23 Must-Shoot Locations
Keep yourself and your camera busy this summer with the help of Advanced Photographer magazine. Here’s our guide to locations and events that are worth exploring with your camera
14 advanced photographer LOCATION GUIDE
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
www.advancedphotographer.co.uk
Great Photo Days Out
WELCOME There are plenty of locations and events, both in the UK and beyond, where taking great pictures is like shooting fish in a barrel and there is a shot to be had wherever you point the camera. Almost. Of course, taking great shots isn’t quite as simple as this. You still have to apply your own creative touch and interpretation, but the point is the odds are more definitely in your favour. Our Great Days Out guide features spots where the photographer has to work a littler less hard, but there’s still effort to be made for images with a degree of originality. The point is that the raw ingredients are there so it’s up to you to exploit the potential. At this time of year, photography for many takes second place, behind the family and holidays that can curb your creativity if you’re not careful. However, one of the criteria we applied to our selection of venues was, it had to have some broader interest beyond that purely of taking pictures. So the family get a day out too. In terms of kit, you might find that lugging a backpack of camera hardware isn’t appropriate, so you may decide to travel light. Travelling light means different things to different people. You may just decide to take your classy compact or maybe you are one of the many who has recently invested in a CSC to supplement or even replace their existing DSLR outfit. Or maybe travelling light to you means one DSLR and three lenses. It is very much a matter of personal preference. Personally, I find it difficult to leave a lens at home so will often take too much – and will frequently return home afterwards with half the stuff unused. Finally, it’s worth reminding you that our quoted admission prices are for turning up on the day. You can save a few quid by pre-booking online or buying a season ticket. Anyway, we hope you enjoy our selection of locations and events and you get home with a pile of great images. Happy holidays!
Will Cheung FRPS, Editor
2 advanced photographer GREAT DAYS OUT
www.advancedphotographer.co.uk
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
35th Bristol International Balloon Fiesta 8-11 August www.bristolballoonfiesta.co.uk
www.advancedphotographer.co.uk
Š Clive Minnett
1
GREAT DAYS OUT advanced photographer 3
© ade mcfade
Great Photo Days Out
2
Beamish, County Durham
The Living Museum of the North, Beamish offers you the chance to photograph three periods – Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian – of northern life. They’re represented by the many re-enactors and in the refurbished
buildings, including a pit village and farm. And to get around the vast site, you can hop on a vintage tram or bus. The museum hosts plenty of events too, such as the Agricultural Power from the Past weekend.
WEB: www.beamish.org.uk OPENING TIMES: March to October, 10am-5pm. See website for details. PRICES: Adult £17.50
Shuttleworth Collection, Old Warden, Bedfordshire © will cheung
4
3
Port Lympne, KENT
Port Lympne and its sister wildlife animal park, Howletts, both in Kent, are different from other zoos, with their emphasis on endangered species. Port Lympne is one of the UK’s largest wild animal parks so
the creatures have plenty of space to roam which can help photography. One of many highlights is the gorillas – try to be around for feeding times and remember to shoot quickly because it doesn’t last long.
Billed as the home of the Edwardian Flying Machines, Shuttleworth offers you the chance to get not only static shots of old aircraft, but aerial shots too as these airworthy antiques take to the skies – a long lens and a tripod should definitely top your packing list for this day out. There are also eight hangars filled with old cars, motorcycles and other vintage vehicles. WEB: www.shuttleworth.org OPENING TIMES: Daily, 9.30am-5pm PRICES: Adult £12.00
WEB: www.aspinallfoundation.org/port-lympne TIMES: Daily PRICES: Adult £23.95
4 advanced photographer GREAT DAYS OUT
www.advancedphotographer.co.uk
© Darren Harbar
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
Blists Hill Victorian Town, Ironbridge 5
© will cheung
Blists Hill is one of ten Ironbridge Gorge museums, so take a trip back in time – and plenty of kit! – when you visit this recreated Victorian town. You’ll need a lens for portraits of the characters in authentic garb, an optic for close-up details in the shops and cottages, and a wide-angle for general scenes; either that or a zoom covering a huge range. Alternatively, do your research first and focus on a particular subject. Dress sensibly too, especially footwear.
www.advancedphotographer.co.uk
WEB: www.ironbridge.org.uk OPENING TIMES: Daily, 10am-5pm PRICES: Adult £15.95
GREAT DAYS OUT advanced photographer 5
Great Photo Days Out North York Moors Railway 6
Take a step back in time and visit this popular preservation railway. The line runs for 18 miles from Pickering to Grosmont station with a further six miles to Whitby. Photo opportunities abound among the wonderful steam engines and well-kept rural stations. There are regular special events too that offer something different for the photographer, one of the most popular being the Railway in Wartime weekend that takes place 11-13 October.
