On The Beach

Before a wedding a couple of weeks ago, we took a little early evening trip down to Seaham beach.  The pebbles were really smooth, perfect for skimming.  The gorgeous sea glass glinted, and pieces of driftwood jutted out from the stones, worn by the waves.  There were other streaks of colour too, from cloth, fishing nets, and a few random objects.  Although they don't really belong there, they seemed to almost complement the pebbles, each having  a story to tell.  The pools were so still and clear, and as the sun set, the rocks almost looked like they were on fire.  I've always had a call to the sea, and I think one day we will live by the coast.  But for now, I'm just happy to discover new places and their beaches.

The Coldstones Cut

On the way up to Durham for last weekend's wedding, we stopped off at my parents and had a trip out to The Coldstones Cut near Pateley Bridge.  Mum has been talking about it for the last year, so we thought we should go and check it out!  From the road, it doesn't look there's a lot to see.  There's a short walk up the hill, and you can hear the rumble of the trucks and the machinery, as this sculpture is built within a working quarry. This amazing public art work was built in 2010.  It sits on the hilltop looking out onto the quarry and the heather moors beyond.  It has been described as part art, part tribute to the quarrying industry.  It was constructed by Andrew Sabin and it won the PMSA - Marsh Award for the best public sculpture of the year.  You enter the site along a limestone tunnel, with steep cold walls, and to get to the viewing posts, you walk along and up a spiral corridor.  Although you're sheltered, there were little pockets of wind and the echoes of people's voices in front and behind that led to quite an eerie walk up to the viewing points.

After taking in the views and filling our lungs, we took a little detour down to one of the old lime kilns before heading back home.  If you're ever in the area, I'd highly recommend a little trip up that hill!

When the Moment Seizes Us

We went to see Boyhood at the weekend.  It's a remarkable film.  If you get the chance, I'd highly recommend it, it's full of life's moments.  There was a line in it that really resonated with me, and it kept popping up all weekend.  We don't seize the moment, it's the moment that seizes us.  

I was thinking about it in the shoots we did on Saturday and Sunday.  There was a time, when I started out with my photography, when I pretty much planned every image on a shoot.  Sometimes I'd draw little figures and hope that no-one would ever see those little scribbled stick people!  Then I'd get to a location and follow my little notes and figures and although I knew I had good shots, they somehow lacked something.  There are always spontaneous moments you can't plan for, those are the ones we crave, the magic shots.  We might look at a location one day, but when we go back the next, the light and the feel has completely changed.  And when those beautiful spontaneous moments and that light come together, it makes my heart sing.  It's what makes me tick as a photographer, it's pure adrenalin when I know everything is coming together.  So I'm going to keep looking and hope those moments keep seizing me.

A Phone Photo of Dad

A couple of weeks ago I posted this photo of my Dad on my Facebook page, it had a lot of likes and comments.  I love it too.  We were sat in Mum & Dad's lounge looking at the dark brooding sky outside, and I noticed the light on my Dad's face.  I could have left the room to get my camera from the car, but I didn't want to lose this moment, so I quickly reached for my phone and took it.  I often say to folk that it's not all about the fancy gear, it's about that second in time, when the light and moment collide to create that spark. If I had grabbed my camera from the car, the moment would have passed.  Don't get me wrong, I love my cameras, lenses and gadgets, and there are limitations with phone photography, but in this moment, for that second in time, my phone was right.  I guess it's made me quite reflective over the last couple of weeks, and I've been writing this blog post in my head for the last few days.

This isn't a maudlin or sad post.  My Dad's my step-dad, my real Dad died when I was 2.   I don't remember him, my Dad now is the man I have known since I was that loud, shouty, cheeky young thing.  It's something I do think about, and when I was younger I used to imagine how things would be living  in a different life.  Me and Dad haven't always seen eye to eye, both being quite stubborn.  But now I can see what an influence he has had on my life.  He works in the woods, he's a tree man, and my love of nature has definitely come from him.  He's really helped me to be the person I am, and he's really inspired me in my business too. He's been self employed since he was in his early 20's - he runs his business with his heart, from his love of trees.  He's authentic and passionate, what you see is what you get.  He's cheeky and has a naughty streak, although his jokes seem to be getting worse.  We don't go for walks altogether as often as we should, but when we do, he still tests me and my sister on all the trees and birds we see.  Just thinking about it makes me nostalgic for those warm summer nights walking in the trees, and by the river watching the trout jumping.

