Northumberland photographer dedicates gallery of images to county's NHS staff

A photographer has paid tribute to the NHS with a series of pictures dedicated to the efforts of its workers during the coronavirus crisis.
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Andy Craig worked with Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to publish a daily photograph of Northumberland under the banner This Is What We Are Fighting For.

They included landscapes and seascapes taken during his one hour’s worth of daily exercise at the start of the pandemic as well others from his back catalogue.

Some had their own story to tell.

Northumberland photographer Andy Craig.Northumberland photographer Andy Craig.
Northumberland photographer Andy Craig.
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Andy, 53, of Shilbottle, said: “One day cycling though Boulmer I saw a couple sitting on a bench beneath the NHS flag in the village.

"I thought it made a nice shot but when I spoke to them it turned out that the lady had survived an illness recently and stated that she owed her life to Northumbria Healthcare Trust staff.

"This day was their first trip out of the house for 12 weeks as they'd been isolating for health reasons.

"I imagined how great it must have felt to sit in the open air and look at the sea after such a long time. It made a perfect photograph for my series.

Photographer Andy Craig, right, took a series of pictures during lockdown to thank the NHS staff in Northumberland for their work.Photographer Andy Craig, right, took a series of pictures during lockdown to thank the NHS staff in Northumberland for their work.
Photographer Andy Craig, right, took a series of pictures during lockdown to thank the NHS staff in Northumberland for their work.
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“In other cases, these photos are 10 or 12 years old and it's been fun for me to go back to my blog and see what I was thinking and feeling when I took the photograph all those years ago.”

Andy dedicated pictures to different trust teams for the first month before thanking the NHS generally until the 100-plus series finished on June 30.

They were published on his and the trust’s staff Facebook pages.

Annie Laverty, the trust’s director of patient experience, thanked Andy for dedicating the pictures to staff and added: “Andy is a superb photographer and his images certainly capture the beauty of where we live.

A couple marking their first day out after isolating for 12 weeks.A couple marking their first day out after isolating for 12 weeks.
A couple marking their first day out after isolating for 12 weeks.
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"Being in nature has been such an important thing for so many people over the last few months.”

With lockdown easing, Andy added: “I've had all my wedding photography cancelled this summer as well as my photography walks but I'm looking forward to being able to start my photography training sessions on the beaches again.”

Further details are available at www.andycraigphotography.co.uk

A message from the Editor:

Andy Craig's spectacular photograph of Dustanburgh Castle.Andy Craig's spectacular photograph of Dustanburgh Castle.
Andy Craig's spectacular photograph of Dustanburgh Castle.

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