Shoot The North photography classes in Jesmond cemetery

Oct 27 2008 by Chris Robinson, The Journal

A PHOTOGRAPHY group is set to show the living beauty of a historic cemetery. Shoot The North is a set of classes launched to discover images just a stone’s throw away from home.

They are being led by North East-based photographers Neil Atkinson and David Lane.

It was due to the popularity and poignant history that Jesmond Old Cemetery was chosen as the perfect place for amateur artists to get snap-happy.

Mr Atkinson, who presented ITV Tyne Tees series A Moment in Time, said finding the perfect picture didn’t have to be a case of driving miles out into the country.

He said: “There are photographic opportunities when you walk to work or take the rubbish out to the bin, but you are not looking for them.

“There are some absolutely amazing pictures without going more than 500 yards from your own front door.”

The two-part workshops also include a discussion evening where photographers are encouraged to bring along their own work.

Mr Atkinson, 53, of Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, said that the wildlife growing inside the historic 19th Century graveyard, in Jesmond Road, Newcastle, made it a place full of life, not death.

Opened in 1836 as a private cemetery, memorials include the original headstone for local architect John Dobson, simply inscribed JD and the elaborate gothic monument to Archibald Reed.

He added: “Jesmond Old Cemetery is an absolutely iconic place, people go there to walk and go to refresh, it’s just so beautiful and tranquil.

“It may sound a little bit morbid, but the photographs are not morbid at all.

“There is a lot of history there, it’s such a beautiful place.

“But we do know that it’s a place where people do go to visit family graves and we have enormous respect for the place.

“I think it’s a place full of life, not death.”

Anyone interested in signing up for classes can log on to www.shootthenorth.com.