One of my images entitled ‘Stile & Barn, Ravenseat, Upper Swaledale, Yorkshire Dales’ has been chosen as the front cover to an award winning novel called ‘Going Over’ published by Muswell Press. The novel, written by Alan Franks who is best known as a writer for The Times and author of many plays tells the story of a man travelling over Northern England to find his estranged father. The story was a winner of the New Writer Magazine national novella competition.

More details about the book can be read here

Stile & Barn, Ravenseat, Upper Swaledale, Yorkshire Dales

Readers of the Darlington & Stockton Times and North Yorkshire News newspapers may have noticed that one of my images was chosen as a first prize winner in Richmondshire District Council’s Plan Our Future competition. The image will now be displayed at various locations within the district.

The winning image was a view of Cauldron Falls at West Burton in Bishopdale, a fantastic waterfall that never ceases to look different every time I visit. This occasion was not for the faint hearted either, it was a balmy -5′c with regular snow flurries and conditions underfoot that were treacherous with ice hidden below the sprinkling of snow. I knew that the recent cold spell would possibly freeze some of the water but I was amazed at the size of the icicles on the waterfall. It was a magical if not cold experience.

The full list of prize winners can be viewed here

Cauldron Falls, West Burton, Bishopdale, Yorkshire Dales

My first visit to the Isle of Skye came at a time when I had just bought my first camera. The Island was one of the reasons that I developed a love for the landscape. I took around 1000 shots capturing everything and anything about the island all on auto settings, into the sun, out the car window, highlights blown – the whole shebang! I was proud of my pictures but you could definitely say they were not limited edition candidates!

I recently completed my 3rd visit to the Isle of Skye and although my photography skills have some what changed the Island and it’s spectacular scenery has not. It’s still the magical and charming place I remember evident from the minute I arrived at Uig ferry terminal where we were greeted by a bagpipe player bellowing out ‘Flower of Scotland’ with all his might. Anyone that knows me knows that my favourite place in the world is ‘The Trotternish Ridge’. It’s as spectacular setting as you will ever see with The Quiraing, views across the Sound of Raasay to the mainland and a phenomenal view along the ridge towards the Old Man of Storr and The Cuillin Hills. For me it’s perfect but despite my best efforts I’ve still yet to capture an image that I feel will do the location justice, it’s disappointing but on one hand it gives me a great reason to keep coming back despite it being 500 miles from home.

There is a lot more to the Isle of Skye than the Trotternish Ridge however. The most popular feature has got to be the famous Cuillin Hills. Visible for miles the mountains are popular with climbers and walkers. For me the waterfalls on their slopes offer a wealth of photographic opportunity. Often just labelled as ‘Waterfall’ on the Ordnance Survey map they can often be as spectacular as they come. I found many just off the footpath as you climb Bla Bheinn near Torrin, and Sgurr Alasdair at Glenbrittle. Meltwater from the peaks of the mountains would flow down the slope cutting it’s path in spectacular fashion. One location know as ‘The Fairy Pools’ near Glenbrittle was particularly impressive with it’s turquoise coloured water and multiple falls.

I also spent time at Neist Point, which houses one of the most spectacular lighthouse locations you will see. This remote outpost of the west coast of the island protects boats from the towering cliffs on Ness Point and Moonen Bay. Above the lighthouse on a clear day you can see right across The Minch to the Outer Hebrides, the Islands of North & South Uist, Harris and Lewis are all visible to the naked eye.

For the third time the Isle of Skye did not disappoint but I was left with the feeling that there is still a lot more to be discovered and I cannot wait to return. It’s a landscape that offers a photographer a real challenge and never fails to ignite your passion for the landscape.

Allt Aisridh, Torrin, Isle of Skye

Morar is a peninsula on Scotland’s west coast which is reachable by one road, the A830 which is aptly known as the ‘Road to the Small Isles’. The road travels through wonderful scenery including Glenfinnan en route to it’s end point at Mallaig. From Mallaig you can take a ferry across to some wonderful islands; Eigg, Rum, Muck, Canna, Skye and even a boat to Knoydart, Scotland’s most remote peninsula.

