Arts show debut for David’s take on Cumbria
Exquisite views of Lakeland captured on camera by a Keswick holiday park owner have helped swell funds for a Cumbrian community’s restoration project.
David Jackson of Castlerigg Hall Caravan and Camping Park was among those invited to exhibit at this July’s Art in the Hills event in the Cumbria village of Dufton.
Now in its fifth year, the exhibition showcases the work of artists, photographers and sculptors from throughout the region – and attracts visitors from far and wide.
As well as enjoying the displays, the public were also able to buy many of the works, including David’s framed images and card-printed reproductions of much-loved views.
Each sale made another contribution to urgent repair work needed at the village hall in Dufton, a remote but beautiful fellside village near Appleby-in-Westmorland.
Many of David’s photographs are also featured on the website of Castlerigg Hall Caravan and Camping Park, a former farm where the Jackson family has lived since 1938.
It was while growing up on the farm that David, now aged 52, was first introduced to photography by his father John who also taught him how to develop film and make prints.
He soon developed a passion for recording Cumbria’s landscapes in all their different moods, from cheerful summer days to the times when extreme weather creates a far more dramatic picture.
As well as photographing well-known iconic features such as Castlerigg Stone Circle, a short walk from the park, David also seeks out less easily accessed vantage points.
One favourite is lofty Walla Crag, also nearby, which provides spectacular views of Derwentwater and Bassenthwaite Lake, and even – on a clear day – glimpses of the Scottish hills.
Early morning and dusk, he says, are when shadows and the more subtle qualities of the light can lend landscapes a particularly evocative and often romantic nuance.
David’s success at Dufton’s art exhibition has led the organisers to invite him back next year, with a special request that he photographs nearby High Cup Nick with its spectacular u-shaped valley.
“Cumbria has some of the best recognised views in the world, but the scenes can change dramatically through different seasons, weathers, and even times of day,” said David.
“Part of what I enjoy is presenting these landscapes in a sometimes less familiar light, or capturing more intimate detail which can be overlooked when admiring the bigger picture.
“It was great to receive feedback from visitors to Art in the Hills, and I’m pleased that I and other exhibitors were able to contribute to the local community fundraising,” he added.
More images round and about Castlerigg Hall Caravan and Camping Park can be found on its website at www.castlerigg.co.uk
