We’ve had a great run of lovely sunrises recently, so after capturing a reasonable on land shot, I was keen to get to the coast and capture one over water. Saturday morning saw us up early if not bright and on our way to Whitby on a bitterly cold morning. Walking out onto the pier meant I was out of the shelter and in the cold wind, but it was worth it to see the twighlight glow strengthen over Saltwick Nab. It’s scenes like this that always make an early start worthwhile.
Jan 252012
Jan 162012
With all the doom and gloom and talk of recession and financial meltdown, we’re delighted to be able to report that we’ve just had our best ever year! Whilst print sales were up markedly, this was due mainly to expansion of our activities, rather than improved market conditions.
Sales at the end of 2011 were strong and have started well in 2012 and we also have some exciting developments coming through for 2012. The first is our winter landscapes are now available from “The Art Café” in Flowergate, Whitby, so next time you’re in Whitby why not drop in for a coffee or a snack and view the range of wonderful art works available.
In addition the Art Café, we also have the workshop in conjunction with the Ship Inn on Holy Isle and we still have places available for that. Check out the Tuition page on the website for details.
Also new for 2012 will be the Picture Bank stock photography library which will be available to both the public and commercial customers in the none too distant future.
Another new project we’re very excited about is the exhibitions we have planned for Pickering Station on 21st & 22nd April and 16th & 17th June.
This is a lovely exhibition space, so why not come along and have a look and chat to us.
So as you can see we are due another busy and exciting year.
Jan 042012
As the reader of our blog, you may have been wondering why we haven’t posted any of our photographic exploits for a while, well Janet has been tied up working on a total revamp of the website and you can see the results of her endeavours after the 1st January by going direct to www.rjbphotographic.co.uk
Whilst the emphasis of my life changed dramatically in December when I contested the gruelling 4 day RAC rally. As a rally navigator for many years, I long harboured a desire to do “the big one” and this year I got the opportunity to join Mark Simpson and Kevin Jeffray in their Nissan Micras. The brief was to compete as cheaply as possible and hopefully record a finish.
Day 1 started OK and saw us handily placed 3rd in class with Kevin just behind us. Day 2 started in the familiar Yorkshire forests and went well for us, but not so well for Kevin who collected a wayward tree and retired on the spot! Day 2 ended in less familiar terrain near Carlisle and saw us still 3rd in class with the longest day of the rally to come.
We left Carlisle at 8am on day 3 and as we drove towards the stages near Beattock we ran into snow. It was here it all started to go wrong for the class leader Tom Jordan and saw us consistently beating him and ending the day 2nd in class with Jordan 1 second behind us.
We started day for over 4 minutes behind the new class leader Mick Smith, but deep snow in the daunting Kielder forest was soon to change that! Fitting snow tyres ensured we had a good run through Kielder, then a long nail biting wait for the others to emerge ensued. It eventually transpired that both Smith & Jordan had been off the road for some time, handing us an unbelievable class win and a remarkable 4th overall in the open section. Not bad for a 1000cc Micra against cars with up to 5 times our power!
Now all we have to do is sell loads of photos to pay for it!
- Photo by Andy Standing
Nov 022011
I spent most of last Friday looking out of the window at the great light and thinking I should have been out there in the landscape rather than in the office, so come late afternoon I headed to Sutton bank for the sunset. The sky was a little hazier than I would have liked and as the sun sank behind the clouds the warm light on the land decreased, but it never ceases to amaze me how much light a camera can suck out of a low light situation.
Sunset Glow, Sutton Bank
Oct 222011
Last weekend saw us making a pilgrimage to Holy Isle chasing that elusive sunset. We’ve been on Holy Isle 5 times in recent years and never yet seen a good sunset, but fortunately the sunrise Saturday morning really made up for it. The sky looked great an hour before sunrise, then all the colour drained out of it, leaving us standing around talking and contemplating an early breakfast, when the sky suddenly lit up in purple bands and had us all diving for our cameras again!
Saturday evening’s sunset promised a lot then failed to colour up, but as always we kept an open mind and managed to make something entirely different out of it.
- Kevin really getting into his landscape photography.
Scarlet Sunrise
Trying out the 'Big Stopper'
Holy Island Sunrise
Oct 072011
Sandsend non Sunset!
Saturday saw us having a hard day framing pictures, so when the weather cleared up late afternoon, we decided to head for the coast to try and capture the sunset. We arrived at Sandsend just as the sun was dropping behind the hills, so the light on the land looked as dull as dishwater. We adjourned for a quick bar meal in the Hart (Recommended) then as we hit the beach and hour before sunset the light looked great and promised a good sunset. As it turned out the sunset faded and the afterglow failed to materialise. However the moral of the story is never ever give up until the sun has set and the afterglow has had a chance to come, you really don’t want to see a great sunset in your rearview mirror!