Initially i’d planned to stay only a few days at Invercaimbe, between Arisaig and Morar but a combination of high gales which disrupted the ferry service and my tent! and some stunning scenery I stayed quite a few days longer. There is some stunning beaches in Morar, for me most notably the long stretch of beach found at Camusdarach with it’s sand dunes and great view across the Sound of Arisaig towards Eigg and Rum. Morar Bay which is the location for Britain’s shortest river, the River Morar has a stunning bay with glorious white sand. I also found great delight at Caimbe Beach where I could just stroll out of my accomodation and 30 seconds later I was on a wonderful beach with again great views over the Sound of Arisaig.

During my time in Morar, I discovered there is more to the area than it’s beaches, Loch Morar surrounded by snow clad mountains is a tranquil setting, from beyond Mallaig Bheag there is some wonderful views across the Sound of Arisaig and Loch Nevis towards the Isle of Skye and Knoydart. In fact one of my favourite moments was just sitting watching distant snow storms over the Cuillin Mountains on the Isle of Skye. Hidden away are some charming locations for photography, one in particular was Loch a’ Ghille Ghobaich with it’s towering Scot’s Pines and it’s lunar like surroundings, it’s was a lovely location but unfortunately not in 70 mile per hour winds and hail stones!

My time in Morar was hampered by the gales and rain so I found myself restricted photographically however I found it to be a charming place full of inspiration and stunning scenery. I feel Morar may get overlooked by those heading off to the islands. This I believe would be a real shame as it is an area that is well worth sending some time and exploring.


Loch a’ Ghille Ghobaich, Morar, Highland

Visitors to The Buck Inn at Maunby can now view a collection of Limited Edition Framed Prints from James Paul Photography. Covering the North Yorkshire Moors, Yorkshire Dales, Lake District and Scotland the collection showcases some of my favourite images and locations including images of Derwent Water, Sutton Bank and Malham Cove.

The Buck Inn has recently been refurbished and is under new management. It provides a friendly and relaxing atmosphere in a lovely picturesque village which lies between Northallerton and Thirsk. For more information about the Inn and it’s extensive menu visit The Buck Inn website.

One of my images has been selected to appear in an exhibition at the World of James Herriott museum in Thirsk, North Yorkshire as part of the museum’s 10th anniversary. For those unaware, James Herriott was a famous vet and author whose work was made into the popular television programme ‘All Creatures Great and Small’. The museum stands within his original surgery in Kirkgate.

The image featured in the exhibition shows a lovely view across Lake Gormire towards Hood Hill on Sutton Bank, without doubt one of Herriott’s and my own favourite places. The exhibition runs from April 4th until June 21st 2009 and also features work from reknown photographer Derry Brabbs.

For more information on the World of James Herriott Museum visit the World of James Herriott website.

Just a quick post to wish everyone out there a very ‘Happy Christmas’. In the spirit of things, I’ve got a little freebie for everyone – a single page calendar which you can download and print at either A3 or A4 size. It’s ideal for a notice board or on your wall and comes in two flavours.

The first is ‘Ingleborough from Scales Moor, Ribblesdale’ a great view from the Yorkshire Dales, whilst the second is ‘Trotternish Ridge, Isle of Skye’ my favourite view. For ‘Ingleborough from Scales Moor, Ribblesdale’ just click here to download the A4 file (3.6mb) or here to download the A3 version (6.3mb). Alternatively, for ‘Trotternish Ridge, Isle of Skye’ just click here to download the A4 file (3.1mb) or here to download the A3 version (5.4mb).

The translation software which allows the James Paul Photography ‘Blog’ to be viewed in different languages has been updated and now we can offer the blog in upto 34 different languages, here’s a quick list :-

Italian, Korean, Chinese (Simplified), Portuguese, English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Arabic, Russian, Greek, Dutch, Bulgarian, Czech, Croatian, Danish, Finnish, Hindi, Polish, Romanian, Swedish, Norwegian, Catalan, Filipino, Hebrew, Indonesian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Ukrainian, Vietnamese.

