Best of 2025.
Reflecting on my work from the past twelve months, I’ve selected what I think are a some of the better stand out images. Taken mostly from personal stories with a smattering of commissions.
Farmer Simon Cass at the height of the Langdale Fire, fights to save his farm and surrounding villages from going up in flames.
We begin with the biggest story from around Whitby, that although devastating, almost became a major tragedy. The Langdale Fire started when someone left a disposable barbecue in a pine forest plantation adjacent to moorland. The year had already been extremely dry and sunny, with Fire warning signs everywhere. Thought to be initially under control, it spread under the peat and began to cover a huge area, threatening farm steads and villages in it’s path. Even Whitby itself could have become engulfed. If it wasn’t for the action of farmers, gamekeepers and the fire service, it would have been far far worse.
Hawsker Moor on Fire
Surveying the scene.
Mike Shardlow battled night and day to prevent the fire spreading to farms and villages.
Whitby Pumptrack
Day 1. The team from Rose Engineering, tasked with the completing the build, did a sterling job in quick time.
Whitby Pumptrack was a personal project of mine ( in a non photographic sense ), which took six years to become a reality. All those meetings, countless emails, telephone conversations, application forms, concept documents and knock backs, was well worth it.
The design takes shape
Team Rose Engineering were hard at it everyday.
Preparations before the tarmac
James Noble ( on the rht ) tarmacking was a site to behold.
Wacker action
The finished track.
The official opening bash
North Yorkshire Cllr Phil Trumper
Danny Hart gives his approval
Summer Solstice Ceremony
Field Days.
Commission for The Field at Duncombe Park.
Commission for Private Client.
Extracts from an ongoing project on the Grouse Moor beaters.
Autumn colours for Private Client
New Camera, will travel.
New camera gear usually doesn’t excite me that much, as I regard them as tools of work, rather than covetable objects in their own right. However, rangefinders have always intrigued me, as they are used by most of my favorite photographers. Initially bought for the mountains, so I don’t have to lug big heavy gear, it’s now with me pretty much wherever I go when not on commission.
Relaxing before the trek begins
The Austrian Alps.
Easy trails
In the city after the mountains.
Whitby Folk Week
Whitby Krampus Run
The Boxing Day Dip 1
The Boxing Day Dip 2.
The Boxing Day Dip 3.
The aliens have landed