Welcome to the Stu Brown Photography Blog, sharing stories and photography from Saltburn-by-the-Sea, the North Yorkshire coast, and the Cleveland Way.
Here you’ll find field notes from landscape and wildlife shoots, updates from my photography workshops, and insights into working along one of the most dramatic stretches of coastline in the North East of England.
I spend most of my time outdoors — watching the tides, the weather, and the changing light across the moors and cliffs. This blog is a place to share those moments: coastal landscapes at sunrise, wildlife encounters around Saltburn and the North Yorkshire Moors, and the quiet details that make this coastline so special.
Whether you’re here to discover new locations, improve your photography, join a workshop, or simply enjoy the view — I hope these stories bring you a little closer to the landscape.
Fryup Dale, North York Moors: One of My Favourite Hidden Landscapes to Photograph
If you’ve never visited Fryup Dale in the North York Moors National Park, you’re missing one of the most atmospheric and underrated landscape locations in Yorkshire. Tucked away in the rolling moorland between Glaisdale, Danby and the surrounding Esk Valley, Fryup Dale offers a perfect mix of winding roads, dramatic skies, open valleys and that unmistakable wild Yorkshire feeling.
It’s one of my favourite places to photograph, especially when the weather turns moody and the clouds roll in. This landscape photo was taken looking across the dale as the road snakes through the hillside — a scene that always feels like it’s pulling you forward into the horizon.
More Than a Camera: How Photography Workshops Support Wellbeing and Mental Health
For many people, photography begins as a simple hobby. A new camera, a walk outdoors, a curiosity about light and landscapes. But over time, it often becomes something deeper — a reason to slow down, step outside, and reconnect with both nature and other people.
That’s something I see time and time again on my photography workshops.
While people often arrive wanting to understand their camera or improve their photos, what they frequently leave talking about isn’t just photography. It’s how calm they feel. How good it was to spend a day outside. How much they enjoyed learning alongside others without pressure or expectation.
Photography, when taught in the right environment, can quietly support wellbeing in powerful ways.
Why Most Beginners Struggle With Their Cameras — And How a Workshop Fixes It in One Day
If you’ve ever bought a “proper” camera and thought I have no idea what any of these buttons do…, you’re not alone.
In fact, almost every beginner or amateur photographer I meet on my workshops arrives feeling exactly the same:
Photos turning out too dark
Everything blurry
Confusing buttons everywhere
Videos and tutorials making it feel even more complicated
That constant feeling of “I must be doing something wrong”