Eight members of the original 9 who were to go on the trip, made their way to Whitby for a photo weekend on the North Yorkshire coast. Our brilliant organizer for the weekend, Martin Arrowsmith, had to sadly cancel his visit due to illness, and he would be sorely missed. With all the work Martin puts into creating the itinerary and the locations we could visit, we thought that seeing as he’s not here, we’ll do our own thing (and who’s going to tell him anyway). Joking apart the itinerary is brilliant and we wouldn’t want to waste an opportunity.

This weekend we would attempt to capture the sights of the coast around Whitby in all it’s glory (well we did try). An additional bonus for us was seeing all the people dressed as Goths and Steampunk’s for the Goth weekend. If that wasn’t enough, it was the 125 anniversary of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula and it was Halloween weekend as well (I knew there was a reason the Goths were there). As a result, the Whitby Abbey would be flood lit with a light show in the evenings (well it would be a waste of time during the day wouldn’t it).  Some would say we planned this and the stars were all aligned, but it was a pure fluke that all of this was happening at the same time.

We stayed at the HF Larpool Hall which is just outside Whitby, and even though we stayed for 3 nights, we always make the trip there & back a memorable one. Everyone packs in as much photography time as they can, so on the Friday travelling up people stopped at stations on the North York Moors Railway at Pickering, Goathland and Grosmont. Some stopped at all three having worked out when steam trains would be there, which was of benefit for 2 of us at Goathland, and much appreciated by all the hard work Dave Gilbert had put into it.

That Friday evening, some visited the Larpool viaduct just by the hotel, then en masse we descended on Whitby. We stopped at various locations to catch the night lights from the Whitby New bridge (very original name eh), and then down by the harbour.

Saturday dawned but she wasn’t that bright, so no early morning calls before breakfast to catch her radiance.  In fact the day started rather dull and overcast and rain was forecast.  That didn’t dampen our spirits as we had a full day ahead of us visiting Staithes, Runswick Bay and Sandsend, plus a quick trip to the back of Whitby Abbey (to sneak a few shots over the wall). Some would say it was a very B&W day and an opportunity to look at things in a different light, whereas others like to find the nearest tea shop or pub to check on their images (and who could blame them).

At Runswick Bay and Sandsend beach, we were treated to a new technique of how to get down and dirty, without getting down and defiantly not getting dirty. Chris Calverley showed us a new technique of using your phone to shoot between your legs, with your back to the subject. We did look at him in a funny way to begin with, but after having a go ourselves, we could actually see the benefits (on our phones of course).  This technique allows you to get your phone down very low to get reflections and look at things from a different angle, without having to get down on your knees or laying on the ground. Some would say it’s easy to get down on the ground to take a photo, but the problems get very real when you try to get back up (we’re not spring chickens). We were also introduced by one of the group to a phone app which converts your images into works of art by old masters.  Some members loved the new app, and it just goes to show it’s not about what you use to take a photo, but what enjoyment you get out of taking them and sharing your experience with others. Of course we have what people would call proper cameras (Mirrorless and DSLRs), but phones have their place in photography as they are just another way to capture images.

After tea back at the hotel, some went down into Whitby to catch the night lights again, where as some wanted to rest and refuel for the next day (that’s a euphemism for visiting the hotel bar me thinks).  That was day 1 over in Whitby, and as you can see we certainly packed a lot in.

Sunday tried to dawn again, and was looking a bit better than the day before.  Some did manage to get out early, whereas others just looked out of their bedroom windows and waited for breakfast time.  This day would be centred in and around Whitby by catching photos of as many Goths and Steampunk people as possible and walking up the 199 steps to the Whitby Abbey. To be honest there were more spectators than people in costumes, but it was good to get into the old part of the town and walk up the steps to get the iconic shots of Whitby.  One of our group wandered down to the east pier and was lucky to catch 2 dolphins swimming and leaping into the harbour, whereas another stumbled across a Facebook group taking photos of Goths down near the harbour. Enough said about that the better, and none of us are bitter.

After lunch we descended on Saltwick bay to get shots of the wreck of the Admiral von Trump ship and submarine rock (the rock looks like a modern day submarine at dock).  We had to time when the tide was going out, as the walk to the wreck is around ¼ of a mile, plus the tide comes in very quickly due to the rock shelf it sits on.  There are lots of interesting rocks to be found when walking to the wreck which look like big coral brains, along with rock pools, so there is plenty to catch your eye.

As it had been a full on day so far, some retired to the Whitby brewery behind the Abbey (to check their images of course), while three of us went back into Whitby to the piers. As it was, a major squall blew in from the moors on the way there and the rain came down in torrents.  We stopped in the car for 20 minutes while it past, and we were presented with a brilliant rainbow over the sea and magnificent light. So down to the West pier we went to catch the wonderful light, the pink skies as the sun went down and the day trippers both on the pier and going back & forth on the pleasure boats. Kevin Lane and Dave Gilbert managed to get shots of the West pier without people on.  One was pure luck and the other was using a long exposure with a 10 stop ND filter, to filter out the people (should they rename the 10 stop ND filter to a people filter? – nah it doesn’t have the same technical ring to it for men does it !!).

As the sun was setting, the three intrepid explorers made their way back to the hotel for the last night and dinner. As we all sat around the table, something dawned on me.  These trips are more of a social event, which happens to include photography.  You could sit there and just eat and drink and not take part in any conversations, and no one felt any pressure to join in.  I mentioned this to the lady I was sat next to (OK it was Moy), and she felt the same as we all get on and enjoy each other’s company.

Monday dawned and yawned as it was our last day and we had to travel back home. Some would say that was the last of the photography, but not with us lot.  Some made their way to Falling Foss and then onto Mallyan Spout at Goathland and then onto the wonderful Fountains Abbey (or a mixture of all 3 locations). Then it was off home and it dawned on us (yes she gets about a bit), why did we take so many photos? Well we could sit down and go through our images and smile at the places we visited and remember the laughs and thrills we had that weekend.

As you can see, we pack a lot in and get the most out of the weekend.  So if you read this and you’re not a member of our club, why don’t you contact the club and join us on one of our many adventures.