alternative shots which captured the essence of this infamous resort.

This trip also happened to be my first chance to try out my newly acquired Canon Eos 50d. I purchased this camera to ultimately be my 'back-up' body to accompany my full-frame Canon Eos 5d. I must admit that I am really enjoying using the 50D and whilst the image quality may not quite be up to the standards of the 5D, the 1.6x crop factor on the sensor and the impressive 6 frames a second shutter burst is allowing me to capture some images that I may have missed with the 5D.

The new Blackpool images are now online, follow this link to be taken directly to the seaside!

Highlands Revisited

It has been nearly a year since Lynette and myself braved the wet Scottish weather to walk the West Highland Way. We vowed to never visit the West Highlands during the autumn months again… but you know what they say - Never say never!

So we have just returned from a family trip to the Isle of Skye and the Western Highlands, and for once the weather was on our side! As I was actually up in the highlands for a holiday, I had no intention of shooting loads of images. I did however religiously check the weather forecast and when the conditions were looking good, guess who was out of bed and up in the hills way before sunrise?

I have waited years to get a good shot of Rannoch Moor. My own requirements were quite high - I needed a good viewpoint, an interesting sky and fantastic light. Not a small order when you consider that it seems to rain whenever I visit the highlands!

But here it is. One of my favourite shots from a sunrise session last week. To be honest I was greeted by rain when I first arrived at Lochan an Stainge on Rannoch but I waited just in case. Then I started to see a break in the clouds and a sudden flash of light on the infamous Black Mount. What followed was a typical race against time to capture the image before the light disappeared. My 5D was already on the tripod with the filter holder in place on my 17-40mm Lens so it was simply a case of creating a composition which made the most of the light, placing a 3-stop hard grad in the holder, checking the focus, locking the mirror and then taking the shot.

The light lasted just 5 minutes before returning to the kind of weather I have grown to expect from the Scottish HIghlands!

Dunstanburgh Delights

We were blessed with some fantastic weather during the recent photography workshops held at Dunstanburgh Castle situated along the Northumberland Coast.

The 'sunrise shoot' on the Sunday morning provided all that attended with some great opportunities to capture a number of images of the spectacularly beautiful Embleton Bay. The ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle on the headland proved to be an atmospheric backdrop to all of our images.

I captured a number of frames, whilst trying to avoid getting wet feet, in order to capture the convey the movement of the tide. This really is one advantage of capturing images digitally - I couldn't help but recall in horror the days when I used to shoot roll after roll of film to capture the perfect wave.

Later in the day, the remaining members of the group workshop joined us as we explored the harbour of Craster and the coastline surrounding the castle. Blue skies and white clouds provided a perfect backdrop for our compositions throughout the day.

We have four places remaining for our forthcoming 'Allen Banks and Staward Gorge Estate' photography workshop on the 17th October. This will be our last workshop of the year... so if you fancy joining the group to capture some autumnal shots please do not delay booking your place!

Photographing Wilderness

We are pleased to announce that we have secured a number of copies of the first book by Jason Friend. Photographing Wilderness (GMC Publications 2003) was released to positive reviews throughout the UK photographic press and led to his images being showcased throughout the world.

Taken in locations as diverse as California and Western Samoa, these magnificent landscapes provide beautiful and instructive examples of what a photographer can achieve even in the most challenging environments. Jason Friend' s adventurousness has led him miles from the nearest signs of civilization, all in the hope of capturing nature in its unspoiled state. Photographers with an equally bold spirit will appreciate the practical information on where to go; what equipment to take; which composition, framing, and exposure techniques work best; and how to travel and photograph safely. In addition to being a comprehensive hiking and photographic guide, this is an impressive record of one man' s journey to some of the world' s most breathtaking untouched settings.

You can order a signed copy of the book directly from this site for the special price of only £4.99 (+ £3.50 P&P). If you require shipping outside of the UK, please contact us with your requirements.

Extra date - Dunstanburgh Castle Workshop

Due to overwhelming demand for the Dunstanburgh Castle workshop on the 20th September (which is now fully booked), we have decided to run an additional workshop at the same location on the 19th September.

