2015 in Photos

2015 in Photos
It’s been a busy and varied year of photography for me, with exhibitions, events, weddings, and portraits. Here are my highlights…

January

In January I was taking photos in my local area, that would later become part of the ‘Born as Ghosts’ exhibition. I really like the muted colours and lighting in winter and getting out and about looking for interesting and quirky subjects to photograph.

February

In February one of my aims was to expand into pet portraits and I discovered I really enjoyed it. In some way animals are more difficult to photograph because they’re more unpredictable but as long as you’re ready to react you can get some really beautiful shots.

March

My first exhibition at Stanley Civic Hall opened on 14th March and was a really great experience for me. I focused on analogue film photography and created some double exposure landscapes of my home town. I’m currently transforming the photos in this exhibition into a photo book with accompanying poetry for each image.

April

I absolutely love travel photography and managed to capture some great shots in this month on a trip around Yorkshire. I was visiting as many English Heritage sites as possible; this one shows Rievaulx Abbey which was stunning to walk around.

May

I take my son out on loads of days out and always make sure I take my camera with me just in case. I really like this shot of the Lady of the North at Northumberlandia. The weather was fantastic that day and there’s something about her serenity that’s very calming.

June

Another day trip out to Hall Hill Farm this time. I love taking photos of animals and capturing the beauty of the local landscape too.

July

As well as taking photos at Moria-Con in July, I also did a newborn photo shoot for my lovely little nephew Charles. This photo of is of my son and niece who were playing in the background while their cousin was having his photo taken. I took this photo while they were cuddling and it’s one of my favourite photos I’ve ever taken. It’s a simple shot but it’s very genuine and shows what a lovely relationship they have.

August
My main photography project in August was Beverly and Joel’s wedding at the Tree house near Alnwick Garden. It’s been a great achievement for me, being able to document the whole day from the bride getting ready right through to the first dance. I really felt like I was in my element and would definitely look forward to doing more weddings in 2016 and beyond. This photo shows the feel I’m aiming for – capturing the genuine emotions of the day.

September
I chose this photo because it sums up my main achievement of the month – climbing Snowdon with my family. I must have taken about a million photos on our holiday to Wales but I think this must be my highlight.

October

October saw my second exhibition at Stanley Civic Hall, a collection of digital photography this time. The title was ‘Born as Ghosts’ and my theme was capturing the beauty and colour in things that people usually don’t notice. I was really happy to be asked to exhibit there again and got some great reactions to the show. I’m currently planning my next exhibition in September 2016, more details to follow…

November

In November I was taking photos for Muscle Tone Fitness to use on their website. It’s amazing how much good quality photography can elevate a product and promote a business. It was also a good chance for me to get practice at indoor photography and lighting, as well as completely different subject matter.

December
A lovely walk in the snow in Stanley. As long as there’s no place to go it’s really quite nice spotting all the unusual photo opportunities. I did feel really sorry for all the drivers I saw on the way though!