Photojournalism at The Yorkshire Post

Ian Day FRPS

The Yorkshire Post is a daily newspaper, based in Leeds, covering the largest county in England with a total population of 5.3 million people. It began as the Leeds Intelligencer in 1754 and was one of Britain’s first daily newspapers.

Our team of six multi-award-winning photographers, are managed by Head of Audio Visual, Marisa Cashill, and are highly disciplined across all forms of photography, producing work for The Yorkshire Post and sister title The Yorkshire Evening Post. As photojournalists they record daily life across the county. During a normal shift, they could cover breaking news incidents, a rural news feature, a magazine fashion shoot, and a football match in the pouring rain.

The Yorkshire Post prides itself on having extremely high standards of journalism and photography. It was recently awarded, by industry audience measurement company PAMCo, the Most Trusted Newspaper in Britain status - ahead of our national peers - and currently holds the Society of Editors’ Best Daily accolade. Over the years, our photographers have won major awards for their work at the UK Picture Editors’ Guild Awards and the Society of Editors’ Regional Press Awards, to name just two.

This newspaper strives to produce quality photography which tells the story of daily life across God’s own county. Our photographers push themselves each and every day to produce some of the best photography in the country. They are the heartbeat of the newspaper. You can follow the news and life in Yorkshire as told by the Yorkshire Post photography team on Twitter @YPinPictures.

For this assignment I was working independently to produce images and a possible cover page for the Yorkshire Post Magazine. When I arrived, I saw that what I thought would be a traditional cobblers in historic York, was in fact a modern retail shop. My ideas had to change, and after taking several images as part of this shoot, I was still looking for that possible cover shot. One corner of the room had a traditional feel, so we built a set using wooden boxes, shoe patterns, and a modern filament lamp which gave a nice warm glow. Just a few props helped set the scene and give the impression I was at a working traditional cobblers.

As press photographers we really have to think on our feet because the day will be filled with assignments, each one different, and the main approach is to try and keep it simple. Magazine jobs need a number of pictures to hold the page and a possible cover so it’s nice when your hard work pays off. This image was used for the Yorkshire Post Magazine cover.

I was with a reporter spending the day on the East Coast for a feature and this traditional smokehouse was one of the places we wanted to visit. I had been here many years before and I knew the smoking room was black with inches of tar clinging to the walls. We were chatting to Derek, the co-owner about possible ideas and the reporter had just started his interview outside the smokehouse. I had a quick think about the shot I had in mind and how I was going to light it, when suddenly the sun came belting through the window casting incredible light beams from the rising oak smoke chippings, which cure the meat and fish. I had to stop the interview there and then and ask Derek to come and stand in the smokehouse. I quickly positioned my lights so they wouldn’t power out the sunbeams and was able to create a dramatic image of a traditional business which has seen the test of time. This really was one of those assignments when you had to take the picture at that moment because five minutes later the clouds came over and the atmosphere in the smokehouse had gone.

The event was The Daniel Welling Memorial Race Meeting held in aid of the Sheffield Parents Association of Children with Tumours and Leukaemia (PACT). Diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour as an eight-month-old baby, Daniel had surgery and chemotherapy followed by a very short time in remission before his condition became incurable. He spent 16 months living at the Sheffield Children’s Hospital undergoing treatment. After much persuasion doctors agreed that he could go home at weekends so for the last two months of his life, he was at the track each weekend watching the racing. Sadly, he died just a few days before his second birthday.

I had one idea in mind as my main picture for this race. I wanted to take an image of the horses as they followed the pace vehicle. This angle would put the horses’ heads right in the foreground of my frame showing the passion, speed, and determination of the riders to win. Unfortunately, the pace vehicle had only one seat, for the race starter, which was right in the middle of the “gate”, a large safety barrier suspended onto the back of the vehicle.

With no cameras allowed over this barrier the only alternative was to use my Manfrotto magic arm to clamp the camera in position so I could fire it remotely. I used a Nikon D5, manually pre-focused the 12-24mm lens, and set the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. Once the five lead riders were in position, I could press the remote trigger from the back of the pace vehicle and, fingers crossed, everything would fire. What I didn’t foresee was the dryness of the track and the incredible amount of dust rushing into the vehicle. On the other hand, this could add to the drama and excitement. To my relief, the remote images were fantastic, so much atmosphere and well exposed. I was very proud to have taken the picture which made the front page of the Yorkshire Post.