We will meet at the harbour in Craster at 10AM, from where we will take a gentle walk north along the coast. We will capture images of the Castle from this southerly position before proceeding to within the grounds of the Castle. After a stop for lunch, we will continue onwards to Embleton Bay where we will explore the classic northern viewpoints of the Castle. We wil return to Craster via an alternative route slightly inland. The workshop will finish at 4PM.

This workshop will give you the opportunity to practice your architectural and landscape photography along the Northumberland Coast. The composition of images will be discussed in addition to the technical requirements for successful landscape photography such as the use of filters, the benefits and disadvantages of using a tripod and essential focusing techniques.

There are currently 4 places left for the workshop on the saturday. You can secure your place by clicking here.

Hadrian's Wall Workshop - Places left!

Why not join Jason Friend this friday, 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.

We will meet at the Steel Rigg Car Park near Haltwhistle at noon, from where we will spend until 6.00 PM hiking along and photographing the roman wall and its surroundings.

There are a few places left for this workshop. If you wish to secure your place please either book online or by phone - 0800 954 0234.

Image Licensing & Print Products

Last week we undertook the successful integration of the Jason Friend Photoshelter Archive into the www.jasonfriend.co.uk website. The Photoshelter archive has been utilized over the last few months to store and market the Jason Friend Image Library. By integrating the Photoshelter archive, we are now able to offer a number of new features through www.jasonfriend.co.uk:

Archival quality photographic prints are now available of all of the images in the image library which means that there are now nearly 5000 images available in 3 different print sizes with prices starting from just £9.99 for a 12" x 8" print. A full range of other print sizes and photographic gifts are still available at www.jasonfriendprints.com.

Image licensing and image downloads are now available online - 24/7. We also now offer a Freedom Account which empowers the picture researcher with a simple, cost effective means to reproduce the photography of UK based photographer Jason Friend, and also a number of images from carefully selected external associate photographers.

Images are available whenever you require them, with the account enabling you to search and download all of the high-resolution (A3) image files available at the Jason Friend Photography website 24/7.

Not only is the Freedom Account extremely convenient but also a cost effective solution for your image requirements. We offer a 20% discount on your normal reproduction rates, as well as the option for deferred payments for up to 60 days from the date of notification of usage. Click here to register your interest in becoming a Freedom Account holder.

Simplicity?

Yesterday I had the pleasure of taking a client on a private workshop near my hometown along the Tyneside Coast, where we photographed and explored the local landmark of the St Mary's Island & Lighthouse.

As you would imagine, I have captured numerous images of the lighthouse over the last few years although I have to be honest in admitting that I have not composed any images recently that I have felt are strong enough to escape the 'delete' button.

Last night the weather conditions were quite 'interesting' with the onset of rain never seeming to be far away. However the weather can be quite fickle along the North Tyneside coast and the clouds actually started to clear shortly after sunset.

I am quite pleased with this shot although the capturing of the image was not as easy as it may appear. There was huge difference of 5 f-stops in the required exposure for the rocky foreground and the dramatic sky. To balance the final exposure I could have taken a normal of exposures and then processed them all to create a final HDR (High Dynamic Range) image but that would have meant yet more time behind the laptop. Instead I decided to use two of my Galen Rowell Graduated Neutral Density Filters staggered across the horizon (a 2-stop soft transition filter and 3-stop hard transition filter) which balanced the exposure nicely - but there was a problem.

The wooden groynes providing the foreground interest were occupying both the top and bottom of the frame, and as such were clearly indicating where I had placed the two filters. The only solution was to manually fire a strobe light across the top of groynes during the required thirty second exposure, with the strobe light being provided by a Canon Speedlite 550 EX. I captured a number of images with this one being my preferred frame.

Quite simple really.

The Lensbaby experience

Recently the nice folks at Lensbaby sent me a Canon mount version of their Lensbaby Composer with accompanying Optic set, for me to put through it paces in the great outdoors. The first question in my mind was simple - Would the Composer be sharp enough for my critical picture editors?

