Rodney O'Callaghan Photography

Northumberland Photography Workshops & Tours

Photograph the stunning coastal landscapes, castles and lighthouses of Northumberland

The incredible Northumberland Coast

Improve your coastal and seascape photography skills

Northumberland’s captivating coastal landscape offers numerous photographic opportunities. Our photo workshop will explore iconic locations such as Holy Island, Bamburgh Castle, Dunstanburgh Castle and Saint Mary’s Lighthouse at Whitley Bay. The array of castles and lighthouses along the Northumberland Coast serves as breathtaking and dramatic focal points, enhancing the allure of this stunning coastline. With its eastward-facing orientation, the Northumberland Coast provides an ideal setting for capturing the enchanting moments of sunrise. This is the perfect place to practice your seascape photography.

Workshop Essentials

Accommodation

Accommodation is included in the price of the workshop from start to finish.

Group Size

I keep all my workshop groups small to ensure everyone gets the time they need.

Transport

Transport is included on all workshop days in my 9-seater van. Transport from Ireland also possible.

Scenery

We will visit some of the best locations to capture the most beautiful views of the Northumberland coast.

Bamburg Castle, Northumberland. Taken on my Northumberland photography workshop and tour.

Spectacular coastal landscape

The Northumberland Coast is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with over 40 miles of coastline. Thus, there is no shortage of photography locations. This beautiful stretch of British coast encompasses everything the seascape lover could wish for: jagged rocky ledges, pebbly shores and pristine sandy beaches as far as the eye can see. 

As the coast here faces east, the sunrises are sublime, with gorgeous colours reflected in the wet sand and rock pools at low tide. High tide brings the chance to capture dreamy long exposures of the waves crashing over the rocks and ledges.

Historic Castles

Northumberland is renowned for its medieval castles. The region has an incredible 70 castles, the highest of all the English counties. The most photogenic are Bamburgh Castle, Dunstanburgh Castle and Lindisfarne Castle.

Dunstanburgh, situated on a grassy cliff, bordered by the slick, polished black boulders of Embleton Beach below, and the imposing location of Bamburgh, on top of a high basalt crag overlooking a vast sandy beach edged with tall Marram grass, has made these the most photographed castles in the region.

Bamburg Castle, Northumberland.Taken on my Northumberland photography workshop and tour.
Bamburg Castle at sunrise, Northumberland.Taken on my Northumberland photography workshop and tour.

Dreamy reflections

The beauty of this coastline lies in its tides. The difference can be up to 3 metres, meaning the landscape takes on a whole different set of features at low tide.

A causeway connects Holy Island to the mainland at low tide, and you can walk across to get photos of the lovely Lindisfarne Castle there, or shots with the water lapping over the causeway during the incoming or outgoing tide.

Additionally, as the tide ebbs or flows the low level of water across the wide sandy beaches creates some of the most dreamy mirrorlike reflections. Be sure to have your wellington boots for this, though.

Beautiful lighthouses

With over 40 miles of jagged rocks and rocky seabed, it’s no surprise to find plenty of lighthouses along the Northumberland Coast warning mariners of the dangers that lurk beneath the shallow waters.

As such, this offers some great photography opportunities. We will aim to visit a few of the best on our workshop, including the iconic lighthouse on Saint Mary’s Island at Whitley Bay.

Join me on my Northumberland photography workshop to experience an incredible few days of coastal and seascape photography.

Saint Mary's Island, causeway and Lighthouse, Whitley Bay, Northumberland.
Saint Mary's Island, causeway and Lighthouse, Whitley Bay.

View my other workshops

Wooden fishing huts in Brittany, France.

Brittany

Lofoten Islands, Norway.

Lofoten

Lake Jasna, Slovenia.

Slovenia