Exhibition tells Yorkshire story in black and white

Eight years in the making and the result of a keen eye and skill and patience in the dark room, "Yorkshire, A Land Painted Silver" is a collection of 34 black and white pictures by Hull-born photographer Daren Smith.

All the photographs were hand-printed using film and paper, in marked contrast to the clinical efficiency of digital photography.

From the Yorkshire Dales to Scarborough, the collection often captures remote locations and bleak, sparse landscapes beneath heavy skies.

It has been a labour of love for the photographer, who saw the potential of many scenes while indulging his other hobby, cycling.

He said: "They are images of Yorkshire as I see it.

"I'm a Yorkshireman and I feel I've got a good feel for the area and it's vibe.

"I'm in love with Yorkshire and I really don't think there's anywhere else in the world that offers what Yorkshire does.

"Whatever your mood you will see something in it.

"It's a hard-working landscape and you can convey that hardship with black and white because you haven't got the distraction of colour. You can tell the story.

"With black and white you can go out every day with an open mind and see your picture."

Mr Smith, whose passion for photography spans 25 years, said he feels he has arrived at his own style after being influenced by the mood and emotion of Don McCullin, and the technical expertise of Ansel Adams.

"One day something clicks and your own style comes to you," he said.

"You are able to see and print the things you feel and become your own artist."

Mr Smith, 43, who works mostly with a tripod, uses a variety of cameras, from 35mm Nikons to medium format cameras such as Bronica and Hasselblad.

The East Gill Force picture, shot with a shutter speed of six seconds, was used in a marketing campaign by film-making company Fuji.

Museum curator Janet Tierney said she hoped the display would inspire others to take up traditional photography techniques.

She added: "It's beautiful photography, very atmospheric.

"He's really trying to catch the spirit of the area rather than just doing straight-forward record shots, and I love the fact he's using traditional silver prints because you get a totally different feel than you do from digital.

"It's less easy to tell with modern digital but in general the depth of the blacks are more intense; they are real blacks and real whites and the shading is much more subtle.

"I think it will be good if people who are interested in photography look at it because it will really underline how good traditional black and white printing is, and hopefully it will encourage people to start to take it up again."

The exhibition, which is free, opens on Wednesday, March 3, and runs until April.