Photography in Museums & Historic Houses

To snap or not to snap!

We recently took some time out in the North East and whilst there visited a number of BRILLIANT museums and heritage visitor attractions. Interestingly one of them in particular didn't allow photography inside, sparking a discussion between the family about how that one restriction had affected our visit.


There are only two or three reasons that I know of why photography is not be permitted at an attraction.


  1. Firstly for conservation reasons on things like Old Masters - I understand flash photography can cause damage to art (I say art as a general term to include fabric, paintings etc),
  2. Secondly for security reasons - for protection it opens an opportunity for visitors to potentially document where doors, cameras etc are to possibly return at a later time with bad intentions (this only applies to a few specific places that I can think of.)
  3. Thirdly - copyright issues, if an attraction/venue has not been given the full rights for whatever is on view (I am sure this could be negotiated though so this is a tentative reason!)


So aside from these three reasons it poses the question - should visitors be allowed to take photographs in a space that's open to the public?


For starters a slightly cringe moment is when visitors are either attempting to take pics or asking permission to - for staff to then apologetically have to say no! With a no photo policy in place it puts staff in a contentious position.


An outdated argument against taking photos is that you should buy a 'souvenir' instead. Already you've alienated a lot of your audience, the cost of doing that for many is prohibitive, especially after the price of a ticket and have you not heard of the power of UGC. In most UK museums, galleries and historic houses, personal photography is generally allowed and even encouraged. Smartphones have made photography accessible to almost everybody, whilst social media provides a place for all those photos to go. As such, the phone has become a significant presence in those spaces. Social media gives anyone with access, the chance to freely voice an opinion, and photos give valuable context to those opinions.


The presence of the phone can be to the annoyance of some - phones can represent a loud sense of carelessness and present the idea that the owner isn't really paying attention, isn't in the moment and really experiencing what they're there for (live streaming at the Louvre anyone?). 


But is this perception rooted in a slightly elite bias of who should be visiting (mostly around art) and how it should be experienced?  The idea of banning photography carries an expectation that people should follow an unwritten etiquette to engage with where they are, by regulating how people should behave in those places, are we ultimately saying that some people are less welcome than others? Shouldn't those spaces be accommodating a variety of ways to experience what they offer?


Some people will want to contemplate quietly, others will crave discussion, particularly if the visit has an interactive element.

Many visitors will wish to take photos and post them on social media.


The important thing about visiting somewhere is just that you experience it, not how.


Taking photos particularly on a phone is a natural extension of that experience. Moreover, photos are taken for a wide variety of reasons. We are habitual photo-takers in our family. As well as the fun and the general visit stuff, I often take a number of photos to help me to remember things that might later be of use for reference: signage, maps, a bit of text on the wall, things I might never see again, anything and everything. My husband works in catering and generally snaps cutlery, plates, menu prices (our camera rolls are riveting!!) I promise we do take good stuff too!


It's all informative though, no matter what we take pictures of AND now that Iphones also bring up memories (as does social media) it's actually free marketing for places, a reminder of that special place you went to 2 years ago, a year ago and perhaps that memory will then spark a revisit.


Due to the photography ban at the aforementioned place we visited in the North East, we obviously don't have any images which is sad and whilst yes, we experienced it in the moment, we don't have anything to look back on and remember or reference it, in addition we can't recommend it to anyone else by sharing images of it.


The reason the attraction gives for its no photography policy... "it's still very much a private home to the owners"

now unless it's a Royal Residency, which this was not, I don't quite think this reason stacks up, given it's open to the public and the owners don't live there for most of the year! It actually came across as a bit closed club and elite which was disappointing.


The answer to the question is perhaps not linear but I know how much we preferred other places that we were allowed to (respectfully) snap away in! and, we'll revisit those memories now and when my Iphone reminds me in a year, two years and more!

