A photo that got me 3rd place in the #ShareMondays2024 Photography Community. A photo entitled "In the footsteps of Monet."

June 2024 might seem a long time ago - but it is a time in which I remember very well, and why might that be? Because in June 2024 I had visited Peak Village, a shopping outlet situated between Matlock, Chatsworth House/The Chatsworth Estate and Bakewell, and it was after lunch that I ended up having a little walk around the beautiful nature reserve that is joined onto Peak Village and backs onto The River Derwent, as I was walking around what did I come across? Well a pond area that had been constructed and within that pond, a delightful Lilly that was in bloom, I had to stop for a moment and capture the following photo which I did, and I decided to call it quite simply, 

"In the footsteps of Monet."

Rather apt I think as it had a Monet like look to it. Either way I then uploaded the photo to Twitter (as it was back then.) and to Instagram using the #ShareMondays2024 tag, and the photo itself came 3rd in that particular weeks #ShareMondays contest, something that I am very proud of. Not only that but of course photographer Dylan Nardini has also published and created a series of #ShareMondays books, which showcase the various works by this fantastic photography community, and I am very pleased to say that this photo has indeed been published in the brand new #ShareMondays2024 book, which showcases the best photos from the #ShareMondays community. 

Of course if you are interested in a copy of the fantastic #ShareMondays2024 book it can be found here: https://amzn.eu/d/0QD8Wvw. And of course I must also say a massive congratulations to all the various photographers who have also been published in the fantastic #ShareMondays2024 book as well. 

"In the footsteps of Monet."

Taking a look at "Autumn of 2024." For Sherwood Forest was a true painting of colour. Yet in 2025, Autumn is slightly?

 "Autumn of 2025, for so far it has been slightly sporadic to say the least. From above there is some changes that can be seen, from down below, again the largely green foliage is providing a unique contrast to some incoming elements of Autumn colour. But it was around October 2024, that I had visited Sherwood Forest, and last year in 2024, well things seemed different, the woodlands and the landscape, well they were a true painting of colour."

Autumn eh? For it is a season of "beauty, delights and of course surprises." It is also a season that as a landscape photographer I just love - much like Spring, and that of course is the colour that the season of Spring and Autumn they bring with them. But as I look at the Autumn of 2025 that has seemingly arrived, what have I come across so far? Well a lot of green scenes, yes there is some Autumn colours, slowly beginning to encroach through, although that is because of well 1/. Global Warming and of course the demise of the planet that we call home, that demise being carried out by humans and 2/. An incredibly warm Spring and Summer, which of course down the lines has affected the way in which Autumn is working. 

Of course though it is also October 2025, and again going back in time, within a metaphorical time machine, it was in October of 2024, the same time of year, that I visited Sherwood Forest, in the North of Nottinghamshire, and just looking back at the photos from there, a difference can clearly be seen, for Sherwood Forest was a true painting of Autumn colour, and yet now in 2025, Autumn is slightly late. Yes sporadic elements can be seen, but compare that to last year, and I have a gut feeling that this Autumn yes, the colours will be spectacular, but slightly later than usual. 

However these photos were taken last year, October 2024. 

"The edge of the Forest, for Autumn is just awaiting to be seen."

"Ferns, Greens and Autumnal Tones."

"Elements and Beauty of Autumn Layers."

"Twisted elements, Silver and Autumn."

"Layers and Elements collide."

"Ferns, Branches and the Autumn Hue."

"A Pot of Autumn Gold."

"Autumn under the ancient Oaks."

"Into the Autumn Painting I see."

"The Autumn Kaleidoscope Before my Eyes."

"Red, Orange and Trees."

"As the green gives way to Autumn ahead."

"The Autumn and Silver."

"The Symphony Of Autumn, Arts And Colours A Glow."

"Laying silver on a bed of Red."

"Oak Elements and the Autumn Floor."

"Gold and Orange, the Arts of Sherwood."

"Rapture of Sherwood Gold."

"Silver dance and Gold."

"Framing the beauty of Colour."

From the archives: Sometimes we just need to look up at the artist called Nature when it paints the sky.

