Finding arts and seeking shade, what I found within the woodlands by the side of Moorgreen Reservoir.

There are certain places that no matter how many times you re-visit them "always seem to hold various new compositions that are awaiting to be captured." And one of those locations happens to be a stretch of Moorgreen Woodlands and the section of the woodlands that is situated on the banks of the aptly named - Moorgreen Reservoir. For the last time I had visited it was of course at the end of May 2026, the Bluebells had all but gone, however there was a sea of Wild Garlic growing, but fast forward a couple of months to July 2026, and a return to these delightful woodlands was on the cards, yes a lack of rain and continual heat has of course meant that things had changed since last time, but walking along the delightful pathway, amongst the shade of the woodlands, well what I came across was an art gallery of layers and elements that woodlands offer and somehow manage to sooth the mind, and below are the photos that I managed to capture. 

"The Pathway of Shade and Summer Solitude."

"Into the Oasis of Green and Layers of Summer Lush."

"The Petrified Forest within The Summer Woodlands." - (And the back story behind this photo or what these strange petrified looking plants are, well they are Rhododendrons, that back in Late Spring were looking beautiful and colourful. Of course fast forward to July, and after a number of Heatwaves they had ended up looking like this, and there was just something slightly spooky perhaps about seeing these Rhododendrons in this state.)

"Light, Shade, Woodland it Glows."

"Serene is the Woodland Scene."

"Green fades to Orange Fire Like Glow."

"The Sculpture of Summer Woodland."

"A Square of Natures Arts and Layers. For is that Autumnal Elements I do See?"

When the conditions force you to capture the landscape in a different kind of way. Seeing the landscape in the "Ansel Adams" way.

As a season goes, Summer can be glorious, with perfect conditions for photography, but at the same time Summer is one of those seasons that can be "marmite like and bland." And when you take into account and add a heatwave into the mixture of things, along with some clear blue skies and golden fields full of barley/wheat, plus of course parched grass and a parched landscape, well that can also wreak havoc and make things that little bit more challenging for photography. So what is the solution? Well it is rather simple and it is to simply,

"Travel back in time and to take a leaf out of the world of Ansel Adams and his photography. Capture the landscape in Black and White, see the beauty of the landscape in a more unique way."

And that is exactly what I did do on the afternoon of Sunday the 19th of July 2026, when I was looking across the countryside that surrounds Moorgreen, Beauvale/Beauvale Priory and of course the fields of Greasley, and what I came across was just magical, and below are the photos that I managed to capture. 

"The Lone Tree and the Field waiting for Harvest." - (A little side note is that the black element within the field is more than likely soil? Which can be used to create a firebreak if a wildfire did occur.)

"Across the rolling fields, under a clear sky."

"An Ansel of a Beauvale View."

"As the lane passes by the Summer Landscapes."

"Out there in the Fields."

"Auger Time."

"The Combine and The Tractor. And Mr Auger."

"The Waiting Game at the side of The Field."

The art of Sandstone. Taking an unusual look at the abstract beauty of the built environment at Greasley Church.

A Warm Saturday afternoon on July the 18th 2026, and after a delightful lunch at Beauvale Priory Tearooms, I had a little bit of time on my hands, and where to go? Well in my mind I had the following thought going around in my mind which was, 

"Well it has to be Greasley Church. For I have not visited there since the Spring, since the beautiful Cherry Blossoms were in bloom."

Of course since the Spring has been and gone, Summer has arrived and that has bought with it a change in the landscape, especially with the recent lack of rain and of course continual heat which has made the landscape look a little too parched, a sad sight to see. But Greasley Church though always seems to have something photogenic to capture throughout the seasons, and throughout the seasons the architecture of the church and the way it blends into the surrounding landscape is also magical to capture. 

But hold on? Architecture, well that is another element of art, and this time around, just a short walk around Greasley Church, and I came across various artworks, which are perhaps "a little bit more on the abstract side." When I was looking at what I could find, textures, layers, shapes and things that caught my eyes within the sandstone elements of the construction of this glorious church, and yes you do not have to be religious to appreciate the beauty of churches, for they are works of art within their own rights, as are all religious buildings, but it is the Architecture which is the art, and below are the photos that I had managed to capture. 

"Sand and Concrete, Colour and Grey."

"Scream and Cobwebs. Munch about Observation."

"Layers and Splits."

"Cave City, within The Sandstone Walls."

"The Wall of Texture, Colour and Layer Beauty."

"Iron Red Systems."

"Layers Exposed."

"Like a Beach, the Sands of Time."

"Little Martian Seas of Red."

"Is there any life here on Mars."

Artistic and Magical Moments at the end of a Summer Day. For I had moments to capture something truly Spectacular.

