I think it’s safe to say that 2020 will go down in memory and the history books as one of the strangest seen in many of our lifetimes and who knows what 2021 will bring?!
Covering the events in the North east that I am able to as a news photographer is challenging during ‘normal times’. This year has been especially difficult for many reasons…logistically, safety, event cancellations, restrictions on access and the wider public perception of ‘the media‘ have all contributed to a greater or lesser degree to present many hurdles that have needed to be overcome and worked around.
Whilst acknowledging that not everyone holds the media in high regard this year has brought more abuse and animosity than I have ever experienced. Whether that is down to a general dislike combined with the stresses that individuals might have been under as they lived through the pandemic and the lockdown is uncertain, but I know that I and many of my fellow press photographers have noticed a general increase as we go about our work.
Despite these difficulties there has been some remarkable coverage this year from events by photographers throughout the country and I for one am even more aware and enthusiastic now than I was before for the need for press photographers, news cameramen & women and journalists to bring these events and stories into the wider public arena to both inform and to hold people in power to account.
So as this year rolls slowly to an end and with an uncertain future ahead as we navigate through both the pandemic and Brexit here’s a small selection of pictures from events that I have been able to photograph this year here in the North east and North Yorkshire…
All the best for the New Year and thanks for following my work.
Images (c) Ian Forsyth
See more of my work in my galleries & blog at Room 2850
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