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.
Discover Night Photography in Scarborough and Teesside This November
There’s a temptation at this time of year to put the camera away once the daylight starts disappearing. I think that’s a shame, because some familiar places become much more interesting to photograph after dark. Lights, reflections and shapes that you might barely notice during the day suddenly become the reason to stop and take a picture.
Macro Photography: Finding a Whole New World Close to Home
Having recently bought another Canon 100mm f/2.8L macro lens, I’ve been spending more time looking for the smaller subjects around me. Bees, moths and sawfly larvae have all had their moment in front of the camera, and I’m enjoying getting back into a kind of photography that can keep me occupied without travelling very far at all.
Where to Learn Photography in Teesside and North Yorkshire
Buying a camera is exciting. Working out what to do with it afterwards can be a different story. You start with good intentions, try a few settings, watch some videos and then find yourself back on automatic because the photographs aren’t quite coming out as you hoped. If that sounds familiar, you’re certainly not the only one. It’s something I hear regularly from people joining my photography workshops.
Wildlife Photography? Come Along to My Beginners’ Workshop
There’s a particular kind of frustration that comes with wildlife photography. You’re out enjoying a walk, you spot a bird you’d love to photograph, and by the time you’ve worked out where your camera is focusing, it’s gone. If that sounds familiar, you’re exactly the sort of person I had in mind when I put together my new beginners’ wildlife photography workshop.
You don’t need to arrive knowing all the camera settings. Perhaps you’ve recently bought a camera and want to do more with it, or perhaps yours has been set to auto for years. You might already enjoy photographing wildlife but find that the results don’t quite match what you saw. That’s a perfectly good place to start.
What Should I Bring to a Photography Workshop — and What Don’t I Need?
One of the questions I’m regularly asked before a photography workshop is what somebody needs to bring with them. It’s usually followed by a slightly nervous explanation about their camera being quite old, not having many lenses or worrying that everybody else will arrive with much more professional equipment.
What Actually Happens on a Stu Brown Photography Workshop?
Booking a photography workshop can feel like quite a big step, particularly if you’re still learning how your camera works or you’ve never attended anything like it before. You might wonder whether everyone else will have more experience, whether your camera is good enough or whether you’ll understand everything being discussed. These are completely natural concerns, but the reality of one of my workshops is far more relaxed and friendly than many people expect.
Why a Photography Workshop Can Help You Finally Get Off Auto
Buying a better camera is often the beginning of an exciting new interest, but it can also be the point where photography suddenly starts to feel far more complicated. There are buttons, dials, menus and unfamiliar words everywhere, and the instruction manual can sometimes leave you with more questions than answers. It’s hardly surprising that many people turn the dial to Auto and leave it there.
A Brilliant Beginners Photography Workshop at RSPB Saltholme
On Sunday 6 September, I returned to the wonderful RSPB Saltholme to lead another of my Beginners Photography Workshops. I was joined by a fantastic group of students who arrived with a mixture of cameras, different levels of experience and their own reasons for wanting to understand photography properly. That variety is something I genuinely enjoy because no two workshops are ever exactly the same, and every student brings different questions and ideas to the day.
Inside the Gym: Photographing Monster Factory’s New Clothing Range
This shoot was something a little different from the photography I usually share through here, where much of my work centres around teaching, wildlife and landscape photography. However, commercial photography has always been another important part of what I do, and I work with a wide range of businesses and commercial clients creating professional imagery for their websites, social media, advertising and marketing. It’s nice occasionally to swap the great outdoors for something completely different — and this Monster Factory Clothing shoot was a brilliant example of that.
There are some commercial shoots where the location is simply somewhere to put the product, and then there are shoots where the location is part of the whole story.
Teaching Photography Basics at RSPB Saltholme
Yesterday I was back at RSPB Saltholme teaching another of my Photography Basics: The Complete Beginners Workshops, and it turned into exactly the kind of day I enjoy most.
Everyone arrived with different cameras, different levels of experience and, as is often the case, a few questions about buttons and settings that had never quite made sense before. Some had been relying heavily on Auto mode, while others understood bits and pieces but wanted everything brought together in a way that felt clear and manageable.
That is really what these beginner photography workshops are all about.
More Than Just a Sanderling
A few days ago I found myself lying flat on the beach at South Gare.
To anyone walking past, I probably looked completely mad. Camera balanced just above the shingle, elbows digging into the stones, waiting for a tiny little Sanderling to wander back into the frame.
The funny thing is, I didn't care.
If you'd asked me a few years ago why I spent so much time photographing wildlife, I'd probably have talked about cameras, lenses and getting sharp photographs. I'd have told you about the challenge of capturing a bird that never seems to stop moving or the excitement of finally getting the shot you'd imagined.
Holiday Let Photography in North Yorkshire – Helping Your Property Stand Out
When people are looking for somewhere to stay, the first thing they notice isn't the description or the list of facilities. It's the photographs.
Before they've read about the log burner, the hot tub or the beautiful countryside views, they've already made a decision about whether they want to know more. That's why I believe professional holiday let photography is one of the best investments any holiday cottage owner can make.
Workshop at RSPB Bempton Cliffs – A Day of Wildlife, Laughter and Learning Photography
There are some days that remind me exactly why I've spent the last 14 years teaching photography, and my latest Photography Workshop at RSPB Bempton Cliffs was definitely one of them.
As everyone arrived first thing in the morning, there was a real buzz in the room. Some had only recently bought their cameras, others had been photographing for years but wanted to understand them a little better. That's one of the things I love most about my workshops – it doesn't matter where you're starting from, everyone is there for the same reason... to enjoy photography.
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”