Anybody who has heard about the Lensbaby are probably wondering why I am even considering the sharpness of the lens, after all the Lensbaby has become famous for it's ability to selectively blur the subject. In my opinion there is a fine line between an intentionally blurred image and one that is simply out of focus - And of course I don't want people viewing my images to think that the latter reason is why my images appear blurred. So, is the Lensbaby really sharp where it should be?

Considering that the original Lensbaby could almost be considered as a toy lens, the Composer is amazingly sharp. The method used to compose and focus a shot can be somewhat frustrating, with the composer utilizing an unique ball and socket system to refine the amount of blur (out of focus effect) applied to your composition meaning that once you have focussed the lens and then start to evaluate the 'lensbaby effect' you may well slightly knock the focusing of the sweet spot. I found myself composing, focussing, adjusting the blur direction, re-focussing, adjusting the aperture (via a rather simple yet highly effective method of placing metal discs in the front barrel of the optic), checking the focussing again and then actually tripping the trigger. Of course my camera was set up on a tripod all the time while I went through these motions - I did try some handheld shots but they were quickly deleted from my computer upon viewing them on the monitor.

Although the Lensbaby was sharp where it mattered (albeit with a drastic drop of sharpness outside the sweet spot - this is a Lensbaby after all), I did find the rendition of colours slightly muted and nowhere as vivid as I would expect from one of my 'L' series lenses. In the defense of the Lensbaby, I am comparing a lens costing less than £200 to a selection of lenses which retail for nearly 3x the price of the Lensbaby. The colours are muted but in a way they add to the Lensbaby effect. Personally however, they are not to my taste and I found myself converting a number of my images to Black & White.

Continuing along the Black and White theme, I experimented using the Lensbaby Composer with a 77mm size Kood infra-red filter attached to the front of the lens with Blu-Tack. The long exposures dictated by using a filter designed to block visible rays and only allow infrared light to pass combined with the selective focus (or should it be blur) of the Lensbaby seemed to compliment each other well and produced some memorable images.

Whilst testing the Lensbaby, I mainly used the excellent Double Glass Optic which is the standard optic shipped with the Lensbaby Composer and, as I mentioned above, I found extremely sharp. This can not be said of the optional Optic set although if you consider that a optic designed to replicate a pinhole camera is included in the selection it is hardly surprising! Unfortunately I found the Plastic, Single Glass and Pinhole / Zone Plate Optics to be little more than a selection of toy lenses which I would have absolutely no use for.

Perhaps the most important thing I found from trying out the Lensbaby Composer, is that whilst it will obviously let you down at times in regard to the image quality it will probably more than make up for any disappointment in the pure pleasure of use whilst actually capturing an image. This lens is not for everybody but, for those willing to persevere, it can produce some amazing results.

Edinburgh Illuminated released

It's here! My final book to be released this year is now available from all good bookshops.

Edinburgh, Dunedin, Auld Reekie or Athens of the North – regardless of your choice of name, it is unquestionable that the capital city of Scotland is one of the most spectacular cities to be found within the United Kingdom, and indeed Europe. A city where the past is never far away yet the modern is always present. A city considered so unique that its future has been protected by the awarding of World Heritage status.

During the light of day, the city of Edinburgh holds a charm that will delight any visitor or resident. Arguably, however, to fully appreciate the splendour of this city one has to experience its delights as it is transformed during the periods of darkness. As the sun sets the lights turn on, giving a new appearance to the streets and features, ones that could not have been anticipated by the original architects.

The powerful visual impact of this spectacle is captured by nationally-known photographer Jason Friend. He has directed his camera towards illuminated Edinburgh and produced this stunning collection of more than 140 images. They offer a fascinating nocturnal perspective which shows how the gracious yet teeming city lives and breathes in the hours of darkness.

Jason Friend lives in the North East of England. He is a regular contributor to Outdoor Photography and Country Walking Magazine and supplies images to a number of worldwide image libraries. This is Jason’s sixth book – his previous titles including Portrait of the Borders, Portrait of Tyneside and Spirit of Cumbria, also for Halsgrove.

