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.

There is nowhere quite like South Gare. Nestled at the mouth of the River Tees, it’s a place where the towering silhouettes of industry meet the wild, unpredictable North Sea. For a photographer, it is a playground of textures—rust, concrete, marram grass, and shifting sands.

I recently headed out to the Gare to capture the low winter light, and I wanted to share the story behind this particular shot of the footprints leading toward the sun.

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.

There’s a moment that happens after the crowds have gone home, when the shops pull their shutters down and the sea air settles into the streets. Whitby feels different then. Quieter. Slower. Almost reflective.

This image was taken on a wet evening in Whitby, North Yorkshire. Rain still clung to the cobbles, reflecting the glow of shop windows and Christmas lights overhead. The street was empty, but not lifeless. If anything, it felt full — full of atmosphere, memory, and that unmistakable calm that only comes when a place exhales.

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”

RSPB Bempton Cliffs

There are places that make you stop, breathe in, and feel something — Bempton Cliffs is one of those places. Standing at the edge of the coast with endless sky and sea stretching out ahead, you can’t help but feel inspired to create. That’s exactly why I’ve chosen it as the home for my brand-new 2026 Beginners Photography Workshops.

These sessions are designed for anyone who wants to build confidence with their camera, understand the basics properly, and start taking images they’re truly proud of — in a setting that naturally encourages creativity.