This photograph was shot on film and made the front page of the Yorkshire Post’s first ever edition using colour photographs. They were looking for a striking colour image. I knew I wanted to frame the photograph within the East End of York Minster, but not quite knowing how far the flames would travel or, on film, how the flames would look, the fire eater had to make a few attempts. The exposures were bracketed to cope with the light from the flames.

When I saw the developed film it was obvious which frame was the best to choose and the flames made the image. In my opinion it made a great colour photograph for the front page of this historic edition.

I selected this image because of Prince Charles’ reaction and his smile at the cheese. I was covering the event on a Royal Rota basis. Photographers are chosen from the national and regional press, together with TV and radio crews and reporters.

On a Royal Rota you are escorted everywhere so it is very different to shooting alone. We had no real idea what images we would get or where the royal party would stand, although we did have a very quick preview of the route before Prince Charles arrived.

The main consideration when shooting in a group of photographers is to try and get into a good position. My image won a Royal Rota photographic competition, and I was the only photographer to get this frame.

I was working the late shift at the Yorkshire Post and at around 10.00 pm we heard about the plane crash on the M1. I knew I would not be able to get there and back in time for the deadline, so another staff photographer was despatched from Sheffield to get something for the night’s paper.

When I arrived roadblocks had been set up, so after walking through fields and woods, I reached the M1 and was directed to an area on the other carriageway, cordoned off for the media.

These was pre digital days, so I was shooting on film at ISO 1600. There were a few floodlights from the emergency services lighting up the plane, so my exposures were bracketed. As we were not allowed to move from our position, the only way to get different pictures was to change lenses, but most of the photographs were shot on a long lens because of the distance from the plane. I was pleased with the final image despite shooting at ISO 1600 on film under the floodlights.

The RAF have a pilot training school based at Linton on Ouse and the Yorkshire Post was invited to join the squadron as they rehearsed a fly past, in close formation, over Scarborough Bay. The formation comprised 31 Tucanos, plus support aircraft.

The flypast was for her Majesty The Queen’s review of her Military Forces, as part of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations on 27 June 2002, and would overfly Whale Island, Portsmouth as “E II R”.

To fly with the RAF I had to do basic training to cope with G forces and ejection from the aircraft. The image was shot using a Nikon D2X and an image stabilised lens as the formation passed over the East Coast of Yorkshire.

This image was taken as the peloton climbed out of Robin Hoods Bay, by Cote de Hook House Farm, on Stage Three of the Tour de Yorkshire heading from Bridlington to Scarborough. I had taken pictures of the breakaway riders roadside and then ran across fields to get this wider view as the peloton chased them down. The Tour de Yorkshire passes through spectacular scenery and this shows some of the best of the Yorkshire coastline. I then had to get back to Scarborough for the finish.

My assignment was to capture The Flying Scotsman crossing the Dent Head Viaduct, on its return journey from Carlisle to Oxenhope, to celebrate the reopening of the Settle Carlisle Railway line. I had originally been at Ribblehead Viaduct for the outward journey but, because there was a lot of media there, I decided to head further up the line and get the Flying Scotsman at Dent Head on its return. It was a cloudy March day; the train was very late, and the light was fading. Any breaks in the cloud had disappeared. While I had a second camera set up on a tripod, giving a slightly different view, this handheld shot using a Nikon D4 and 80-200mm lens is the one that was used.

I’d been covering a football match one Saturday afternoon and it was early evening when I got back to my village so I decided to go and watch the last few overs of the village cricket team. On my way I drove past a field of tall wheat ready to harvest. I could make out what looked to be the head of a roe deer. I pulled into a track next to the field and slowly got out of my car trying not to scare it.

I managed to get my camera body out of the boot, attach a 400mm lens and monopod, with the deer staring at me all the time. As soon as I lifted the camera to my eye it set off, but it didn’t run through the wheat as expected, it bounded high in the air, giving me an even better shot. The photograph was used the following Monday on the Picture Post page of the Yorkshire Post.

It was 8th May 2010 and the last match of the season for Leeds United. They needed to beat Bristol Rovers to make sure they claimed the second automatic place for promotion from League One to the Championship. Most thought that this would be an easy task and I had planned where I needed to be, should they win. However Leeds went 1-0 down and also had a man sent off, so my mind suddenly turned to think that I would need shots of heartbreak instead.

Then it all started to change in the other direction and in the end they won. As the clock was ticking down, I knew over 30,000 fans would try and enter the pitch to celebrate. I have covered promotion matches before and knew it would be hard to get near the players as they celebrated. With time nearly up I made my way around the perimeter of the pitch to the players tunnel.