Imprint: Halsgrove. ISBN 978 1 84114 887 8, hardback, 214x230mm, 144 pages. Published July 2009.

Click here to view a promotional leaflet showcasing a number of images from the book. If you love the images, why don't you click here to order Edinburgh Illuminated from Amazon.co.uk?

Back on the road

Please do accept my apologies for the lack of news recently but I do have a very good excuse for the missing posts. I'm a Dad! To a gorgeous baby boy whom Lynette and myself have called Rhys.

After a couple of weeks paternity leave, dragging myself away from mother and son was something of a struggle. Luckily a spell of good weather made it all the more bearable! Last week I found myself exploring the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty capturing images for my forthcoming Northumberland books, rural Northumberland in search of wild flowers (armed with my new Canon 100mm Macro lens) and Talkin Tarn in Cumbria where I discussed a forthcoming commission with a client - and also managed to get a couple of nice stock shots.

So it is now business as usual, and I am looking forward to a busy few weeks with a number of forthcoming group and private workshops, judging of the Port of Tyne Reflect Awards and the ongoing capturing of images for my three books to be released by Halsgrove next year. Of course I will also be making time to keep you all up to date with the latest news and images - That is a promise!

The Tyneside Experiments

Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead Millennium Bridge and Baltic Gallery.

The last few weeks, I have found myself making the most of our outstanding north-east weather to continue work on my forthcoming 'Perfect Northumberland' and 'Spirit of Northumberland' books. However, last week I decided to take a break from the projects to revisit one of my favourite city locations to experiment with a couple of pieces of equipment to hopefully fuel the creative process of capturing a photograph.

The first has been used to capture black and white images of the outstanding Newcastle upon Tyne & Gateshead Quayside, not a particularly cutting edge technique except that I have been using a special filter to block all visible light and to allow only infrared (IR) light to reach the sensor. I have been using this filter on my trusty Canon Eos 5D which is not designed for infrared photography so it has a factory fitted filter to reduce the amount of IR light received by the sensor! However, over a 30 second exposure enough IR light is still registered by the sensor to deliver a RAW file which can be converted in Photoshop or Lightroom to produce a pseudo-infrared image such as the two shown here.


River Tyne, Millennium and Tyne Bridges and Sage building.

I have also been using this technique whilst experimenting with a Lensbaby Composer which I am currently testing for a forthcoming review for this website. The small filter size thread of the Lensbaby has meant that I have had to utilise a high-tech method to attach my 77mm size Kood filter to the lens. A huge thank you to the inventors of Blu-Tack once more!

Free Tyneside Screensaver

To celebrate the launch of 'Portrait of Tyneside' last month, we have created a very special screensaver featuring 30 images from the book. The screensaver is totally free and features a number of locations from Newcastle upon Tyne, as well as North and South Tyneside.

So what are you waiting for PC users? Download it now by clicking on the button!

Autumn workshop dates announced

The last scheduled workshop dates for the year have just been finalised and are as follows:

Warkworth and the Northumberland Coast - 6th September 2009

Join photographer David Taylor on a one-day workshop on the Northumbrian coast in the villages of Warkworth and Amble.

Dunstanburgh Castle & Northumberland Coast - 20th September 2009

Join Jason Friend as he explores the spectacular Northumberland Heritage Coast between the small fishing Village of Craster and the picturesque Embleton Bay, including a visit to the grounds of Dunstanburgh Castle.

Allen Banks and Staward Gorge Estate - 17th October 2009

Join Jason Friend on an autumn workshop exploring the largest area of ancient woodland remaining in Northumberland.

Newcastle upon Tyne Quayside & Jesmond Dene - 18th October 2009

Join Jason Friend on a unique workshop exploring the natural delights of the Jesmond Dene in autumn and the impressive constructions of the Newcastle upon Tyne quayside.

Go exclusive - '1 on 1' Workshop bookings now available

We are also delighted to announce that it is now possible to book an exclusive place on one of our scheduled workshops (only available if the workshop has no prior bookings) for only £150, which is great value for guaranteed private tuition. Our popular and very flexible '1 on 1' workshops are also available throughout the year at a location of your choice. Click here for further information.

