Northumberland coast at night
Northumberland coast at night
Posted: 16 Sep 2009
Intrepid cameraman Steve Highfield ambles up the rocky road on the wild Northumberland coast in the dark – all in the name of photography
Photographer Steve Highfield is one of nature’s night owls, preferring to do his work under cover of darkness.
He packed his camera gear and headed to the Northumberland coast taking a range of great shots at dusk, night and dawn.
He said: ‘I arrived at Embleton at 3am to a beautifully clear starry sky: Embleton being reasonably remote doesn't suffer from light pollution tainting the sky colours that you find in cities.
‘I rested for an hour then gathered my camera and gear and set off for the hike along Embleton Bay and Dunstanburgh Castle before first light.
‘As night faded into daylight I started to pick out points of interest along my walk, but it was difficult to keep upright and see properly as the gale force winds were picking up again and blasting sand and sea spray all over me and the camera!
‘Gradually the wind dropped a bit and I could settle down and concentrate on compositions. After bagging plenty of morning sunrise shots I headed back to base in Embleton to sleep.
‘Later that afternoon I decided to retrace my steps from earlier in the day and hopefully capture some sea and sunset images along the bay. I was lucky as the wind had dropped and a nice early evening sunlit sky was developing.
‘Back on the beach and at the foot of Dunstanburgh Castle I decided to go for some long exposure sea shots using the castle as a fantastic backdrop.
‘Amble was my next stop. I have visited Amble many times before and found it such a friendly little fishing village with a nice fish and chip shop near the harbour.
‘Once more I arrived in the early hours – about 5am – ready for first light. I set up my gear close to Amble’s long pier at the harbour and captured a few shots before daybreak because the stark contrast of the pier's framework against the dark blue sky of the night offered a great silhouette.
‘Also the wooden-floored pier gave the opportunity for a moody
sort of composition where just the long perspective of the empty pier and a few lights was enough.
‘As morning began to break with increasing golden light I captured several shots of the small beach next to the pier.
‘You have to be there well in advance and be prepared for every turn in the weather while hoping for a nice sunrise. The reflection of the early morning light on the sand was amazing for the short while it was there.
‘Moving along the pier and a short walk gave me a super view of Coquet Island and the lighthouse in the distance.
‘There's still plenty more things to shoot so I'll return to these lovely areas in a different season and see what else I can find.’
Check out Steve’s website: http://www.stevehighfieldphotography.com/ or telephone him on 07957 902509.
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