Club Meeting "Harvest from the Deep" 15th September 2026
On Tuesday 15th September, Morpeth Camera Club welcomed Guest Speaker Peter Robinson whose presentation was entitled ‘Harvest from the Deep.’ Peters’ day job is that of a professional wedding photographer but in his spare time, over the past ten years, he has documented life at sea and on the Fish Quay at North Shields where he is based. This is part of his long-term documentary project for the Fishermen’s Mission.
This evenings’ presentation told a visual story of the fishing journey; from boats leaving port to the fishmongers’ counter.
His original plan was to take images of fishing boats onshore but soon realized that he wanted to document the hard work and grit of the fishermen at sea. He was excited to be invited to go on his first fishing trip not realizing that the start time would be 2.30am. He also didn’t take into consideration how rough the seas could be and how long and hard the working days were. He illustrated this with nighttime shots of hauling in the nets, sorting fish by hand in freezing conditions, portraits at sunrise and in dramatic shadow, of landing in floodlight and of auction bidders.
Images of dockside and prawn factory workers, memorials to fishermen, dramatic portraits, tattoos, drone shots, skippers and deckhands, seagulls lit by the sunrise were all included in Peter’s catalogue.
A Q & A followed which revealed that he was able to gain acceptance from a close community who tend to be wary of outsiders. The industry was often a generational thing; father to son and that not a lot of young people are attracted to the hard graft needed to make a living. He talked about his equipment which he has to replace quite often due to dirt, rush, dust and smell.
Peters’ presentation was accompanied with a seamless dialogue; with anecdotes of old characters, rolling seas and the aromas of the catch. He stressed that his aim is to catalogue the fishing industry before its decline and to create a living history for future generations.
Club Chairman Jeremy Cooper thanked Peter for illustrating how grueling and dangerous life can be on the sea. Refreshments were then served, concluding a very interesting evening at the club.
This evenings’ presentation told a visual story of the fishing journey; from boats leaving port to the fishmongers’ counter.
His original plan was to take images of fishing boats onshore but soon realized that he wanted to document the hard work and grit of the fishermen at sea. He was excited to be invited to go on his first fishing trip not realizing that the start time would be 2.30am. He also didn’t take into consideration how rough the seas could be and how long and hard the working days were. He illustrated this with nighttime shots of hauling in the nets, sorting fish by hand in freezing conditions, portraits at sunrise and in dramatic shadow, of landing in floodlight and of auction bidders.
Images of dockside and prawn factory workers, memorials to fishermen, dramatic portraits, tattoos, drone shots, skippers and deckhands, seagulls lit by the sunrise were all included in Peter’s catalogue.
A Q & A followed which revealed that he was able to gain acceptance from a close community who tend to be wary of outsiders. The industry was often a generational thing; father to son and that not a lot of young people are attracted to the hard graft needed to make a living. He talked about his equipment which he has to replace quite often due to dirt, rush, dust and smell.
Peters’ presentation was accompanied with a seamless dialogue; with anecdotes of old characters, rolling seas and the aromas of the catch. He stressed that his aim is to catalogue the fishing industry before its decline and to create a living history for future generations.
Club Chairman Jeremy Cooper thanked Peter for illustrating how grueling and dangerous life can be on the sea. Refreshments were then served, concluding a very interesting evening at the club.