Autumn Portrait Sessions

People ask me if there is a good or bad time of the year to take photos - the answer I think is NO! There is definitely a good or bad time of day, depending on how much light you need and obviously the weather is a huge factor. But just take a look at some of these lovely shots I took of 2 brothers (and their Jack Russell, Freddy) recently in the autumn leaves - what more could you ask for!

Where's you Wheely Been?

Finally, after 2 years of talking about it, last Saturday I walked the last small section of the South Downs Way that had eluded me - and not for any other reason except lack of planning. Cheesefoot Hill, just on the outskirts of Winchester, to West Meon. 9 miles of glorious South Downs. We woke to a drizzly, misty morning but within 20 minutes of setting off the sun came out, the skies turned blue, and we were treated to one of the last stupendous days of Autumn. It was warm enough to walk in shirt sleeves, stop for a picnic halfway through and take our boots and socks off to air our toes - it doesn't get any better than that.

The path takes you across Wheely Down with views right across the Meon Valley to Old Winchester Hill. Here the path splits into a footpath or bridle/cycle way - we choose the latter and walked on into Warnford, past the Watercress Farm and across the fields to West Meon with it's handsome church nestling next to trees turning red and gold and shimmering in the late afternoon sunshine. If you ever visit West Meon I can thoroughly recommend The Thomas Lord for a top cup of tea - infact a great pub all round and currently short listed for Best Country Pub in Country Life magazine - results to be announced next month!

Autumn Sunsets

Panic has set in big time; the leaves are turning to delicious colours, we are having amazing sunsets (and sunrises when I get up in time to see them), we've got conkers galore and lovely hazy mists. How on earth do you find time to get out and photograph them all when you are trying to set up a business? The answer is to book onto a course to learn how to use your new camera, miles away from home and without a laptop - luckily this coincided with an amazing sunset over the farmhouse I was staying in - all these shots are taken within 10 mins of each other and were pretty spectacular. The following night there was nothing remarkable at all. We get equally stunning views across the South Downs on a regular basis so, note to self, always have camera in car and get up earlier!

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!