I live in the North east of the UK and work in IT.

 

As I'm stuck in an office for most of the week, I love to get out and about whatever the weather which is how I first got into taking photographs and videos. I like all genres but the breathtaking landscapes and seascapes we have here in the North East are my favourites.

 

I work managing large IT projects which can be highly demanding in terms of your time and emotional wellbeing. There is nothing better than after a long hard working week to just get out in the fresh air. For a few hours you can forget your worries and just focus on trying to capture the emotion and feeling you get when viewing the world through a lens. 

 

I call these trips my ‘mini adventures’. There are many a time I come back from a trip without a decent image and whilst there is an initial sense of frustration it still beats sitting on the sofa and watching the TV. You can make a full day trip of it or just wander your neighbourhood, there is always something to see and capture.

 

We are so lucky living in North East England as we have a magnificent coastline, vibrant cities and historic castles and national parks. You can go back to the same location at different times of the day/year and get a totally different photograph / atmosphere. Don’t be afraid to go the same places numerous times, you will be surprised how the seasons and weather change the mood.

 

There is an old adage that the best camera you have is the one that you have on you, this for a lot of people is their mobile phone, I’m no kit snob and am of the opinion that you can create great images and videos on any device if you follow some basic rules around lighting and composition and just take a bit time  looking at what you are doing, don’t be afraid to move closer, further away, lower, higher and see the effect on your screen.

 

Don’t be put off by the North East weather either, often the best light is just after a storm. Strong winds and clouds can make great dramatic images, especially at the coast with our big skies. Believe it or not, sunny blue skies don’t often produce good material. It’s also great to wander early in the morning or late in the evening where you have the place mostly to yourself. I was recently working in London and took the opportunity to take a few sunrise pictures of Tower Bridge before most people where awake.

 

I've been lucky enough to win a few competitions and have my work published online and in print in local and national publications and press. Whilst this is nice, nothing beats hanging a picture up in your home or looking back at a video from a previous trip and all the associated memories you had at the time. It’s a snapshot of a moment in time with a story of how it was created.

 

I encourage you all to regularly get out and about in the wonderful area we live in. It doesn’t have to be to take pictures, it could just be for a walk but try to set yourself a goal to have a mini adventure at least once a month. You won’t regret it.

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I hope you enjoy my work.