Looking at the photo now, I can see Dad's had a good life.  There's a feeling of contentment, he's led his life how he has wanted.  I can see that cheeky man, the tree man, the sensitive and gentle man.  I'm so pleased I had my phone in my pocket for that moment when all those factors came together.

Treasured memories

Hi everyone,

It's Suzi here.  I'm looking forward to blogging more.  I've been busy working behind the scenes on a new look website and revamping the packages and products we offer.  But today I've been feeling very nostalgic.  I've just had a new fringe cut into my hair for the first time in 30 something years, and it's taken me right back to when I was a little girl.  This got me looking through some old photographs of my family and it's made me think how lovely and important it is to have these photographs to look back on.

My dad suffered some health problems with his heart recently, which came as quite a shock to us all as he had always previously been in good health.  Fortunately, he's recovering well, but it's certainly made us all sit up and enjoy every moment and to cherish the time we have together.  My Dad and my Grandad have always had cameras slung around their necks or a cine camera to hand, which I am so so grateful for.   Dad recently put all of Grandad's old cine films onto CD which is so nice to have - seeing generations of my family through the years!

Mum & Dad's wedding day 

I won't bore you with any films, but I thought I'd share a few photos with you.  We'd love to see some of your old photographs and hear about some of your memories.  Please feel free to add a link to a childhood photo you really cherish too on our Facebook page.

Kate Bush - Before The Dawn

You've probably all heard by now, as the news seems to be everywhere, from national headlines to social media feeds.  I was having a bit of a lie in, thinking about breakfast before a Friday morning walk, when I looked at my Facebook feed.  There it was on the official Kate Bush Facebook page - playing live in August & September!  The first time playing live in 35 years.  I do apologise to any non Kate converts, but this is BIG news, and it found me leaping out of bed to grab my wallet to try and secure a ticket!  If I'd read the post in full I'd have seen that these are not on sale until Friday.

From the first time I saw her on Top Of The Pops performing Wuthering Heights, I was sold.  Smash Hits posters of Kate were blu-tacked between Blondie, Depeche Mode, and a few Athena numbers in my room. She's always been around.  Although favourite albums sometimes jostle for places in my top ten list, Hounds Of Love is always right up there.  There were lots of things going on in my life when this album was released, and it became a significant soundtrack to those times.  Listening to certain tracks from it can take me right back there.  I was the first one in my class to buy it, and everyone was handing me blank tapes to record it!

I have a dream list of people I'd like to photograph, and Kate is right at the top of it.  I can't see that this will ever happen, and I think I might be too excited, scared, flummoxed that I'd have stage shutter fright anyway. But maybe I might just get to see her play live..

A Little Trip To The Lakes

It was my Mum's birthday a couple of weeks ago.  With Dad working through the week still, I decided to take her away for a couple of days to one of her favourite spots.  They've been staying at The Regent Hotel in Ambleside for many years, so I thought that was as good a place as any.  We arrived on the Tuesday with the beautiful sunshine in a big blue sky.  As soon as we'd checked in, we thought we'd make the best of what was left of the day, and drove up to Tarn Hows.  Mum told me that I'd walked around it when I was little, but I had no recollection of how stunning this place is.

It was good to catch up and chat about the year and future plans whilst taking in all that landscape, big and small.

When the sun went down behind the frosty mountains, we travelled back into Ambleside and had a swift pre-dinner g&t.

The food at The Regent is spectacular.  If you get a chance to sample it, I'd certainly recommend it!  They serve amazing breakfasts until 12pm, so we made the most of that the following day.  We decided to take a little trip out to Rydal for a walk.

It was a lovely couple of days away.  Both feeling rejuvenated and well fed, we discussed making it an annual little trip. Precious time for the heart, and inspiration for the soul.