Dogs to match the season

One of the major loves of my life is walking - on top of the downs, along the sea wall, around a town - wherever. It's nearly always the case that when you don't have your camera on you, there is one amazing view or sunset just in front of you which has to be saved to memory. When I do bother to carry my enormously heavy camera and lens with me, I can walk for hours and see nothing that is worth saving to memory card! But when you get the kind of stunning weather we've been getting this autumn there is little decision to be made - it goes with me everywhere! Two recent early morning walks with friends and their dogs resulted in these gorgeous shots of Jekka and Fudge looking glorious in their shiny red coats in the autumn sunshine... Dog photography... another great idea!

End of summer?

I can't believe a little over a week ago we were basking in glorious sunshine and experiencing one of those hot, dusty, sunshiny days that haven't appeared enough (if at all) this summer. I grabbed the camera, tripod and next door's dog, Fudge, and took off for the day. We started early and were at Benbow Pond, just outside Midhurst, by 8am. I 'd thought that having a dog for company was going to present certain challenges (in terms of my ability, or lack of it, to take photos) but exactly the opposite turned out to be true. However, my ability to get out of bed early certainly restricted the early morning shots I was hoping to get - mist on water and all that - a return visit will be required.

However, I was rewarded by a stunning evening at West Marden, 5 miles north of Chichester, where my cousin was finishing the harvest. I joined him and the team for tea and took the opportunity to take some photos of the last field being combined. A real end of summer feeling. Am now planning to go back and practice my 'interiors photography' in their stunning holiday cottage & B&B - highly recommended and his wife, Carole, was recently rewarded Friendliest Landlady in Britain! How cool is that?

What is this about?

So this is me, Lou Bushell, Photographer. I say that because I’ve never been quite sure of what I wanted to do. But this summer I joined the ever-increasing number of people made redundant in the recession – in my case it was the push I needed to ‘get out there’ and get on with it. After three or four weeks of contemplation, walking, sailing and generally getting much needed head space after nine years working in Richmond (20 years in London in total…. madness) I’ve made a decision of what I'm going to do in my new life!

I’m going to be a proper, grown-up, professional photographer! I’ve been a semi-professional photographer for around 8 years already so this may not sound like a huge step to you. But for me, it means investing in lots of new camera kit, learning a whole heap of technical stuff, networking like mad, and of course taking LOTS of photographs. It means getting up very early to get the atmospheric landscapes. It means going to lots of events held locally to me to record the people and activities that take place. It means sharing my journey via this blog, hopefully connecting with lots of like-minded people along with way and charting my progress, up and downs, good shots and bad shots… follow me to see what happens!