Portrait of Tyneside released

My latest book, Portrait of Tyneside, has now been released and can be ordered online from Amazon.

Tyneside is a region where the past, present and future combine to form an eclectic melting pot in the North East of England. Host to the City of Newcastle Upon Tyne and the spiritual home of ‘The Geordies’, the historic glories of its heavy industries mean that there is an undeniably strong industrial heritage to be found in the area.

Nevertheless, situated between the Northumberland and Durham Heritage Coasts, the coastline adjoining the North Sea and Tyneside is undoubtedly beautiful, and whilst there are some stretches of the coast that display the marvels of human endeavour to tame nature there are plenty of other stretches that embrace the power of the wild and maintain their natural appearance.

Unquestionably, the heart of Tyneside is the River Tyne, the main artery running from the coast dividing the regions of north and south Tyneside on a journey through Newcastle and beyond. Life on the Tyne has changed throughout the years. The Romans exploited the strategic values of the river by choosing to start the spectacular Hadrian’sWall alongside the Tyne, along with a number of forts that can still be found inTyneside.

Recently the face of theTyne has had a facelift in the form of an ongoing redevelopment plan that has seen a number of luxury apartments,modern architecture and world-class tourist attractions adorn the river. Inland Tyneside is host to a plethora of landscapes including picturesque villages, working agricultural land and sites of historical importance.

A visit toTyneside has something to offer everyone, whilst for the resident there is always plenty more to discover. Jason Friend captures all of this friendly variety in more than 140 full-colour images which encapsulate the history, heritage, character and scenery of the Geordie heartland.

To celebrate the launch of the book, I will be attending the Blackwells Bookshop, 141 Percy Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, for a book signing session on the 9th May between 11.30am - 1.30pm. If you would prefer a signed copy but are unable to attend the event, please contact me to order a copy directly.

New images from the Scottish Highlands

Mist rising at dawn over the Caledonian Forest of the Rothiemurchus estate.

I have just returned from a rewarding trip to the Scottish Highlands, where I had the pleasure of photographing some of the most spectacular landscapes to be found in the UK, in some of the best weather conditions I have ever encountered within Scotland.

The shot above is just a taster of what I encountered, visit the latest images page to view many more!

Magic Happens

Dramatic sky and Mount Oakleigh seen from New Pelion Hut on the Overland Track, Tasmania.

This image is just one of a sequence that I captured whilst hiking The Overland Track in Tasmania, Australia, in the spring of 2007. I am ashamed to admit that this image has remained as an unprocessed RAW file for nearly two years! Having a backlog of images to process is not an ideal situation although it does often mean that I am busy working on personal and commercial projects - which really can't be a bad thing.

I really thought that I had to show this image to the world.. finally! There is also an Overland Track Gallery over at www.jasonfriendimages.co.uk, should you like to see some more!

Summer workshop dates

I am delighted to announce a selection of new locations for the forthcoming summer photography workshops.

The summer season kicks off with a photography workshop in Newcastle upon Tyne and continues with a selection of dates throughout the county of Northumberland.

Fellow professional photographer David Taylor will be leading the majority of the summer workshops, whilst I prepare for fatherhood at the start of July! The only workshop that I will be leading during the summer is based at one of our most popular locations, Hadrian's Wall.

In addition to the scheduled dates, our popular '1 on 1' private tuition photography workshops are still available.

Reflect, Reflect and Reflect Again

The prestigious Port of Tyne Reflect Awards is here again giving all photographers this year the opportunity to exhibit their work in the renowned BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, and I am honoured to be involved in the competition as a member of the judging panel.

Tapping into the creative pulse of the region, the Port of Tyne launched Reflect in 2007. The awards have now become a fixture in the region’s cultural calendar.

Now in its third year, Reflect is bigger and better than ever with an impressive judging panel, a cash prize, and broadened horizons with which to capture on camera the splendour of the north east region and its people.

Andrew Moffat, the Port of Tyne’s CEO said: “We’ve been delighted at the overall response to Reflect. It shows how important cultural life is to the people of the North East and it’s fantastic for the Port to engage with the community in this way.

