Vesna Armstrong Photography

  I am so lucky and grateful to live not far from the town of Otley and the wonderful forest park high up above it called Chevin. It is easily the most beautiful woodland area I have been to; full of character, history, lots of most breathtaking distant views and interesting features such as The White House, Dibbs Cottages, dry stone wall maze, Vacca Wall, to mention just a few. It is a perfect place for a refreshing stroll, reflection and a spot of connection with nature.  It was very cold on this early May morning, but the light was beautiful and the air crisp and scented with spring growth. Etsy Shop 

  One of my favourite subjects to photograph are cottages, farmhouses, old homes of any kind etc. There are some in the vicinity of where I live that always inspire me and make me hope for yet another good shot, like The White House perched high up on the hill in the middle of the beautiful Otley Chevin Forest Park.  Etsy Shop

  Sunday walks with my dear friend Liz have become something we both cherish very much. We started doing these walks in the lockdown and are determined to keep them up regularly. They are now something I look forward to all week. It is a quality time spent together: our time to catch up on the week just gone; our time to connect with nature and enjoy the countryside, and for me also a chance to take photos. Liz is very patient and supportive about my photography, but for me these walks are about our interaction in the first place, so I make sure I only take a few quick shots mainly not straying from the route we chose. One of our favourite walking places is Otley Chevin Forest Park with its beautiful hilly woodland and interesting character. Yesterday it was a beautiful day to ramble around Chevin; rather cold, but sunny. I love walking at this time of year as temperatures are usually perfect for walking for me and the scenery and views not yet obstructed by the thick foliage of su...

"Bright yellow,   red, and orange, The leaves come down in hosts; The trees are Indian princes, But soon they'll turn to ghosts:" ~William Allingham: "Robin Readbreast~ Etsy Shop                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         ...

On Monday, the 6th day of Christmas, I went to Otley, a small market town on the way to Skipton, which I love visiting now and again. This time of year may arguably not be the best time to come to Otley seeing as many of its unusual independent shops and cafes were closed, but for me there is always enough interest there to keep me occupied. The main reason I went on this occasion was to capture some of the pre-New Year festive atmosphere at dusk as street and festive lights started coming on while the sky was still a beautiful deep blue colour. I lingered around Market Square and Otley Church taking pics from about 3:30 till it got completely dark. Jubilee Clock Tower built in 1887 to mark the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria's reign. The attractive stone clock tower stands on the site of the original Market Cross - between Market Square and Kirkgate, the busy Otley thoroughfare. I waited rather painstakingly for a break in the traffic to take this photo.  View towards Bo...

The Cheerful Chilli is just the sort of place I've always wanted to come across. Even its name states something I love - there is always chillies in my fridge, and they never last very long! But there is so much more to this gorgeous, definitely cheerful place than its name suggests. It is a most charming, converted stone farmhouse; it sits high up above Otley, one of my favourite towns, adjacent to the beautiful Chevin Forest Park; it serves very tasty and healthy, vegetarian food in a relaxing, rustic setting; and it embraces seasons through its lovely garden and country surroundings. I have been here twice recently - first, at the beginning of July, on a beautiful sunny day. I was in the lovely company of my niece and her partner, so I was not taking many photos. We just enjoyed the wonderful place and a delicious lunch. Then I went back the other day with the sole purpose of getting some more pics. On this occasion it was rather windy and overcast, but the lighting condition...

Christmas time is always the busiest time in my life. There is a lot to do at work (retail) and of course at home. And then there is all the Christmas shopping too. I suppose it is the same for a lot of people out there.Time for photography is scarce and I must admit that spoils it for me a bit. My plan for next year is to keep my mind open to Christmas shopping all year round so hopefully by December I will have bought all the presents and instead of walking around with bagfuls of shopping I will be strolling with the camera in my hand taking pics rather than frantically looking for those elusive presents. This year, however, I have had to satisfy myself with just a little project I set myself, and that is to capture Christmas spirit on the go through quick snaps with my android phone. So here they are in the order I shot them. This has to be the most beautiful Christmas shop window I have ever seen. It is of my favourite Haworth shop, Rose & Co. Apothecary, known as the pl...