Digital SLR Photography

Th e Lo cationGuidealso a good placefor detail shots such aspatterns in the sand.Holy Island is the next main location. Anancient seatof Celtic Christianity, the holyislandof Lindisfarne is home to a medievalfortress perched on a craggy hill, a smallharbour with unusual boat huts and the ruinsof a once magnificent abbey.You can easily spend a day there, shootingfrom dawn to dusk. The harbour is a goodmorning location – shoot the boat hutsand lotsof patterns and details around theharbour area. Headfor the castle in lateafternoon and capture it from down by therocks on the shoreline, or if the tide’s lowenough the old wooden piles that oncesupported a jetty below the castle. Thislocation is also idealfor sunsets lookingacross the bay towards Bamburgh or back tothe island’s only village. The lichen-coveredrocks below the castle make great detailsshots in overcast weather.Holy Island is cutoff from the mainlandfor aboutfour hours each day – a coupleof hours before high tide until a coupleofhoursafter. For safe crossing times go tohttp://www.northumberland.gov.uk/Highways/Public-transport/Crossing.aspx. The islandis quieter when the causeway is closed so it’sworth getting stranded there.You can alsotake some different shotsat high tide fromthe island – the partly-submerged woodenposts near the castle are idealfor longexposure shots with a ten-stop NDfi lter, asare the long lineof posts you’ll see as youarrive on Holy Island that stretch all the wayback to the mainland, marking a safe walkingroute at low tide.Your fi nal destination is the most northerlytown in England – Berwick-upon-Tweed.Berwick enjoys a magnificent positionon the banksof the RiverTweed and theNorthumberland coast. Best views are froma monumental mason’s yard (lookfor thegravestones) on the south sideof the Tweed.1)BLYTH BEACHIf you’re into shooting with extreme NDsthere’s loads tokeep you busy – oldgroynes, a concrete jetty, an outflow pipe,the wooden pier and a lighthouseat theport. Get there an hour or two before hightide and stay until the tiderecedes.``````2)STMARY’S LIGHTHOUSEBetween Whitley Bay and Old Hartleyis St Mary’s Island, home toSt Mary’sLighthouse, best shotat high tide whenthe island is cutoff from the mainland.Sunrise isrecommended, but dusk canwork equally well too.``````3)MARSDENBAYBetween South Shields and Sunderland,this stretchof coastline boasts cliffs,natural arches, smuggler’s caves andseabird colonies. It’s greatat sunrise!Souter Lighthouse (NationalTrust) is justsouthof the bay and well worth a visit.``````Keepshooting!Otherlo cati onsneartheNorthNorthumberlandcoast(*all distances taken fromAlnwick)ALL IMAGES: LEE FROST``````Just before sunset the historic town isbathed in golden light and, if you’re lucky,it will also berefl ected in the river.The lighthouse and harbour wall,accessed via Pier Road, are worth a stopon a stormy dayfor a ten-stop ND shot,while Spittal Beach just southof the townhas some fantasticrock formationsat thesouthern end. Park on the promenadeatSpittal then walk along the beach.At hightide therocks are usually covered, but asit recedes they’rerevealed and you’llfi ndsome amazing patterns and colours in the``````strata. This makes a good dull day locationas the soft light is idealfor detail shots.You could cover all these locations infouror fi ve days, assuming the weather playsball and you’ve planned each day carefully.However, once you start exploring the NorthNorthumberland coast you’llrealise thatone trip just isn’t enough, and you’llkeepreturning again and again.``````26MILESSOUTH*Nove mber2016Digital SLR Photography 31NorthNorthumberlandCoast11)BERWICK-UPON-TWEED:Theoldtowninthelastlightoftheday.12)LINDISFARNECASTLE:Shotfromtherockybeachatlowtideonastormyafternoon.13)SPITTALBEACH:Sandstoneswirlscanbe foundjustsouthofBerwick.``````11``````12 13``````23MILESSOUTH*``````32MILESSOUTH*