All the translations are provided by Google and we hope that this service enhances the enjoyment of the site for ‘non-english’ speaking viewers. We look forward to bringing you more languages as soon as possible.

UPDATE: An additional further 7 languages have been added to the blog translation:- Albanian, Estonian, Galician, Hungarian, Maltese, Turkish and Thai.

I’ve updated the online store to add some great new products to the James Paul Photography website. The first new product is Digital Photo Frame Images which is a downloadable product for all those who are about to or have received a Digital Photo Frame. After creating your account you can download a special collection of images to use on your 7 or 10 inch Digital Photo Frame. Secondly, Mini Mounted Prints is a collection of inexpensive gift-wrapped mounted prints in which you can place in your own 10×8 inch frame. Finally, the Custom Calendars product where you create your own custom calendar using the photography of James Paul, features some new images and a couple of additional templates.

Look out for some updates regarding exhibitions soon!

One of my images has been published in Scottish Islands Explorer, a great magazine all about life on the Scottish Islands. The image ‘Holy Island from Lamlash, Isle of Arran’ forms part of an article exploring Holy Island, a beautiful island with a rich heritage that lies just a stones throw from the Isle of Arran.

The magazine was published on the 18th August and for more details and to download a free issue visit the Scottish Islands Explorer website.

Great Ayton is one of my very favourite locations. The village, itself steeped in history, is a great starting point for exploring the North Yorkshire Moors and in particular Roseberry Topping. The distinctive peak, dubbed the ‘Cleveland Matterhorn,’ stands at only 320 metres high yet it can be seen for many miles. Thanks to the local geology and an array of footpaths including the Cleveland Way it is not hard to find a great view point in which to view the hill.

Being only 20 minutes away from my home, Great Ayton is one of my default locations. If I’m short of time or I don’t want to travel far, i’ll goto Great Ayton. This philosophy leads to a familiarity and understanding of the local landscape which I think is essential for any photographer. On one particular evening in late September this familiarity and understanding was crucial in capturing this image.

It had been a very poor day, the rain had been pounding down and there was little hope of getting out let alone producing a great image. To be honest, I was resigned to staying in. I kept going out into the garden and looking up at the sky for any sign of the weather changing. As I capture images in the so-called ‘Magic Hour’ time was running out to make a decision whether to go anywhere. As the cut off point approached I finally noticed a little glint of light way in the distance. It offered a faint glimmer of hope but there was certainly every chance of the clouds eating the light back up. Despite this I just thought ‘go for it’ and with my car loaded up I headed off for Great Ayton.

My familiarity of the location led me to be very aware that the angle of the sun in the last hour of light would lead to its rays being cast over Cliff Ridge and onto the peak. As I got closer to Great Ayton I could see the strength of the sun growing and felt more confident that I could get a great image. Despite this it was actually still raining at the time.

It was a mad dash upto Cliff Ridge through the delightful Newton Wood. Ignoring all the lovely scenery and great views I finally managed to make it too the ridge and quickly set up. Almost immediately, the elements fell into place – the rain stopped and the sun burst into life falling below the thick bank of cloud that had brought so much gloom. It was a spectacular sight and one that I was fortunate to have just enough time to set up and capture an image that has been one of my most successful.

The proximity of the location had been crucial in capturing this image. Had Roseberry Topping been even one mile further away I would not have made it, it was literally split second. I was also fortunate to have made such a late gamble to go out, and a night in front of the TV had been quite tempting. If there is a lesson then it is one that almost anything can happen even when the outlook doesn’t look great.

I must have shot this view on many occasions and in a multitude of differing weathers. Every visit increased my understanding of the local environment and allowed me to work out what time of year I could capture this view successfully. Many visits produced poor results, but it can be said that there are positives to be taken from a shoot that has not been successful. It allows you to rule certain things out. Understanding when you can’t do something is a key characteristic and allows you to grow as a photographer.

Roseberry Topping from Cliff Ridge, Great Ayton, North Yorkshire Moors
Nikon D70, Nikkor DX 12-24mm
Aperture: F22, Shutter Speed 1/4 sec, Focal Length: 12mm

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