Does the world need any more photos of Dunstanburgh Castle?


This question came to mind during my fourth visit to take photographs of Dunstanburgh Castle during a week-long holiday in Northumberland. Dunstanburgh is a popular location and indeed another photographer had risen even earlier than me, to be in position for sunrise at 5.30 a.m.! Chatting afterwards he commented that he wasn’t in the habit of chasing Joe Cornish locations but he simply had to have a go at photographing the castle whilst staying in the area, having been inspired by Joe’s image “Greymare in Gold”.

Now “chasing Joe Cornish” is something that I’ll confess to being guilty of on occasion. It is impossible not to be inspired by his images (and those of other top photographers) and to want to check out some of the locations he has photographed. Looking at other photographers work is an important part of any photographer’s learning process as it helps to define your own tastes in landscape photography. However what is important is that you don’t simply set out to copy the work of others but instead place your own interpretation on the landscape.

Besides which it’s practically impossible to copy a photo, especially on the coast, owing to all the variables that are in play. Camera format, lens choice, film or digital capture, weather, tide and sun position will all affect the final image even if you could find the exact viewpoint. And hence the image that you make will be unique.

So back to my original question – should I be spending time taking photos of such a well-known location? Indeed the question could be extended to many other oft photographed locations like Saltwick Bay, Whitby pier, Bedruthan Steps, Friar’s Crag, Buchaille Etive Mor – the list could go on. From a business point of view it would be foolish not to add to my stock and get some images of a location that sells but it is the more personal, aesthetic view that is perhaps more pertinent. Is there personal satisfaction to be gained from photographing a view that has been taken a thousand times before? And I think the answer is both yes and no.

There is no denying the satisfaction gained from seeking out viewpoints in little known areas that haven’t, to your knowledge, been photographed (well!) before. In my home county of Lancashire I enjoy pouring over maps and walking guides seeking out potential views, then spending hours on foot exploring places. Landscape photographs often require a great deal of effort before the shutter is finally released. It can be argued that the ‘art’ of landscape photography is the ability to ‘see’ the potential for a photograph and therefore the greater satisfaction is gained when nobody else has ‘seen’ that potential before. You are the first one to recognise the possibilities and execute an aesthetically pleasing photograph – you can feel like a pioneer, an Ansel Adams. Indeed I remember once feeling crestfallen when a couple of months after taking a view of Ingleborough from Ribblehead, that I had never seen photographed before, I saw an image in a Joe Cornish calendar taken from a very similar spot. So much for being original! It is not easy being a pioneer and no doubt some of Adams’ locations had been photographed even before he got there.

One of the reasons some viewpoints become photographically iconic is that they are simply stunning locations. A prime motivation of landscape photography is a desire to capture some of the awe and wonder felt in a beautiful place, a wish to share your experience of being there through an image that creates an emotive experience. Therefore to deny oneself the pleasure of visiting a place simply because it has been photographed by somebody else would be foolish. Dunstanburgh Castle and Embleton Bay combine to make one of Britain’s greatest vistas. On a sunny morning it is an inspiring landscape that gladdens the heart, and does so whether or not you have a camera pointing at it.

So does the world need any more photos of Dunstanburgh Castle? Well the world probably doesn’t care but I know that I got immense satisfaction from being in that landscape, observing the change of light and tide and accepting the challenges of photography in those unique circumstances. While I get enjoyment from being in a particular landscape and I feel that there are images that I enjoy taking then that is all that matters. Therefore I need more photos of Dunstanburgh Castle – end of discussion!



© Andy Latham August 2006