Over the years I’ve had a massive interest of the local coastline and all that happens there. Ive often discussed things with my mates and we have always concluded there is nowhere else in all the world we would rather be than sat on the local cliff top looking out to sea.

Hawsker Cliffs, Ravenscar, Goldsborough, Saltwick Bay, Boulby, between us we have probably spent more time there than many other people alive. Angling, Walking, Climbing, collecting Jet and Fossils or just watching Wildlife, I’ts the greatest place to spend a day.

Over those years, we have made friendships and connections with like minded people. That of course involves members of all seaside communities, angling groups, wildlife groups, Photography groups and of course many friends involved in the local seaside emergency services such as The RNLI and Coastguard.

With those connections comes a sharing of information, whats happening, when and where. Recently I was told of a large event at Saltburn involving all the local services.

“Get yourself there Glenn, lots of great pictures to be had” were the words of a good half a dozen people. Despite the crap weather, Im not one to miss an opportunity.

My photographic archives of the coast go back years. My desire as a photographer is to leave as extensive a record of coastal life that I can. Although I make my living from photography, these types of images are never going to make me rich, in-fact they hardly ever sell, and as Im not really interest in selling to the press, I do it basically because this is the type of thing I love to photograph the most. Coastal life, a social record of whats happened. Most of the images I give away for free, especially The RNLI ones, never asking for anything more than a donation into the RNLI box on the pub bar. I believe one of mine currently hangs on the wall at The Helicopter Base, another being a screensaver on the RNLI computer.

Doing what I always do, I photographed the event and pushed it out through my social media channels.

The next morning I received a message from The RNLI press Officer. It read, to the effect of, the event was in a public place so we can not stop you being there or taking photographs, But the event held a press embargo with photographs being held back until the start of the school holidays.

It was requested that if there was press interest in my images I should hold them back. As I wasn’t interested in giving the images to the press, I explained that if there was to be any press interest I would direct them to The RNLI press Officer. I explained I knew nothing of the embargo, and had I known I would of held my images back from social media. That really should have been the end of the matter.

Later that morning I started getting phonecalls and messages from RNLI crew and coastguard team telling me there was some sort of inquisition taking place, about who had told me about the event. One close friend, who wasn’t one of the people who actually told me of the event said she had received several phonecalls and messages asking her if she had invited me.

The poor girl was actually really upset and said she had to hang up on the press officer it had upset her that much. Personally I think its very unfair to have done that to her. Its annoyed me immensely that she was questioned about who told me of the event. Not good work on the behalf of the press officer, infact potentially damaging to the team. I get invited a lot to RNLI events, Not once has that young lady ever told me whats happening or invited me along.

Over time Ive been invited to The Fireworks and the recent Lifeboat Station Photography event, to which I was invited by The Lifeboat Cox. Its not something I fish for an invite to. I respect the work they all do and Im happy to photograph them from a distance, on the shoreline or from the cliff tops. The invite is always appreciated but not something I really need to be a part of or would feel sad about if never invited along.

I also wonder why it even matters who told me ? It begins to look like I wasn’t welcome in a public place with my camera. Needless to say, I’m not best pleased about that, at all.

Then, as recent as yesterday I got a Facebook message on my personal profile from an ex local journalist, stating how important it is to stick to embargo’s. My thoughts again, being how can I stick to an embargo Im not told about.

But enough said about that. The conclusion I have drawn is I broke an embargo I never knew about. I apologise for doing that, and I can say with 100% certainty, had I known there was an embargo in place, I would of held my images back.

I have requested in future that if there are events with embargo’s taking place, then all that needs to happen is I receive a Phonecall, txt or email explaining what is happening, when and where, and giving me the embargo details.

Speaking with the head of the local coastguard, he has agreed to let me know of anything happening locally along with Embargo dates.

As a photographer I have complete respect for press embargo’s, and will always follow them when requested to do so. However, if you fail to keep me in the loop then you cant really complain when I publish pictures I have taken in a public place. The key, I guess is Communication, which is the job of a press officer I believe.