In conversation with marine artist Kate Smith

June 2, 2025
I was first introduced to Kate's work at Kunsthuis contemporary gallery in North Yorkshire, forming part of the exhibition "our eARTh" which explored responses from artists to the environment and climate change issues. I totally fell in love with her bold colours. Living by the coast has very much influenced Kate's artistic style, being drawn in by the rugged landscapes, extreme weather conditions and the Heritage of a working boat community. I chatted with Kate about her work and how it's progressed in the last couple of years. First up how did she get here? I was always obsessed with drawing and making as a child so I guess it was inevitable that I would follow an artistic route. I trained initially at university as a fine art sculptor and after gaining my degree I went on to study a PGCE in art education. After spending many years teaching art to A-level, I moved to Whitby with my husband and worked for the education department at the North York Moors National Park as an education leader. Having taken time out to have a family I continued to teach with adult Art classes, until in 2016 I decided to pick up a paintbrush for the first time in over 20yrs. Having never previously been a painter and always enjoyed three-dimensional form it took a while to get the hang of canvas and oil paint but at this point I was determined to at least give it a go. Better late than never. I asked Kate about her use of colour as it's one of the things I totally fell for in her work - Kate your paintings are super vibrant and evocative – is there a reason you choose to paint in such vibrant colours? When I first began painting with oils I was using a traditional palette. However I wanted to develop a more contemporary style and my love of colour was probably the first step in my experimentation. The colours that I use in my paintings are only really an exaggeration of the colours that I already see. And I use a lot of photography taken very early in the morning when the light source is at its brightest and the colours are at their most extreme. From then on I began to also develop an impasto style of paint application, using a palette knife and sculpting the paint onto the canvas. I guess that this was my homage to my sculpture training. At Kunsthuis and in your earlier work you featured more marine life (lobsters etc), have you made a conscious decision to move away from this to concentrate more on boats and local scenery – or do you think you’ll revisit the marine life again? Yes, initially I did begin with a lot of marine life in my paintings, concentrating specifically on lobsters, as my families love and participation of all things nautical was a big part of our life. However after a while I did make a conscious decision to concentrate on just one style. So I put all efforts into improving and developing what I felt was my stronger work, which was my boat and seascape paintings. One cohesive style is also far easier to share with galleries. With such a rugged landscape to work on do you work outdoors or work mostly from a home studio? How do you stay motivated and what do you find the most difficult in working from home? Currently my studio is situated in my home and I do find it very difficult to stay motivated at times. Right now it’s harder than ever to not be sidetracked by my two teenage children who have been at home from uni for the last few months. But what I do feel is important is to treat my studio time as if I was going out to any other job. When I’m painting, I'M PAINTING! Plus when I get into my painting zone I find that a whole day goes by in a flash. What about the process of how you design and make your paintings - do you plan what to make or just go with the moment? So, my paintings process begins with a photograph. I’ve been very fortunate to have a friend that takes beautiful, atmospheric photographs on his early morning walks and he allows me to use them as a reference for my pieces. When a particular scene appeals to me I run with it, so I suppose I do just go with the flow. You mention you used to tutor with adult groups – is this something you still do or would consider doing again? Teaching with adult groups is very rewarding and I’d like to think I’ll have the time to return to it one day. But right now I’m happy to concentrate on my painting career. What’s next on the agenda for you – what are your plans? where can we see you? I was recently working on a body of work for an exhibition for Art For Youth North which is an annual exhibition of contemporary Northern artists set in Thirsk. I have work on display in Silver Street Gallery, Whitby and have plans to send pieces to a couple of Galleries outside of the North. Do you have any specific artists that you really champion and would suggest any rising artists? There are a number of artists, both painters and sculptors who’s work inspire me. I love the work of Peter Wileman, his use of colour and his energetic mark making. His paintings really capture a sense of place. But I also admire the work of many of my local contemporaries such as, Ian Burke, Ian Burdall, Sue Nichols, Tori Tipton, Emerson Mayes and Richard Gray. Also sculptors and ceramicists like, KV blacksmith, Kit Hemsley, Hilary Holmes, Anna and the willow, Emmeline Butler and Eric and Chris Moss to name but a few. We have such a wonderful and varied array of talented artists here on our own doorstep. and finally do you have any advice to creatives and artists about to embark on starting their own business? My advice to anyone about to embark on an artistic career is firstly don’t make things complicated, make sure you are enjoying what you’re doing. But also take advice from those that have been where you are. Or as I did, apply to a show like art& where they run a Raw Talent Award Scheme offering invaluable support and guidance into exhibiting your work professionally. Theres lots of help and information out there if you’re prepared to look for it. See more of Kate's work or contact her via her website https://www.katesmithart.co.uk/ or follow her on Instagram at @art_katesmith

In conversation with digital artist Sarah Westwood...

