The Whitby Photographer

The Swans

I had noticed the river at Ruswarp a few days earlier, locked fast beneath a skin of dark ice. Even then, my mind had already moved ahead of me. With snow forecast overnight, I knew, knew, that it would be transformed by morning.

So after photographing Whitby at dawn, hushed and white beneath falling snow, I made my way inland to Ruswarp. When I arrived, it was exactly as I had imagined. The black ice I’d seen days before was gone, replaced by a flawless covering of crisp white snow, as if the river itself had been erased and redrawn.

The plan was simple. Move on soon. Gather a few photographs, maybe some video, enough to piece together a short film about the snow. Fifteen minutes, perhaps. No more.

But the sky had other ideas. It didn’t just suggest snow, it shouted it. Heavy, dark cloud rolled in from the north, thick and purposeful, and then the first flakes began to fall. What followed was pure, unplanned magic.

The swans, usually settled further upriver, began to move. Slowly at first, deliberately, they stepped out onto the frozen river and walked its full length, white shapes against the white silence, snow settling on their backs as though they belonged to the landscape itself.

When they reached the dam, they climbed down and slipped into the tidal River Esk, water they must have known would still be free, still moving. There they swam, perhaps to feed, perhaps simply because that was where the river still lived.

It was one of those moments you could drive away from. Most people probably would. But I stayed. An hour passed without effort or notice, Ruswarp holding me in place before I finally moved on, following the frozen Esk Valley further upstream.

For those who care enough to read all the way to the end, the date was January 2026.

Some moments don’t ask to be recorded.

They simply ask you to stay.

5 days ago | [YT] | 162

The Whitby Photographer

Thankyou to each and every one of you.

1 week ago | [YT] | 282

The Whitby Photographer

I’ve been putting together a photo book over the past while.

It’s an A4 hardback, black and white, just over 70 pages, made up of quiet moments from Whitby.

The sort of scenes that feel familiar if you know the place… and slightly timeless if you don’t.

It’s not about big landmarks or postcard views. More the everyday stuff. Light on stone. Empty streets. Weather rolling in. The Whitby that exists between the busy bits.

There’s also a digital version if you prefer that, and the hardback can be collected locally or posted anywhere in the UK.

If you’d like to know a bit more, or just want to ask anything about it, feel free to say hello below.

1 week ago | [YT] | 319

The Whitby Photographer

Whitby Update – January

If you’ve not seen it yet, the latest Whitby Update is now up. Part Two

It’s a quieter one — winter Whitby, local issues, a few familiar faces, and the odd entirely fictional Mayor’s Award. Nothing dramatic. Nothing click-baity. 

Just what’s been happening around town over the past week or two.

As always, comments welcome — especially from locals.

And if you watch it later rather than straight away, that’s fine too. This one’s built to sit, not shout.

Cheers as ever for the support. 👍

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 35

The Whitby Photographer

The Romans once fed people to lions, and crowds would gather to watch. It was considered entertainment.

Today, I realised we may not be as far removed from that as we like to believe.

I witnessed people deliberately driving to the Marina for the chance to watch someone who was reportedly at risk of jumping to their death. Not to help. Not out of concern. But to watch.

And regardless of who that person was, or what they may or may not have done (something no one actually knows, despite what has been confidently shared on Facebook), surely this is where a line should exist.

At what point did we become comfortable treating the possible death of another human being as spectacle?

This is not about blame, gossip, or judgement of the individual involved.

It is about us. About what we tolerate. About what we normalise. About what we choose to turn into entertainment.

If we reach a point where someone’s darkest moment becomes something people turn up to observe, then perhaps the lions never really left the arena.

They were just replaced by phones, cars, and curiosity.

And that should make us all pause.

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 333

The Whitby Photographer

Whitby Abbey. A Very Snowy Afternoon in January 2026.

2 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 368

The Whitby Photographer

Book announcement

I’ve added a new A4 digital photo book featuring a selection of my favourite black and white photographs of Whitby and the surrounding coast.

The images were made over time, in all kinds of conditions, and focus on light, weather, texture, and quieter moments around the town. It’s been put together as a proper digital book rather than a preview or slideshow, and is designed to be viewed on larger screens.

It’s available now as an instant download for anyone who’d like it.
As always, thank you for the support — it genuinely makes this work possible.

buymeacoffee.com/thewhitbyphotographer/e/498987

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 86

The Whitby Photographer

New members only video just published.

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 2

The Whitby Photographer

I have some canvases for sale for Whitby Collection.

Prices are £40 each or any 4 for £120

Size is Large which is 30 by 20 Inches.

Please pm or WhatsApp me to arrange collection 07879451837

If you cant manage to get to Whitby to collect we have some digital downloads available on Buy Me A Coffee. Link in Profile.

Apologies but it is strictly first come first served and I wont be able to hold on to anything. Really sorry to do that, but in the past people have reserved things and not turned up.

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3 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 144