“This year we have widened the choice of subject categories to give a broader regional perspective and the winners will be exhibited in one of the biggest temporary art spaces in Europe. What is also exciting is that we’ve introduced Reflectyouth especially for the Under 16’s in response to the many requests from young people wanting to take part last year and felt this is a great addition to Reflect.”

Reflectyouth is the only section that allows mobile uploads. Entrants to Reflectyouth can choose any of the subject categories and submit up to a maximum of ten images to their category. The winner will receive £250 plus a workshop with a professional photographer.

Some of the region’s leading figures in the world of art, culture and business make up the judging panel. These are: Margaret Fay OBE Chair of One North East, Stella Hall, Creative Director of Culture 10, award winning freelance photographer and writer Jason Friend, Liz King, Managing Director of Visible Media UK Ltd and Godfrey Worsdale, Director of BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art.

The Places, The People, The Rivers and The Environment make up the four subject categories of Reflect 09 and entrants can submit up to ten images across any of the categories.

To enter, first read the rules then upload your images via the website at www.reflect-tyne.com. The awards close at midnight Tuesday 1st September 2009.

Steve Middleton, last year’s winner of the Reflect 2008 Maritime Tyne category with his photograph entitled Rough Seas, said: “The Tyne is something everyone in the region is aware of and this competition has allowed so many aspects of the river to be explored. It is a fantastic opportunity whether you are hoping to further a budding photography career or even if you just want to see your hobby advance.”

Northumberland Spirit

The last few months have seen me photographing the cities of Newcastle upon Tyne and Edinburgh and whilst this may have given me something of a creative rush of blood to the head, I must admit to being somewhat pleased about the subject for my next two books to be released by Halsgrove in 2010.

It probably seems an obvious choice for someone based in Newcastle to be commissioned for a book (or two) on Northumberland but I seem to have only managed to work on books based on areas surrounding the county, so I am delighted to announce that the Spirit of Northumberland and Perfect Northumberland are the titles of my latest projects!

Work is well and truly underway with 'Spirit of Northumberland' and I am hoping to have it finished by the summer of this year - There is one advantage to having a large stock photography collection of the region! 'Perfect Northumberland' is slightly different as it is going to be very much based around the seasons and as such it will take me a year to capture the images. It really is a hard life!

I photographed this little fellow (or lass) today whilst visiting the National Trust owned Wallington. There were a few of these little red devils playing in the warmth of the spring sun (I suspect they may have had more than playing in mind... use your imagination) but this one squirrel continued to return to a small patch of land immediately in front of the wildlife hide. It took a couple of hours to capture this shot and whilst I doubt Andy Rouse will be quaking in his boots, I must admit that I like it!

Guest photo from North Tyneside

As you may have seen in a previous news entry, the weather for the North Tyneside Photography Workshop was less than ideal. However, I think that workshop participant Ritchie Coatsworth has produced some stunning images from the day including this image of Tynemouth Pier. But what did Ritchie have to say about the day?

"I had a great day and picked up some valuable advice and tips. I am really pleased with the images I ended up with even though the weather wasn't at it's best. It was good to be around others that enjoy trying to take a good photo, I'll certainly be doing some more workshops."

You can view some more of the images from the workshop by taking a look at the Flickr group or in particular Ritchies photostream.

We still have a few places remaining for the forthcoming Hadrian's Wall Photography Workshop on the 15th March. Click here if you fancy the opportunity to capture some great images like Ritchie!

Spirit of Cumbria teaser

Spirit of Cumbria has now been in the shops for a couple of weeks, so I thought I would wet your appetite with a slide show of images from this small book with big pictures!

If you are keen to get your hands on my latest book, it can be ordered online from Amazon. I also have a small number of signed copies available, so if you would like to order one directly from myself please contact me.

North Tyneside Photography Workshop

Even the weather could not discourage our workshop participants yesterday, with Jeff, Steve, Pam, Greg, Ritchie, David and myself spending a most enjoyable day photographing the North Tyneside Coast.