As soon as the referee blew his whistle the fans ran from the stands onto the pitch. As they ran one way, I ran the other, up into the stands, giving me a great view over the pitch to pick out the players. I could see that Bradley Johnson was being lifted onto the fans’ shoulders and I used my 300mm lens to capture the moment where he briefly shouted and punched the air. That gave me the shot I was looking for with all the fans hands below him.

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls was looking to be re-elected to his Morley and Outwood seat. It was late into the night and rumours circulated that Andrea Jenkyns might take the seat. I had taken shots of ballot boxes arriving and being counted and as other results came and went, the Morley and Outwood seat kept going to a recount. As I photographed other results, I could see that “Leeds” was repeated across the banner where the candidates stood. I had noticed that if I cropped my photograph, I could spell Eds Leeds by losing the letters “L“ and “E”. Eventually the news came in just after 7am the following morning.

The pair stood on the stage and, when the result was read out, Andrea Jenkyns reaction gave me the photograph I had waited over 10 hours for. It had taken so long that when I arrived back to my car, I had a parking ticket from the council that I just been covering. The image went on to be used on the front page of the election special supplement of the Yorkshire Post.

I came up with the idea of taking an underwater photograph of the Bramley Mermaids, a group of synchronised swimmers who perform in costume. Bramley swimming baths is very old, and it has kept its original nostalgic look. I used a Nikon D3s camera with a 12mm fisheye lens in an underwater camera bag. My intention was to place the camera lens on the surface line of the water, so I could get Lucy the Mermaid under the water line and show the swimming baths as well. I was delighted with the shot. I had other images from the shoot but this one captured the moment I was looking for.

When the Tour de France came to Yorkshire, I covered the start in Leeds on the Saturday. On Sunday I was sent to Holme Moss to cover the place touted to have the longest climb. I camped the night before so I could get to the area to find my spot. The riders were due to pass at 3.30pm and I was on the climb at 11am as the crowds were building by the thousands. I had looked at the images from Saturday and they were all scenic pictures of the peloton passing through the Yorkshire countryside. My aim was to try and get a front page picture for Monday’s paper. I spotted some girls with painted faces and decided to use the crowds as my angle. As the riders climbed to the summit of the hill, the girls were really encouraging the riders, so I went in close with a wide-angle lens and fill-in flash. I loved the expression on their faces. The timing of the weather was spot on as 20 minutes after I took the photograph the dark skies arrived, and the heavens opened.

I was asked to get a weather photograph to illustrate spring. I had photographed the cherry blossom at Harrogate in previous years. I knew a man from Pudsey who had a penny farthing bicycle, so I called him, and he was keen to be in the photograph. The problem was he lived 20 miles away, but he managed to bring this rather large bicycle to Harrogate on the train, even changing at Leeds. The light was really nice, backlighting the cherry blossom. I took the picture on a Nikon D3s camera with an 80-200mm lens and it made front page next day in the Yorkshire Post.

This image was taken in February 2020 and shows Rasputin, the polar bear, settling into his new home at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park after arriving through quarantine from France. The image was shot on a 400mm lens as we were at a distance, not only for our safety, but for the comfort of the animal.

After some time he tentatively came out of his cage and ambled around the large space, thus making some pretty poor images. Eventually he went for a swim before exiting the lake and having a good shake. Picture in the bag. In our job we don’t often have a lot of time on one assignment, but the Picture Editor saw the worth in allowing me the morning to shoot. A good thing because I would have struggled to get anything until the shakedown at the end. This picture made a very large front page image - it’s always nice to grab a front page.

It was 2016 and I popped along to photograph Boris Johnson giving a rallying speech to Brexit supporters for his Vote Leave campaign. With these events it’s always worth arriving early, giving you a chance to prepare and choose potential spots to shoot from. I was with a reporter and a local news TV crew backstage when Boris breezed in early and gave an impromptu interview. I know this venue well. It is very dark, and the stage is lit from above by fluorescents which makes the light even worse. The guy with the TV camera popped his LED on as the interview began which gave a lovely rim light, and not much detail in the face. It was shot a little underexposed deliberately, but that shock of hair just made the picture. Pleasingly, I won the Regional Press Photographer of the year with this image.

