Win a copy of Spirit of Northumberland

I am delighted to announce that my first book to be released this year, my seventh book so far, has just been released!  

Northumberland is not only the northernmost county to be found within England but also the least populated. The ‘land of the far horizons’ offers some of the most picturesque scenery to be found throughout the British Isles, although it is often overlooked by visitors heading north to the uplands and highlands of Scotland.

 Any visitor to the region has an array of locations to visit which all have something to offer. Be it the impressive remains of the World Heritage site of Hadrian’s Wall, the beautiful coastline of the Northumberland Heritage Coast or the rolling yet domineering features of the Northern Pennines as they sprawl towards the Southern Uplands of Scotland, the county can lay claim to a mix of quintessential English scenery.

Although Northumberland is now possibly one of the most tranquil and peaceful spots to be found in England, it has not always been that way. Marauding invaders from Scotland and Scandinavia dictated the construction of numerous fortifications to protect these northernmost English lands.The remnants of these buildings remain dotted across the landscape providing an enigmatic contrast to the natural features of the region.

With the relatively sparse population, and a large amount of suitable habitat, a wide variety of wildlife is found within the boundaries of the county. The Farne Islands are something of a Mecca for the bird watching community, whilst inland areas of woodland host the endangered Red Squirrel that any watchful visitor may have the privilege to see.

Through the medium of Jason Friend’s superbly evocative photographs the reader can experience at first hand all of the glories that help make up the Spirit of Northumberland.

I have a couple of signed copies of my latest book to give away to two lucky readers!  To be in the draw to win a copy of the book simply become a fan on my Facebook page or follow my twitters! I will give one copy to a random follower from both networks... so why not join both and double your chances of winning a copy? I will be making the draw on the 6th April so don't delay if you want to win a copy of the book!

Follow the link below to view some of the images:-

http://www.halsgrovemedia.co.uk/imagebase/data/albums/KB41/KB237/Spirit%20of%20Northumberland.pdf

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.”