© will cheung
© Eddie Cocozza
WEB: www.nymr.co.uk
Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, Surrey From sweeping vistas to cute thatched cottages to the treetop walkway, Kew has something for everything – and that’s on top of the stunning collection of plants from around the world. And Kew positively welcomes photographers (but not tripods, you need a permit); its website even has a dedicated photography page. WEB: www.kew.org OPENING TIMES: Daily from 9.30am PRICES: Adult £16
6 advanced photographer GREAT DAYS OUT
© will cheung
7
8
Westonbirt Arboretum, gloucs
A great location any time, but Westonbirt really comes into its own during autumn. Get yourself down there for some wonderful autumnal colours. It gets busy, though, so be patient and keep an eye out for people in the background. WEB: www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt PRICES: Adult £9 (October-November)
www.advancedphotographer.co.uk
© Mike Groom
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
9
Castle Combe, WILTS
There’s a road and path around the whole circuit with banked areas for spectators giving many locations to take great shots. The action is quite close too, so a 200mm lens can be used for track shots and a standard or wide-angle can be used for a whole raft of other photo paddock and candid shots of drivers, spectators and teams. The circuit has events throughout the year with both race meetings and action days for classics and specific makes. WEB: www.castlecombecircuit.co.uk Opening time: See website for event. Prices: Adult £15
British Wildlife Centre
Boasting the finest collection of native British wildlife, the Centre is a great destination if you’re a nature nut. The inhabitants come in all shapes and sizes, from harvest mouse to red deer, and they all live in natural settings (where possible!). The Centre also hosts its own photographic days – check out the website. WEB: www.britishwildlifecentre.co.uk OPENING TIMES: Weekends & bank hols. PRICES: Adult £10.50
www.advancedphotographer.co.uk
© helen hooker
10
GREAT DAYS OUT advanced photographer 7
Great Photo Days Out
International Centre for Birds of Prey, gloucs
© helen hooker
11
8 advanced photographer GREAT DAYS OUT
Home to many birds of prey, including eagles, falcons and owls. There are three flying displays each day, which are great opportunities to hone your in-flight shooting skills. The members of the flying team are also on display in the Hawk Walk between displays, many of them with natural looking backgrounds so there’s plenty of opportunity to take attractive avian portraits. WEB: www.icbp.org OPENING TIMES: From 10.30am (Mar-Oct) PRICES: Adult £11
www.advancedphotographer.co.uk
Black Country Living Museum, Dudley 13
© Darren Harbar
WEB: www.rhs.org.uk OPENING TIMES: Varies through the year so check the website. PRICES: Adult £11.85 (free to RHS members)
WEB: www.bclm.co.uk TIMES: Daily, 10am-5pm (until Nov) PRICES: £15.50
Bluebell Line Steam Railway 15
IWM Duxford, Cambridgeshire 12
www.advancedphotographer.co.uk
It’d be easy to spend a whole day here. The stations are restored to period condition and a regular timetable of steam trains runs, with more trains during popular holiday periods. The staff are helpful and knowledgeable (some even worked here when it was a British Rail line in the 1950s) and are always dressed in period costume to complete the look. The line has recently been extended right up to East Grinstead and now has its own platform at the mainline railway station there. See the website for timetable details. © helen hooker
WEB: www.iwm.org.uk OPENING TIMES: Daily from 10am PRICES: Adult £17.50
RHS Wisley RHS Garden, Wisley, Surrey 14
Pop a macro lens on your camera and head to Wisley for some botanical beauty shots. There’s certainly plenty to focus on as it’s the RHS’s flagship garden. Check out the blooming borders, gorgeous rose gardens and state-of-the-art glasshouses for a rich variety of flowers, grasses and shrubs. Before you set out it’s worth checking out the website’s slide show of what’s currently in bloom.
Whether your thing is environmental portraiture, detail shots or street scenes, a visit to this living museum should be on the agenda. Across this 26-acre site, you’ll encounter vintage trams, costumed re-enactors and reconstructed shops and businesses. It’s a busy, bustling place so unless you’re happy dodging the other visitors, or restricting your photography to close-up details, we’d advise arriving early and staying late.
This former First and Second World War airfield is now home to a stunning collection of iconic aircraft, as well as plenty of tanks, military vehicles and even boats. It’s not just about planes and military kit though, there’s also the remarkable architecture of the American Air Museum to train your lens on. And if you tire of taking photos, you have until December to see Roger Freeman’s Portraits of Americans in Britain.
© will cheung
© will cheung
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
WEB: www.bluebell-railway.co.uk OPENING TIMES/PRICES: See the website for details and events diary.
