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The truth of these words struck me as I looked at this oak leaf, gradually trading it's verdant green for rusty gold.

The beauty of late summer is with us, I refuse to call it autumn yet, for my mental health's sake. This year the hedgerows, woods and orchards are dripping with harvest.

This blog is my first attempt at a video where I share a few thoughts on how you can get really stunning butterfly pictures here in the Uk. Earlier in the year, I spoke of the need for long lens or long and macro. This was based on the 'flittiness' of these beauties in the height of summer when they have much more energy due to the heat and sun, As summer comes to the end, there is a late hatch, in this case, of Red Admirals Vanessa atalanta.

When you've got used to looking, and allowing your eyes to see, you notice things that others would never see. Walking our dog one morning. After a night of sporadic rain, leaves had fallen, and traffic had passed, leaving a pressure mark, painted with mud. The tyre had left a stone from within it's tread , the shadow of which leaves it's own creativity

If you look long enough, you'll see that it's actually a basket resting on a table - funny how the eye sees things differently sometimes! It's an image that would be brighter but less rustic if you were to set it up using those ultra-bright fruits from a supermarket.

In reality, although the higher the IQ the better the response to greytone, it is colour that we were created to see, and it is colour that can be a huge blessing in many ways. The effects of bright colour on the brain, and thereby the rest of that body of yours, are considerable,

As my photography mentoring gets busier, it feels like the right time to simplify. Last week I started a new weekly series—sharing one of my photographs along with a few thoughtful words of encouragement, laughter or straightforward sass.

As my photography mentoring gets busier, it feels like the right time to simplify. I’m starting a new weekly series—sharing one of my photographs along with a few thoughtful words of encouragement. These aren't simple photography tips as such, but more like life inspiration through photography—a mix of visual with meaningful reflections.

There was I wandering alongside one of the leats in the Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen, an amazing place of grown-over sand-dunes which are used as a huge water purification system to supply Amsterdam, when I saw a toad.

In that fantastic time of year known as summer, we are blessed to see the wonder of the few remaining butterflies. Yes, miserably, in most parts of the world, our pre-occupation with pesticides and monoculture, along with climate change, means there has been a staggering decline in both numbers and species. For those of us lucky enough to still see these beauties, and whom have the desire to try taking pictures of them, here are a few tips.

In this case an early sunny summers' morning, and a shuffle along the beach. Why a shuffle? It's the best way to notice things, especially small things. Crouch down if you can, and you'll see a whole bunch more. Even better, crawl if it's sandy. The whole business of looking until you see is really highlighted when looking at a beach, there are truly so many things that grab your attention, that it's really easy to miss the small stuff.

So, after so much dry weather, it was raining quite heavily this morning, great for farmers, and cow's that are allowed on pasture. Also an ideal time for me to get out and take some images to inspire you with simple photography tips for what to do when you're out for a walk in the rain.

Ferns and their fossil remains have been found on every continent, so wherever you are in the world, possibly barring Antarctica, this blog on photographing ferns may be of relevance. Over the last forty years and more I've been mesmerised by these amazing plants, especially in the spring when they go through the most intricate, and taken many images of the unfurling of the leaves.

So let's take your imagination a bit further. You are out for a walk, you may have a few minutes semi-time to yourself away from the busyness of your life. That phone thing currently stuck to your ear, physically or via Bluetooth, has a much more for fulfilling use as a camera. Look around, anything catch your eye? How about doing something creative? Breathe, relax have some time to yourself, take some pictures of what caught your eye.

Taking a walk in our local nature reserve at this time of year is an amazing visual and aural experience. The ground beneath the mixed woodland trees, is carpeted with swathes of wild flowers. This is my favourite time of year, the early spring flowers like Snowdrops have faded and are disappearing back into the ground whence they came. They've been replaced, dominantly by Primroses and Celandines, which are at their peak now.

Taking you on a photographic walk focusing on leaves

Monet, is reported to have been in the habit of standing and looking, for around forty five minutes, before starting

A walk with the dog. Learning to observe the natural world. Simple tips on how to photograph what you see.

As I sit here on a glorious, just warm enough, Spring day, writing this, wonderfully able to work outside nd top up some Vitamin D.

Free simple photography tips on photographing spring flowers with your phone camera or digital camera.