Little Stories Of My Life In Pictures: September

A photo diary of a photographer, nature lover, keen home maker and the Brontë Sisters fan

What a month it has been for me!! I must have gone through every imaginable emotion a human being has ever experienced; and my life is changing drastically and radically. But thankfully, I still found enough time, will and inspiration to do some photography. I owe so much to this wonderful medium which never fails to give me a sense of respite and deliverance.

Beautiful, mellow, early September light filtering through the trees at Otley Chevin Forest Park. This image happens to have more than just a good shot meaning for me. It will always be a reminder of a special bittersweet memory.

Dahlias in the Rose Garden, part of my local park - Gotts Park, at dusk. The low, moody light of the early evening was very appealing to me. The atmosphere I found in this corner of the park was a good start to an interesting evening of bat detection nocturnal walk.

The entrance to Lilac Grove Park, little local park nicknamed "pocket park" owing to its tiny size. I love coming here with my dog or just on my own for a quiet moment of reflection. The charming little park often treats me to a photo opportunity, too. On this particular day I noticed snowberries for the first time this year and liked the colour contrast they created with the red railings.

A photo from the "Elderberry Cordial" event in my local park, Gotts Park organized and run by the Park Ranger. We harvested elderberries from around the park and then made elderberry cordial in the kitchen of the cafe to take home. A great fun and way to spend a September Sunday morning.

Woodland garden at TCV Hollybush. Every time I go volunteer at Hollybush I like to start with a quick walk around the woodland garden. It is amazing how even a couple of days will bring noticeable changes in this lovely natural environment. Loved the light in this remote corner of the site on the day.

This pic was taken in York Gate Garden which has been my favourite haunt this summer for watching nature and recording its changing beauty through photography. I loved how the White Garden with the building in the middle and diffused light of the day created an opportunity for a dark and moody, desaturated image.

Apples are the fruit of September. They also seem to be the most photogenic and most photographed fruit of all (closely followed by pears, I think). I seem to feel the same about apples as other photographers: just give me apples and I'll always be inspired to take another shot. These apples, and the scene with the plate of them lying on the bench, were found at TCV Hollybush where I volunteer and where the apples were grown. I liked how the bold colour of the plate interacts with the colour of the apples.

A bench at the colonnade of Gotts Park Mansion. The bench got to hold a special memory of this summer for me. I liked the interplay of shadows and geometric lines of the building. I took a pic with a black and white image in my mind that looked roughly like this.

A self portrait I took this summer at Top Withens, Brontë Country. I have used this image to mark a momentous decision and the start of a radical change in my life, and have paired in on Facebook with the following quote:  

“ Learn to see chaos and disintegration as part of a healthy ecosystem. As the old breaks down, the compost this creates becomes the fertile edge from which something new can grow. Name what you let go of with great power and resolve!” ~ Glennie Kindred ~

I came upon this heart warming scene in Golden Acre park while on a usual Sunday walk with my  friend. It is a great place to be on the lookout for good seasonal shots, and I could not have asked for a better chance. I loved catching sight of this little boy being engrossed in an autumnal nature play  arranging red acer leaves in a long line. It's the innocence and care free nature of childhood that let us experience the beauty around us without reserve.

One of the most beautiful sights of September are dahlias. They are such an exquisite and intricate flower. I can't marvel enough at this incredible gift of nature. This is one of the photos I took at the stunning exhibition of National Dahlia Society which takes place every September at Golden Acre Park.

Rowan trees with their red and orange berries are one of the main delights of September for me. This photo was taken in my local park, Gotts Park. You can only find them in one spot in the park, but here their clusters and spread create pure magic with different heights, sizes and thicknesses of the tree crowns and berry colour.

Cosmos is a wonderful flower in so many ways! It's such a pretty and prolific plant. What I love the most about it is that it continues to flower profusely right into early autumn when most of other summer flowers have already started to die. Cosmos has this summer-meets-autumn quality about it and it's a great subject to photograph in September. The pic was taken in Armley Park, one of my local parks.

Last month I took some random shots of Top Withens, the possible location for the Wuthering Heights house in Emily Brontë's "Wuthering Heights" novel. It is the place I often visit and draw a lot of inspiration from; and "Wuthering Heights" is my favourite novel of all. I was thinking how I could use the shots in a new, creative way and decided to pair selected ones with the quotes from the novel which spoke to me at the time of editing.

Last month I took some random shots of Top Withens, the possible location for the Wuthering Heights house in Emily Brontë's "Wuthering Heights" novel. It is the place I often visit and draw a lot of inspiration from; and "Wuthering Heights" is my favourite novel of all. I was thinking how I could use the shots in a new, creative way and decided to pair selected ones with the quotes from the novel which spoke to me at the time of editing.