GREAT DAYS OUT advanced photographer 9
Great Photo Days Out
Big events in the UK 2013 While our featured locations are open all summer, and some are open all year, many also host special events so check the websites for more details. The following Great Photo Days Out are all
specific events. Of course, there are loads of photogenic events that happen once (or more) a year that are worthy of your creativity. These are just a few for you to consider taking your kit to.
This list of 26 events is by no means exhaustive, but it should give you plenty of ideas to look for similar events in your local vicinity. So pack up your lenses in your old kitbag and shoot, shoot, shoot…
Notting Hill Carnival, London 16
16
25-26 August www.thenottinghillcarnival.com See this month’s Go Shoot in the magazine for technique advice for shooting the massive street party.
The Braemar Gathering, Braemar 17
© Carol Saunders
7 September www.braemargathering.org See www.shga.co.uk, the website of the Scottish Highland Games Association, for a full events listing.
Dartmouth Regatta 18
29-31 August www.dartmouthregatta.co.uk
18
10 advanced photographer GREAT DAYS OUT
www.advancedphotographer.co.uk
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
21
UK Gravity Enduro mountain bike racing, Dyfi Forest 20
17-18 August www.ukgravityenduro.com See www.britishcycling.org.uk and www.ukcyclingevents.co.uk for all types of cycling events.
Goodwood Revival
21
13-15 September www.goodwood.co.uk
Whitby Goth Weekend
© Phil Whalley
22
1-3 November www.whitbygothweekend.co.uk
© WILL CHEUNG
22
19 19
Manchester Pride
www.advancedphotographer.co.uk
© Eddie Cocozza
© WILL CHEUNG
© john irvine
23-26 August – the parade is on 26 Aug www.manchesterpride.com
GREAT DAYS OUT advanced photographer 11
4
Great Photo Days Out Edinburgh Festival Fringe 23
23
2-26 August www.edfringe.com For technique advice, see Go Shoot in Issue 33.
staffordshire cycling festival Š WILL CHEUNG
24
9-10 August www.staffordgp.co.uk See the website for more details of the different types of events over the two days.
Tough Mudder Scotland 2013, Dalkeith, Edinburgh 25
27
24-25 August toughmudder.co.uk/events See the website for Tough Mudder events in Yorkshire, south-west and north-west England.
Egremont Crab Fair: Home of the World Gurning Championships, cumbria 26
21 September www.egremontcrabfair.com
Changing the Guard, Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle 27
Please check the official website for full details: http://bit.ly/UO2KI
BUPA Great Birmingham Run
Š Phil Whalley
28
12 advanced photographer GREAT DAYS OUT
20 October www.greatrun.org
www.advancedphotographer.co.uk
Š ROD EDWARds
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
26
www.advancedphotographer.co.uk
GREAT DAYS OUT advanced photographer 13
Great Photo Days Out
Tough Guy Mud Battles, Old Perton, Staffs 29
30
5-6 October www.toughguy.co.uk See the website for details of more Tough Guy events. 30
TOTAL WARRIOR
3-4 August www.totalwarrior.co.uk You’ll have to hurry not to miss this one.
Ironman Wales, Tenby 8 September ironmanwales.com See www.ironmanuk.com for more events.
14 advanced photographer GREAT DAYS OUT
© Maxwell Knowles
31
www.advancedphotographer.co.uk
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
29
The UK Steampunk Festival 32
© Eddie Cocozza
© John Powell
32
33
13-15 September steampunk.synthasite.com
RAF Leuchars Air Show, Leuchars, Fife 33
7 September www.airshow.co.uk
The Neath Valley Modern and Historic Stages car rally 10 August www.threecountiescarclub.co.uk
www.advancedphotographer.co.uk
© will cheung
34
GREAT DAYS OUT advanced photographer 15
Great Photo Days Out
© ian fyfe
35
NI International Airshow, West Bay, Portrush 35
31 August – 1 September www.niinternationalairshow.co.uk For details of more airshows go to www.airshows.org.uk.
The Victory Show, Cosby, Leics 37
6-8 September www.thevictoryshow.co.uk
Bournemouth Air Festival 38
29 August – 1 September bournemouthair.co.uk
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo 36
2-24 August www.edintattoo.co.uk
16 advanced photographer GREAT DAYS OUT
Worthing Birdman
Wiggle Etape Cymru, Bangor-onDee Racecourse, Wrexham 40
8 September humanrace.co.uk/events/cycling/ etape-cymru The website also has details of other events including triathlon, off road and running.
39
41
10-11 August www.worthingbirdman.co.uk
15 September www.greatrun.org
BUPA Great North Run, Newcastle
www.advancedphotographer.co.uk
AP.indd 1
19/7/13 11:57:56
AP.indd 1
19/7/13 11:58:31