The image included here was one that I captured on St Mary's Island, and is a classic example of the kind of image that is possible to capture in even the worst of conditions.

If you would like to join me along the North Tyneside Coast in May during late spring, with hopefully better weather than yesterday, please click here.

The Spirit of Cumbria is here!

I have great pleasure in announcing that my 4th book, The Spirit of Cumbria, has now been released and can be purchased from Amazon.

Cumbria is home to the deepest and largest lakes as well as the highest peaks to be found in the country. These all fall within the boundaries of perhaps the most famous of all of the English National Parks – The Lake District.

However, there is much more than the Lake District National Park to explore here. The Howgills and the northern Pennines afford commanding views across the county to the visitor originating from the east, whilst the distant form of the fells and peaks, for any visitor heading from the north or south, offers a more subtle introduction to the region. The Irish Sea borders the west of the county with the nearest neighbours being the Isle of Man and Scotland, whose uplands can be viewed rising from across the peaceful Solway Firth.

Overall Cumbria offers some of the most stunning scenery in Britain. Jason Friend has travelled the length and breadth of the county to reveal in more than 60 classic images the true spirit of Cumbria.

But don't just take the publishers word for it! You can see it for yourself for only £4.99 - Click here to order it from Amazon!

Snow comes to Northumberland - Ingram Valley Workshop rescheduled

The last week has seen Northumberland receiving a few days of snow and whilst it has not been covered like some other areas in the country, I have decided to reschedule the forthcoming Ingram Workshop for the 22nd March.

This decision has been purely made due to safety issues regarding the access of the valley and also the terrain that we will be covering on the workshop.

If you would like to join me on the early spring photography working in the Ingram Valley, please click here.

North Tyneside Workshop nearly full!

I am pleased to announce that the North Tyneside Photography Workshop on the 20th February is nearly full and that there are currently only 2 places left. If you are considering joining me on my own home patch, I recommend that you book your place as soon as possible to avoid disappointment!

I am also thrilled to announce that fellow North East photographer David Taylor will be joining me on the day to share some of his photographic experience so this workshop really does look like it is going to be a enjoyable and memorable day!

If you simply can't wait that long for the North Tyneside Workshop, there are plenty of places left on the forthcoming Ingram Valley, Northumberland Photography Workshop on Sunday 8th February. It looks like it will be a small group so everyone will get plenty of '1 on 1' time with myself.

Fingers crossed and we will even get the chance to shoot some classic winter landscapes. Let me show you why most photographers just love photographing snow.

I know I do!

Edinburgh Vampire

The start of 2009 has seen myself once again north of the border continuing work on a book to be released later this year.

There is a very special twist to this forthcoming publication as all of the images have been captured during the hours of darkness.

I must admit I am finding it a bit strange waiting for the sun to set before I can start my photography sessions. Also, in my opinion, there is only a small pocket of time during which the city can be successfully photographed. So I find myself running around a predetermined route, tripod in hand, capturing as many images as possible in approximately an hour.

The above image of Edinburgh Grassmarket was a 20 second exposure shot on my 5D and then cropped to a panoramic.

South Tyneside Workshop

Yesterday I had the pleasure of the company of Jeff and Steve during our first workshop of 2009. For once the weather was on our side and as you can see from the photo of the workshop participants, the picturesque Souter Lighthouse looked stunning against the backdrop of a deep blue sky!

Jeff and Steve set me the challenge of creating a HDR image from a sequence of exposures. Coastal shots are not ideal for combining exposures as the movement of the waves (and also in this case the movement of the clouds) will simply make the image look slightly unrealistic. So for this shot I decided to process a single RAW file twice - once for highlights and another for the shadows. Which I then combined before converting the image to black and white.

I will openly admit that it is not one of my greatest images but I do like the composition and I will definitely be returning to Marsden Bay at sunrise (and low tide!) in the near future.

A great day was enjoyed by all and I would like to thank Jeff and Steve for their company and sense of humour! If you would like to join me on my next workshop along the South Tyneside Coast, we will be running another workshop there on the 19th April.