As a continuation of a staycation, a not so short journey from Cornwall to South West Wales was undertaken - another part of the British Isles that I'm unfamiliar with. After a brief visit to the lovely coastal town of Tenby, we headed to St David's in Pembrokshire - the smallest city in Britain. Small in size but not in importance - a major medieval religious pilgrimage site with a beautiful cathedral and ruins, and in close proximity to the gorgeous coastline. It was from t

While I have been lucky enough to have travelled to some amazing overseas destinations over the years, my knowledge of the British Isles is somewhat lacking. A 500+ mile road trip to the South West county of Cornwall has opened my eyes to the beauty that lies closer to home. Jam first or Cream first? Spending much of my stay visiting the coastal attractions of this far flung peninsular, it would be easy to mistake that I’d ventured somewhere far more tropical. Palm trees aple

At times, it's difficult to keep up with all the comings and going within British politics. Very interesting to see then that Andy Burnham is back on the scene after his overnight victory in the Makerfield by-election. I've photographed the returning Labour Member of Parliament twice to my knowledge. The first time was on behalf of The Northern Echo back in 2013 when he came to Redcar as shadow health secretary to speak at a public meeting regarding the NHS at the Coatham Mem

With so much negative news taking centre stage, it was lovely to cover the story of 100 year old George Stafford and his charity walk in Consett yesterday. The centenarian undertook a 1.3 mile journey on foot to raise money for St Cuthbert's Hospice who had provided end of life care to his son's wife, Judith who died in 2022, aged 66, from oesophageal cancer. Supported by friends and family, plus a large group of children from Delves Lane Primary School en route, George compl

A few weeks ago I was commissioned to shoot the imagery for a campaign being run by Hartlepool College of Further Education (HCFE). This centred around an ethos that the College support students who are pursuing elite sporting goals alongside their full-time academic or vocational qualifications - the initiative demonstrating that those attending HCFE are supported in their extracurricular activities while still working towards qualifications to bolster skills and capabilitie

From the revamping of a train station to the 40th anniversary of a cathedral, and a community fun day to a black tie charity fundraiser, it's been a busy and varied few days. Taking selfies at the opening of the upgraded Darlington Railway Station. Friday morning saw the official unveiling of an extension to Darlington railway station, including two new platforms. The £140m development also includes a multi-storey car park, new entrance and concourse, which connects the new b

It was great to play a very small role recently in the celebration of Sir David Attenborough's 100th birthday. Darlington Libraries commissioned a book bench with artwork including the face of the TV legend plus a selection of British wildlife designed by artist Lisa House. Long may the inspirational work of the BBC stalwart continue and I look forward to seeing Lisa's creative seat on display outside Cockerton library in the near future. @darlingtonbc @darlington_lib

Well, what a week it has been with four big evening events covered in seven days. Awards celebrations are one of several elements of my job as a photographer. With a large number of attendees and sometimes tight venue spaces in which to work, it can prove tricky to be in the right place at the right time to capture the key moments. However, the emotion on show from those taking part, and the stories of success and/or adversity overcome make them a rewarding experience. The re

Great to be back on sport duty lately with a couple of rugby matches covered. The physicality of the game lends itself to good photos with the players regularly throwing themselves into tackles, diving and jumping to gain possession of the ball and sprinting to the tryline to score points. The first of my two games involved a trip to Kingston Park, Newcastle for an evening Prem clash between Newcastle Red Bulls and Exeter Chiefs. I was working as club photographer for the lat

There's a misconception that portrait photography involves backgrounds, multiple lights and the very controlled conditions that exist within a studio. This is far from my experience and almost to the contrary: I rarely know what set-up will be needed on a photoshoot until I turn up. That keeps my working life interesting however, and means I have to have the ability and confidence to think on my feet very fast at times. Photography is a personal endeavour, and composition ver

I was really pleased and proud to have had my work featured on the front pages of three magazines in recent weeks. This is one of the best parts of my job and always brings a smile to my face on seeing some of these publications on display at the various businesses I visit. Shooting the cover feature for Aycliffe Business took place in November at an open day at South West Durham Training. The most difficult part of this shoot was trying to convince the young female apprentic

There was a sense of excitement in the air as participants of all ages gathered on a cold and showery February afternoon. They'd come together at Locomotion, the railway museum in Shildon, County Durham, to attempt to break the world record for the most people dancing to - fittingy - The Loco-Motion. The mass dance off was the final chapter in the programme of events to celebrate the Stockton and Darlinton Railway's 200th anniversary. Hundreds turned up to play their part in

It's always interesting to see how your profession is portrayed. After a recent clear out of my childhood bedroom, I came across an interesting find: a haul of Subutteo. Back in the 1980's, this tabletop game was hugely popular among football-mad youths - myself included - allowing you to recreate the beautiful game and its players in miniature. Having turned my back on train sets, much to the sadness of my dad, I spent a couple of years creating my own Subutteo arena. This i

Jonathan and Jane Ruffer as featured in The Yorkshire Post magazine, Saturday 7th February 2026. What an amazing weekend I've had in terms of published work. From a feature on the saviours of a Spanish art collection in The Yorkshire Post, to an article on Motability in The i Paper and finally coverage of a crucial football match in The League Paper - a hat-trick of sorts! I met up with Jonathan and Jane Ruffer, founders of The Auckland Project, in January on a rare dry day.

It's been a steady start to the year with my workload slowly increasing after the Christmas and New Year break. A two-day shoot for manufacturers Dyer Engineering has proved to be my most intensive 2026 job to date and re-afirmed to me the value of good headshots. In a digital world, good visual online content is vital for attracting potential customers from far and wide. Showing images of those who work for a company adds a human element and increases approachability. The se

It has been an interesting and varied week of work with highlights including covering the Women's FA Cup, and the arrival of a ship into Steel River Quay, Teesside carrying three huge monopiles - sections of wind turbines which will be stationed in the North Sea. Charlie Devlin celebrates with team mates after scoring for Sheffield United in their 1-0 win over Durham in the Women's FA Cup. I enjoy Christmas as much as the next man, however, workwise it always feels an uncerta

I was very sad to learn of the passing of Magnum photographer Martin Parr this week. His unique images showing off the quirky nature of British culture have remained with me since the first time I was made aware of his work some years ago. Often being at the forefront of the action with short focal length lenses and a camera-mounted speedlight/flash, his brave and brazen approach resulted in incredibly eye-catching imagery, making the everyday habits of people come alive wit

A throwback to a couple of weeks ago when I had the pleasure of photographing Middlesbrough College's graduation ceremony at Middlebrough Town Hall. I love the pomp and ceremony of these formal occasions and seeing the culmination of hard graft undertaken by the students receiving their respective qualifications. As opposed to the formal static shots with scroll in hand, I am tasked with capturing a more behind the scenes angle. This is something I revel in as it gives great

It was nice to make a return to Liverpool last weekend. I was a student in this fine northern city around 30 years ago and it's no surprise that much has changed in that time while certain things remain the same. It was always a vibrant place in which to undertake my degree course and with such a wealth of bars and clubs, is it any wonder that my studies suffered. Over the course of time, the drinking and eating establishments have evolved somewhat but the lively atmosphere i

A real mix of jobs lately including coverage of an armistice day service as part of a shift for The Northern Echo. When working as a staff photographer for the Echo, remembrance services were covered annually, but this was my first for several years. It has always been a privilege to attend these poignant gatherings held on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Seeing former and current servicemen come together, witnessing the lowering of the flags by t