This is a bread and butter job. An assignment which you probably expect not much from but hope for the best. The Yorkshire Post’s sister paper, the Yorkshire Evening Post, which we also work for, decided it would be fun to shoot the 12 Days of Christmas, as a light-hearted feature, every day in the run up to Christmas. I rocked up to the Leeds Grand Theatre, not having very much time before needing to dash off to another job.

The guys at the Northern Ballet were in a similar situation, taking a break between rehearsals to fit this assignment in, and were hopeful I could nail a picture pretty quickly. Unfortunately for me, the lighting technicians were on a lunchbreak, so I only had some stage lights, set on low power, to work with. I had no choice but to set up a couple of speedlights on a remote and start shooting.

The brief was very simple - ten dancers leaping. But we are working with one of the best ballet companies and the images had to look right. Shooting with speedlights can be frustrating and in a large dark space like this, you only get one shot, so timing is everything. In some images both the flashes didn’t go off, in others the dancers weren’t off the ground at the same time. Even when we did get an odd shot with the guys in the air, a couple of dancers’ feet weren’t perfect, and the director scotched the images. We had run out of time really, but all of us took a deep breath and we nailed it with the last image. From arriving to leaving the job had taken 35 minutes, with less than 20 minutes of shooting time.

Tony Johnson

We are very lucky to have this job, working for such a trusted and respected newspaper and one which uses images so well. We just cannot allow our standards to slip, as there are a great many people who would like to be in our shoes, and some cracking freelance colleagues working in the region. It’s not lost on us, as a team, that we have a duty to work ethically and respectfully. We are the face of the company.

Because of the nature of the job, most of the time you have no idea what you are facing when arriving on an assignment. You have to work quickly and think on your feet. It can have a knock on effect all day if you take too long on an assignment. These days we often work independently from a reporter or writer, relying on a decent brief to give us the key information and most importantly, a contact phone number for the job.

I spend time preparing for a shoot by using Google the evening before. It’s a great tool and the maps and streetview give you some sort of idea of what to expect. Some people and locations you come across many times, so you have an idea of what pictures you can get but very often you are going on assignments blind, so any information can help you form some ideas whilst driving there.

The very first thing when arriving on a job is to use your people skills, to get your subject onside. They may not want their picture taken or have an idea of what they want you to take, which might not be what you think will make the best image. But it’s very important to listen as you may get an idea for a picture from something they mention or potentially hear of other stories and information. At the same time as you are chatting, you are hunting for locations and ideas. All the time you need to be in control of the situation as you can’t afford to be side-lined and lose focus and track of the time. Once you’ve gained their trust, life becomes a lot easier as people are a lot more open to suggestions. Rarely do you just rock up to a job and the picture just happens, it’s up to us, the photographers, to make it work.

Another challenge is shooting video on assignments for the website. Fortunately, we have a video editor which makes it a lot easier for us to concentrate on the interview and doing some cutaways.

You must know the limitations and capabilities of your kit. My Nikon gear is old and beaten up and has many issues, but it’s down to me to get the most out of what’s in my bag. The editors want to see great images every day. I tend to work pretty simply, with a couple of Nikon D3s, 12-24mm, 28-70mm, 70-200mm, 300mm lenses in the back of the car with a Godox remote, a couple of Godox speedlights and a couple of brollies. Check your kit is fully charged. Many times I’ve seen inexperienced photographers turn up to jobs unable to shoot because they have no power.

Top tip - always be prepared. The best advice ever given to me was on the first morning of the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) photography course in Sheffield. Course leader Paul Delmar, who has influenced press photography throughout the UK, told us rookie snappers, ‘never assume anything’. It’s stuck with me since that day and has been so true.

Oh, and dress appropriately for the day. Usually smart casual, as we spend a lot of time laid down, so you don’t want a suit on. We could be photographing royalty in the morning and then be on a police raid in the afternoon, so we wear clothes that won’t offend anyone and that are practical. Waterproofs in the back of the car, with boots, buff, hat and gloves all a must. We are in Yorkshire after all. And suncream is your friend.

Ian Day FRPS, is the Deputy Editor of The Yorkshire Post. He has worked as a photographer, picture editor and senior editorial manager for the past 30 years across national and regional publishers. He was named a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society in 2015 for his contribution to press photography. Ian has been a photographic judge for the British Press Awards, Sports Journalists Association Awards and the Irish Press Photographers Association Awards. He’s been the Chair of Judges for past UK Picture Editors’ Awards and is also a committee member of the guild. You can follow Ian on Twitter @IanDayPix