Gallery
The Sunderland Point photographs of
Tessa Bunney
Tessa Bunney: Photo © John Angerson
For over 30 years, Tessa Bunney has photographed rural life, working closely with individuals and communities to investigate how the landscape is shaped by humans. From hill farmers near her home in North Yorkshire to Icelandic puffin hunters, from Romanian nomadic shepherds to Lincolnshire flower farmers her projects reveal the fascinating intricacies of the dependencies between people, work and the land. Work includes ‘Made out of Orchards’ which was commissioned, published and exhibited by the Martin Parr Foundation and ‘Going to the Sand’, an ongoing personal project collaborating with Morecambe Bay fishermen which was published by Another Place Press in 2023.
‘Going to the Sand’ - about inshore fishing around Morecambe Bay - was first shown at Lancaster Maritime Museum in 2022.
Over a four year period Tessa spent many days on the sands of Morecambe Bay with fishermen in all seasons and all weathers. She says ‘I learnt about craams and riddles, tide tables and bye-laws, shrimping, musselling and cockling, fishing with all kinds of nets. These skills have been passed down through generations of fishermen, all with the backdrop of the beautiful but often harsh landscape of the Bay’.
During the Summer months of 2023 Tessa’s exhibition ‘Going to the Sand’ was mounted at the Sunderland Point Mission Heritage Centre to the great interest of residents and visitors - the opening times were carefully managed to avoid when the tide covered the causeway.
Tessa had taken many photographs at Sunderland Point and took more during her frequent visits to the Point during the weeks of the exhibition and has kindly agreed to allow her photographs to be included in this special gallery of her work. Her website link is http://www.tessabunney.co.uk
Tessa’s social media - follow @tessabunney find on Facebook connect on LinkedIn view on Instagram watch on Vimeo
Please remember these images are copyright to Tessa Bunney and must not be copied.
1. Aerial view of Morecambe Bay
2. The causeway to Sunderland Point
3. The Point from the air 1.
4. The Point from the air 2.
5. Haaf nets by the fish house.
6. First Terrace from the river, early morning.
7. James Walker haafing, early morning.
8. James Walker haafing, standing ready 1.
9. James Walker haafing, standing ready 2.
10. James 'lifts' the net, a fish has struck.
11. James reaches for the netted fish.
12. A large salmon, quickly returned to the river.
13. View from the air of Margaret haafing.
14. Trevor Owen, fisherman.
15. Margaret Owen, fisherwoman.
16. Margaret Owen with Haaf net
17. Margaret Owen at the tail end of the whitebait net.
18. Margaret Owen riddling whitebait content to remove debris.
19. Margaret Owen removing debris from the whitebait in riddle.
20. 'Cleaned' whitebait in bucket sieve.
21. Whitebait ready for washing, packing and freezing.
22. Whitebait.
23. Trevor and Margaret cleaning the whitebait 1.
24. Trevor cleaning the whitebait.
25. Trevor and Margaret cleaning the whitebait 2.
26. Whitebait in red bucket sieve.
27. Tail end of whitebait net tied ready for the next tide.
28. Margaret and Trevor sorting the whitebait 1.
29. Trevor and Margaret sorting the whitebait 2.
30. Early morning start to go shrimping.
31. James Walker at the tiller navigating out into the river and towards the bay.
32. James launches the shrimp trawl.
33. The open sea of Morecambe Bay.
34. James riddles the catch to discard the small, juvenile shrimp 1.
35. James riddles the catch to discard the small, juvenile shrimp 2.
36. A sample of shrimps, as caught.
37. James returns the boat to its moorings.
38. The shrimp catch ready for boiling.
39. Shrimps boiled and ready for picking 1.
40. Shrimps boiled and ready for picking 2.