Observing - for that is the key thing about photography, the observation of how things can change within mere moments, and of course being prepared for that. And it was just a little after 21:30pm on Saturday the 11th of July 2026, that I had been observing some rather, "chalk like clouds." Ones that had a certain style to them, that I had a gut feeling would light up. Moments passed by, and then what did I notice? Well I had noticed that the colours were changing, elements of pink, purple and of course orange, and that signalled to me at least,

"That there was going to mere moments in which to capture the sky, to witness the artistic and magical moments at the end of a summer day, during of course the third heatwave of 2026!"

And I managed to get the metaphorical flying tripod with a camera attached to it, into the sky, and well what did I capture? Well something truly spectacular, and that of course was a work of art, that lasted moments, a short amount of moments and below is the results of what I had managed to capture. For nature really does have a way of creating arts, that people seemingly ignore. Yet take the time to observe and beauty can be seen, even if it lasts just mere moments. 

"The Glow, the Orange and Pastel Summer Hue."

"The work of Art above The Rooftops of Suburbia."

"A Panorama of a Summer Sky it Glows."

"Dreamscape Summer Glow."

"A Portrait of Art, the Town under Summer Sky."

"The painting of Summer Sunset, Abstract and Beauty Shine."

"The Summer Canvas of Painted Sunset Fire."

Finding signs of a "False Autumn?!" The magical scenes of Thorseby Park.

"The Dukeries area of Nottinghamshire, is one of those areas of the county that has so much history and a rich and varied landscape, rolling vistas, hills and a gentleness to it." And it was on Saturday the 4th of July 2026, that I had the chance to visit one of those locations within the aptly named area of The Dukeries, that one being Thorseby Park, located right next door to the majestic Thorseby Hall, a majestic hall that was designed by the architect Anthony Salvin - who was the architect behind Harlexton Manor, in the Vale of Belvoir. But as I was walking around Thorseby Park, I was taken away, yes by the beauty and undulation of the landscape, the woodlands that had a delightful dappled light to them that made them a little more spectacular, if slightly serene, but at the same time what did I come across? 

Well that was also the signs of something called a "False Autumn." And amongst the otherwise green and lush woodlands, down below with the otherwise green Ferns, an unusual sight could be seen, and that of course was the ferns looking slightly Autumnal, but perhaps though these ferns and their more Autumnal looking colours, are the signs of an False Autumn that is on the horizon, but I also came across the magical scenes as well, and below are the photos that I captured on Saturday the 4th of July 2026, from Thorseby Park. 

"The Silent Tree Sculptures Grow."

"Eden Green and Woodland Glow."

"The Shine of Woodland Green."

"Summer Autumn, Hybrid Glow."

"A Portrait of Green, Yellow and Amber."

"False Autumn Show."

"On the turn amongst the Green of Summer Glow."

"By the summer banks of The Meden."

When you get told that there is something happening with the sky! Moments later and on the horizon I saw Drama.

It goes without saying "that the end of June was interesting to say the least!" A heatwave, followed of course by the temperatures cooling off slightly and the intense heat and humidity also gently fading away (for now at least. However the second week in July of 2026, and that could change.) But it was on Tuesday the 30th of June 2026, that I heard the following words being spoken to me, which went something along the following lines, 

"Quick, Quick, the skies have gone dark and heavy, for a Thunderstorm or Rain is on the way."

Moments later, I came inside, and got the metaphorical flying tripod with a camera attached to it, and sent it into the air, and what could I see on the horizon, spanning the entire length of The Erewash Valley, well that was a dramatic and heavy skies and in the distance, the rain falling. But I then decided to take just the one photo, overlooking the town of Eastwood, in the direction of Langley Mill/Heanor and beyond with the horizon full of drama and rain, which would some ten minutes later, provide a dramatic rain shower as it moved over into the Nottinghamshire area. But below is the photo of the Drama in the skies that I managed to capture.

"Moody, Heavy and Encroaching."

After a the sky lit up on Friday the 19th of June, a gut feeling then told me.

It was on the evening of Friday the 19th of June 2026, that at 21:26pm, the sky completely lit up, with a delightful deep orange tone to it, that changed over a rather short period of time, before it completely faded away again, but after that, I was thinking to myself, 

"Well judging by that sky, tomorrow on Saturday the 20th of June 2026, that with the cloud cover, with the warmth and with the sun, that surely there was going to be another sunset, another work of art that nature will provide, surely that will happen."

And surely enough on the evening of Saturday the 20th of June 2026, what did I notice? Well for a start I noticed that the sky was beginning to slowly but surely change colour, and immediately I just had to grab hold of the metaphorical flying tripod with a camera attached to it, and send it into the air, and surely enough as mere moments went on, passed by I was witnessing in real time, nature creating a work of art, a painting in the sky, and below are the photos that I had managed to capture.

"The evening Glow of Suburbia and The Valley."

"As the sky lights up over Suburbia and Beyond."

"From Suburbia to Sunset."

"As the rooftops of Suburbia Glow."

"The Painting of the Sky over Suburbia begins."

"A Pastel Horizon, a Town Glows."

"Over the rooftops of Sunset Town."

"Pastel fire over Suburbs and the Town."

"Art of Summer, The pastel Clouds and Sky a Glow."