One of the most interesting things about landscape photography is "just how the sky, can make for an interesting subject within any landscape photo." And that in itself is true, a landscape with a glorious sky, a sunrise, a sunset, even just colours within it can make all the difference, but I as a photographer also have a certain thing for the observation of cloudscapes, and when there is a certain colour in the sky, or even glorious clouds being lit up, well I just have to capture them, and in August of 2022, I remember vividly the sky exploding into a symphony of colours, pinks and purple that looked as if they had been painted - maybe they had, but me, well I just had to capture them and in the end this is what I had managed to capture.

"Islands in Pink and Purple Glow."

"Through layers of grey, the painting of the sky."

"Swirls and Magical Cotton Layers a Glow."

"Finding Serenity in the Glow of Colours."

"As the sky becomes a work of Art."

"The Change."

From the archives: When I had turned around the sky was just something else. Arts of a glorious sunset over the cooling towers of Radcliffe-On-Soar Powerstation.

It was October of 2023 and I had been out, but there was one location that I wanted to visit, for I had seen the sky beginning to do something else, something completely and utterly beautiful and that of course was a certain glow in the sky beginning to form - something of a truly stunning Autumnal Sunset was going to take place - but just where to watch it from? Well that would end up being the aptly named "Trent Lock" a location that is situated just outside of the Derbyshire town of Long Eaton, a place in which The Erewash Canal meets up with The River Trent, and the River Soar also meets up with The River Trent. And of course it is also where Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire all meet up, but what other famous landmark can be seen from Trent Lock, just across The RIver Trent? Ah, that is the famous cooling towers of Radcliffe-On-Soar Powerstation, now defunct sadly. But when I had visited in October of 2023, as I had said above, the sky was just beginning to do something beautiful, for nature had started to pain the sky, and I just had to walk along the side of The River Trent to a viewpoint in which I had only moments to spare, I turned around and over a period of a couple of moments, what happened? 

The sky metaphorically just exploded into a painting of colour, ahead a Rainbow and me, well I just had to capture the couple of moments in which the sky just lit up and nature had created its artwork for me to see, and below are the photos that I ended up walking away with.

"Stillness in the water, a sky on fire."

"The Rainbow, A Glow, A Sky like Nothing Else."

"The glow, the towers, the water."

"Reflections on the water, Radcliffe, a strange sense of calm."

From the archives: the Derbyshire village of Ashover and a glorious "golden glow" over the landscape.

Derbyshire as a county is one of contrasts, beauty and delights. For it is a county as well that has a plethora of various landscapes, from limestone dales that form The Derbyshire Dales, through to the more dramatic heather clad moorlands and outcrops of gritstone, otherwise known as The Peak District. But whilst The Derbyshire Dales and The Peak District are also known for being busy with touritsts, Derbyshire itself also has some places that are a little bit more, "off the beaten track."

And it was a few years ago that I was visiting Ashover, a delightful small village located within The Amber Valley, an area located between Chesterfield and Alfreton along with Matlock, and after a delightful walk around the village of Ashover it was then time to head to Ashover Rock, located just above the village of Ashover - a place of delightful views across The Amber Valley and Ashover down below, towards Chesterfield and Sheffield to the north. 

But as I was looking at the view, I was also observing the light and the way the landscape was, for the sun was just beginning to set, and down below I could see the village of Ashover, I could also see a composition, with the gorse bush providing a yellow/golden element, the village down below and a golden like sky in the distance. I just had to capture what I had seen, and below is what I had managed to capture.

"Ashover and The Golden Glow."

From the archives: Autumn from Alma Hill in Nottinghamshire, and quite possibly my favourite photo that I took.

I will never forget the time that I was standing one afternoon on the top of Alma Hill, in Nottinghamshire looking across in the distance to Greasley Church, for it was an October afternoon and there was just a little something about the sky, no idea what it was but the light was also perfect, and with that perfect light and of course a rather Autumnal looking scene in front of me, I just had to capture it, and below is what I was left with. 

"Greasley Surrounded by Autumn."