March 13, 2025
Sarah's work dominates the Yorkshire Cycle Hub - I first became aware of her work during a visit with my children when they brought back Sprocket colouring sheets to the table. Since then we've crossed paths many times, Sarah has traded at a number of Markets I've managed, ended up on the same photography course and at a creative connection network event. We regularly chat on Insta, so it only seemed right that Sarah and Sprocket were to be featured in an interview! Hi Sarah can you tell us a bit about you and and who Sprocket is? I'm Sarah and I love to draw, and I especially love to draw Sprocket the dog. Technically I'm his P.A and my job is to share his wonderful journeys with you all. I've been sharing my little dog's tales since 2015. I draw using an iPad Pro and with my finger, so it’s very free and flowing. I did my first 100-day project in 2015 and he was a product of that creative process. I have a lovely little studio in East Ayton and Sprocket was inspired by my old sidekick who was a Weimaraner, he was always up for walks and lots of cuddles. He had his own chair in my studio, I used to call him my supervisor. All my drawings are in honour of him. Being creative - is it something you’ve always gravitated towards? I've always been creative, spending a lot of time as a child making and drawing. Heading to uni to do a creative degree felt like the right direction to go in. I did Surface Pattern Design at Huddersfield and it was an intense journey but I learnt a lot about myself and how to be creative, developing ideas and definitely developed a thick skin with feedback from our tutors! I’ve always wanted to be in a creative job, looking back I never thought I would be doing this. I was somewhat clueless back in my early 20’s, I worked hard doing an unrelated 9-5 job and did my art on the side travelling to craft fairs and worked my way to eventually cutting down my day job. I exhibited three years in a row at Country Living Magazine show and Kirsty Allsop’s Handmade Fair in London . During lockdown you worked on a 100-day project on Instagram – did that help you stay creative and focused? Drawing Sprocket every day was a huge pleasure, it kept me focused and having an allocated time to draw each day was something I looked forward to. Just starting on a blank page, making lines that then flow into something I hadn't planned was a real treat. I haven't had that sort of time for my work since uni. Lockdown taught me how much I enjoy drawing and I loved giving myself that time every day to be creative. I'm so chuffed that people like the work I did and supported me by buying my work, it's always really heartwarming. I try not be mushy about it but my orders increased threefold over lockdown and everyday I'd just stand in my studio and beam with absolute joy . I spy you’ve been working in ceramic recently, is this a new medium for you to work with and is it something you'll be including in your shop for future (I hope so!) are there any other mediums you’d like to try out? I decided back in lockdown that I wanted to do something out of my comfort zone when we could all do stuff again. I love ceramics, and doing something so hands-on made me go back to basics so I messaged a friend who has a studio and I asked for lessons. Throwing pots is just brilliant, I love being so involved in the process and the need for me to concentrate and to switch off is just what I need. I'm so pleased with how they are looking and they seem to replicate my drawing style. I'm working on some Sprocket figures but hats off to artists that throw pots, it's a real art in its self.... . . and yes I’d love to be able to sell them in my shop so possibly! Where do you get your inspiration from? your images are so creative and brilliant, especially when you introduce new characters with Sprocket? That is a question!! I think I have an overactive brain, I do wonder where the ideas come from myself. I seem to go through stages of people requesting images, I do get complete artist block but then I have things that happen and they just inspire that drawing. I just like to try and tell a tale with each image. Does it take you long to design the images? do you plan what to feature or just go with the moment? I draw with my finger on my iPad pro, I call it freehand digital drawing. I try to set myself a bit of a limit of an hour and a half, some are quicker and some take forever but I actually am not aware of the time whilst I'm drawing in all honesty. I'm not a great planner but if I've got an idea I'll often write it down on a blank page in my adobe drawing app. Then it can be used at a later date.

From handy woman to Ceramic Artist - Jenny Chan

February 10, 2025
Born in Hong Kong Jenny Chan spent much of her childhood on the small island of Nauru, Micronesia, northeast of Australia but settled in the UK around five and a half years ago. Working with clay, her works are sculptural, primary about faces, making figurative figurines, wall masks and during 2020 she launched a new series of framed small faces wall art. "Not in wildest dreams did I think that I would be in the creative industry. I started my clay journey in 2014 during a very difficult time in my life. I am mostly self-taught from watching hours of YouTube. I found clay gave me focus, peace and fulfilment, the ideal distraction for relieving anxiety away from life difficulties and isolation as a new immigrant in the UK." Without any formal education in arts or ceramics, Jenny believes her love of 3D objects developed tinkering from an early age as the "handy woman" of the house! Without access to a kiln, Jenny then worked as a cleaner in exchange for free kiln firing time within a commercial studio - the Ceramic Studio in Stratford-upon-Avon. After then joining a local artist group, the Leamington Artists Studio, she realised her work was actually being very well received. Grappling with the latest technologies and a changing society after emerging from being a stay at home mum for 16 years was daunting but Jenny's confidence grew not just with her clay skills but within herself as a person during her time at Leamington. As a ceramicist her influencers include works from Rhian Malin , who Jenny observes has made such incredible achievements since 2016 - reaching from a great online presence to having her work heavily featured in many publications. Following a move to the North, Jenny was offered an opportunity in the Craft Council Hot House Programme in 2019 - a Yorkshire Artspace Starter Program which she feels was a pivotal moment for her work that did not centre around her age, ethnicity or educational background. Guiding her work has always been an inner focus on things that are important to Jenny - integrity, honesty and above all a woman trying to find peace and self-worth within. Using traditional hand-building techniques in coiling and slab building, each piece is unique and individually sculpted generally taking a number of days to perfect. No two pieces are the same and are made using mainly porcelain and stoneware clay. Some sculptures are partially press-moulded and individually carved whilst others sculpted from scratch. Any impressions and inlay surface decoration is made using a minimal glaze - coloured slips, oxides and underglazes, emphasising a natural clay texture and colour. Jenny's designs are very much guided by her surroundings of the day, something she may have read or seen on TV. The face mask series based on BBC100 women for example included some modelling on famous people, ie. Amelia Earhart, ‘Grayson Perry’ entwined with imaginary characters. During the March 2020 lockdown Jenny developed a new series ‘Standing Together’ (seen below) for NHS workers, a long-lasting recognition gift for their dedication to the Pandemic. Channelling her focus and anxiety around the Pandemic Jenny was able to make small framed wall art from modelling clay without the use of kiln firing. "If I cannot make work in the studio, I will use a shower plastic curtain on my carpeted floor to make work."
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