Northumberland has always been one of our favourite places to visit. Its vast skies, rugged coastlines and timeless landscapes offer the perfect backdrop for slowing down, spending time together as a family and capturing photographs just for myself.
After a busy year, our trip to this beautiful corner of the UK felt like a breath of fresh air – a chance to recharge, explore, and create.
Travelling Light: Shooting with the Fujifilm X100VI
One of the joys of this trip was carrying just my Fujifilm X100VI. I have to admit, I do still get a bit itchy if I’m going away without my proper camera but I’m really starting to get used to enjoying travelling light with just this little pocket rocket. Compact, tactile and intuitive, it allows me to move freely, capture spontaneous moments and shoot with a more film-like approach that encourages patience and observation.
From quiet indoor afternoons to golden-hour landscapes, the X100VI became an extension of how I wanted to see and experience Northumberland – slowly, deliberately and creatively. The reason I bought this little camera in the first place was to detach myself from feeling like I was ‘working’ when I picked it up and instead remind myself why I fell in love with photography in the first place. I like to use it like a film camera and it changes the way I think about the images I take.
Another thing I absolutely adore about the little Fuji is the film simulations. I always shoot RAW and it’s not unusual for me to have a backlog of editing from jobs. I think I’ve always felt a bit of a burden when shooting personal work, knowing I already have so much editing to do. The film simulations on the X100VI are fantastic and align so well with the approach of using the camera like a film camera. I set my film simulation like I’d load a film and then tend to leave it. I can grab the images directly from the camera onto my phone and share the JPG files directly – it’s INCREDIBLY liberating and freeing myself from the editing burden has truly been a game-changer.
I do always shoot in JPG+RAW so if I happen to grab an image I absolutely love I always have the RAW file if I want to spend a bit more time on the edit but really, 99% of the time with this camera I’m just sharing the JPG directly and, *looks both ways and whispers, I love it.
These black-and-white frames capture quiet moments with my son, absorbed in his watercolours and sketching the scenery outside. I adore black and white for these kind of images – ones I know I’ll look back on in years to come that have more of a documentary feel. These were the kind of simple, meaningful moments that make family trips truly special.
Bamburgh Castle at Sunset: Light, Architecture and Tide Pools
No visit to Northumberland is complete without a stop at Bamburgh Castle. The castle, windmill and clock tower are stunning on their own, but bathed in the warm glow of sunset, they take on a magical quality. Our accommodation was only a 5 minute drive from the castle so when we saw how the light was starting to take shape on this evening we knew we wanted to head down to make the most of it. Evenings on the beach offered a chance to capture reflections, textures, and the movement of the tide.
Seahouses Harbour: Colourful Boats and Reflections
Whenever we’re in the area we love to take a boat trip from Seahouses around the Farne Islands to see the birds and seals. We’ve taken this trip a few times but this was the first time I didn’t bring my larger camera and 70-200mm lens. For this particular trip I was keen to sit back and enjoy the trip rather than focussing on capturing the wildlife so it was quite liberating (and just a touch uncomfortable) to leave it behind.
Seahouses Harbour is a photographer’s dream. Vibrant fishing boats lined the docks, their colours mirrored in the still water of the late afternoon. It’s a fantastic match for the wonderful film simulations of the X100VI. We had gorgeous light this day and it brought subtle changes in light, colour, mood and texture so I switched to colour to really capture the feeling of the place.
Exploring the Coast in Monochrome: Budle Bay and Holy Island
For a more textured, atmospheric feel, I switched back to black and white for a series along the Northumberland coast. From Budle Bay with its gull-filled skies and weathered rocks, to the layered landscapes of Holy Island, stripping away colour emphasised shape, light, and texture.
For the vast majority of my black and white work with the X100VI I love to use the Kodak Tri-X 400 film simulation recipe. I love the contrast and aesthetic grain. I find it a little more punchy then the built in Acros recipe and it really suits my style of work. It was perfect for capturing the textures that Northumberland has to offer.
These frames allowed me to focus on the mood and often brutal character of the coast, capturing Northumberland in a timeless, almost abstract way.
Aerial Perspectives: DJI Mini 3 Pro Drone
Whenever I’m staying away from home I always bring my drone with me. The DJI Mini 3 Pro opens up a whole new perspective on the landscape. Shooting Bamburgh Castle and Outchester Ducket from the air allowed me to explore composition, scale and context in ways that are impossible from the ground.
It’s also a fantastic way of understanding the area if you’re staying somewhere new. When I flew around Outchester Ducket I was pleasantly surprised to be able to see Lindisfarne and Holy Island in the background. It’s the perfect way to capture the beautiful landscape that Northumberland has to offer.
I shot a little film at Outchester Ducket with the DJI Mini 3 Pro, coupled with my DJI Action 5 Pro which I’m absolutely loving for BTS filming. This video features drone footage orbiting the historic tower, set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Northumberland countryside. You can watch the video below and as always, I’d love it if you could like and subscribe!
Family, Creativity and the Joy of Slowing Down
More than anything, this trip was about slowing down. Watching my son explore tide pools, paint, and sketch and simply being present with him and my family reminded me why these quiet moments are so important. Photography becomes a way to notice the details I might otherwise overlook: the warm glow of sunset on castle walls, the reflection in the harbour water, or the textures of the coastal rocks.
It’s not just about capturing images to remember the things we’ve done, but the mood and feeling of the place to capture the emotion and feeling of being there.
With just a small camera in hand and the drone in the sky, Northumberland became a studio for creativity, observation, and storytelling. These are the trips that stay with you long after the bags are unpacked (and all the sand is eventually removed from the car).
Reflections and Takeaways
This trip for me was all about the joy of travelling light, slowing down and seeing the world through both still and aerial perspectives. Northumberland, with its rugged beauty, historic castles and vibrant harbours, is stunning and there’s so much to shoot.
Photography is not just about the images you capture, it’s about presence, observation, and the stories that emerge when you take the time to look. For me, this combination of Fujifilm X100VI and drone photography created a way to document our family adventure while creating images that resonate long after the trip.
