Posts tagged newcastle
Photography – Prudhoe Castle
Apr 8th
Well, the light nights are officially here finally! A friend of mine Paul and I quite often head out on an evening to go taking pics, but it was a refreshing change not to have to shoot long exposures and night shots now the clocks have gone forward!
We ended up just catching the Golden Hour at Prudhoe Castle. Here are a few of the pics:
 Prudhoe Castle At Sunset |
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 Reflections of Prudhoe Castle |
 Castle Wall at Prudhoe Castle |
 Prudhoe Castle Lake |
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As ever, comments and constructive criticism welcome :)
~Shepy
Launched my new photography business
Mar 30th
After taking photographs for a few years as a hobby, and doing weddings for friends etc, I’ve decided to make a bit of a business of it.
Operating with a couple of friends, I’ve spent most of this week pulling together the site for the new business, so if you’re looking for a Newcastle Wedding Photographer , someone to do a shoot with your family or perhaps some portrait shots for yourself then go to the site and have a look at our portfolio and packages :)
Look forward to working with some of you hopefully :)
~Shepy
Causing Chaos For Cancer
Mar 9th
A few years ago a friend of mine, Ben Alldred, started a metal festival with his then band mate ‘Metal’ Ken Turner. They organised a metal festival every year, with all proceeds going to charity. A few years down the line and they have both left the band that they started the festival with, but it still goes on every year with Paul Hartburn organising things now.
This year was no different, and with over £1,500 taken, and some excellent bands travelling from London, Glasgow and even Sweden to play for free to support the gig it once again proved that people in the metal scene do care about contributing to a good cause as well as hearing some excellent death, thrash groove and just about any other kind of metal. I head along and try to get pics for the bands every year, so here are a few from the day:
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The rest of the pics can be seen in my gallery by clicking here.
~Shepy
Urbex: St Mary’s Asylum
Mar 8th
This is a site I’ve explored many times, probably one of the sites I have explored the most in fact, but yet it still manages to throw up new things when you go off the beaten track a little bit. After seeing a pic by a friend of something I hadnt seen, i decided to head back up there and poke about some more. Click images to enlarge.
 A private room in St Mary's Asylum |
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 A nicely decayed bathroom in St Mary's Asylum |
 A discarded chair at St Mary's Asylum |
 Upstairs or down, St Mary's Asylum |
 Radiator and lights, St Mary's Asylum |
 Rotting corridor, St Mary's Asylum |
 Rusting radiator, St Mary's Asyl |
 Trio of radiators, St Mary's Asylum |
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The rest of the set can be seen in my gallery by clicking here
As ever, comments and suggestions welcome.
~Shepy
Lets talk about science… carefully.
Feb 11th
As some of you may or may not be aware Richard Dawkins, the popular science author, spoke at the Lib Dem conference in September about the blight of the UK libel laws stifling the international scientific community.
Dawkins explained how many companies are using the draconian libel laws to silence, financially cripple and ultimately hinder any scientific study or paper which might damage their business in any way. What is especially galling about this is the fact that the large corporations are going after the individual carrying out the research in many cases and not the publishing entity, generating hundreds of thousands in legal fees for the scientist. Obviously this can cause a reluctance to publish findings for fear of being sued, and can lead to the slow down in advancement of our knowledge, understanding and development as a people. The very thought that someone may avoid some particularly innovative research into something such as cancer simply because they can not afford the financial problems that it may bring when they are sued is simply staggering. Case in point being Simon Singh, a widely respected author who had the audacity to challenge the chiropractors claims of being able to help with sleeping problems, ear infections and asthma through chiropractic treatments. Mr Singh is now wrought in a legal battle with the British Chiropractic Association which has cost him at least £100,000 to date alone. More info can be found on Wikipedia at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Singh#Chiropractic_lawsuit
Today I received an email from a friend highlighting a new petition which is aimed at changing all of this, bringing about real change in the libel laws with an aim to improving free speech, scientific debate and publishing of findings. As someone with a deep interest in science in its many facets, and living in Newcastle which is often dubbed the City Of Science I felt it almost a duty to sign the petition and I think you should too.
The petition, and more information, can be found at: http://www.libelreform.org/sign and after you’ve signed the petition the site will even send an email to your local MP on your behalf if you so wish.
Thanks for taking a moment to read this, from myself and no doubt future generations who would be helped by the scientific advances made by the removal of this fear of ill founded libel claims.
~Shepy
Graveyard shift
Feb 4th
Another night out taking photos, this time around a local cemetery which was lit superbly. Click to enlarge pics.
 Walking up to the cemetery |
 Path along the back of the church |
 Headstones and shadows |
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 Path at the side of the church |
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 More headstones |
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As ever, comments and suggestions welcome.
~Shepy
Street Photography
Jan 23rd
My friend Paul and I decided to spend our Saturday having a look at the excellent exhibition at the Side Gallery of ‘Women In Prison’ with photographs of incarcerated women taken in prisons throughout the world, spanning a decade worth of work for photographer Jane Evelyn Atwood. It really is an excellent exhibition with some seriously powerful and thought provoking images, and best of all it’s free so you really have no excuse not to go see it!
After the exhibition we thought we would wander about the town doing some street photography, and here are some of the images from the day. Click images to enlarge.
 Skaters at the Bigg Market |
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 A skater jumps as his mates look on |
 Jumping the steps |
 More jumping down the stairs |
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 Skater jumping down the stairs |
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 The Long Stairs, Newcastle |
 Brave cyclist riding down the Long Stairs |
 Sax-o-ma-phone on Northumberland Street |
 Trumpet playing on Northumberland Street |
 Overgrown gravestone at St Andrew |
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 Skater at the law courts |
 Mid air when skating |
 I believe i can fly.... |
 Blinding skaters with flash |
 More flash-blind skaters |
 Newcastle Quayside & Tyne Bridge |
As ever, comments and suggestions welcome.
~Shepy
Wandering in the mist
Jan 19th
I had arranged to go out taking a few pics round the town with a friend of mine tonight, and as luck would have it mist had really set in, which made for a few nice pics :)
(click to enlarge)
Grandstand in the mist - Exhibition Park - Newcastle
Table and Skate Park - Exhibition Park - Newcastle
Civic Centre and Lake, Newcastle
Civic Centre and Lake, Newcastle
As ever, comments and suggestions welcome :)
~Shepy
Fog on the Tyne
Nov 10th
Looking out the window tonight I could barely see the other side of the street as a thick fog had descended. As I live right on the banks of the Tyne I couldn’t resist doing a few shots of the well known of “Fog on the Tyne”. Click images to enlarge.
Pathway along the Tyne
Dunston Staiths in the fog
Tyne Bridge disappearing into the fog
Swing bridge in the fog
Fog on the Tyne
Comments and suggestions welcome :)
~Shepy
Wee touch of landscape
Nov 2nd
As anyone who has been out taking pics with me will tell you, its very very rare I ever bother shooting landscape stuff, just doesn’t really float my boat.
A friend called me up and asked if I fancied a look to Holy Island with him though, and as I had nothing better on I thought it would be worth going even if just for the craic.
Took a few pics on the day, but this is the only one I’m really happy with.
Lindisfarne Castle, Holy Island, Northumberland
~Shepy