Vesna Armstrong Photography

I had not been in Zagreb in winter since I left for England in 1988. I was always able to choose the time of year for my visits, and it was always spring or late summer, when the weather in Zagreb is nice, but not too hot. However, lately my Mum has been poorly after a stroke, so in mid January I decided I had to make a short, unplanned visit to see her. She is recovering well, and we had a lovely time together. It was bitterly cold with freezing temperatures going down as far as -12 degrees Celsius, but I took it in my stride and managed to enjoy winter in my beloved native town. My Mum lives in Tresnjevka, the biggest area of Zagreb, only a few tram stops from the city centre. She lives in a house she had had built in the 1990s. I wanted to spend all my time with Mum and didn't plan on going out to take photos. I didn't even bother to take my DSLR with me; I only packed my little compact Sony. One afternoon, while my Mum was having a nap, I nipped out and took a few shots o...

Have you ever seen cotton plant at its cotton balls stage? Well, I hadn't until I bought this delightful, seasonal, winter bouquet at the local supermarket. It contained a fascinating long twig with fluffy white balls. I couldn't resist a few quick shots of the twig on its own. I love the way it resembles a withered plant whose seed heads have been buried in fallen snow. Its amazing wintery look, despite, of course, not being a winter plant at all, made me process the image in subtle, cool blue tones creating a cold winter feel. Oh yes, I embrace winter, just like I embrace all the other seasons. Each season is beautiful in its own right, and I never wish away any of them.... not a single day.....

On Sunday, 11 December I went to a beautiful and very special Christmas event that I will always remember - The Red House Museum Christmas event. I have visited this museum several times, but didn't know about this annual event, and when I learnt about it earlier in 2016, I knew I mustn't miss the forthcoming one, particularly because it was going to be the Museum's last Christmas: sadly, on 21 December the Museum closed its doors to the public for good, the reason being lack of funding available to the Council. The Red House is best known as a home to Mary Taylor, a close friend of Charlotte Bronte, one of the three famous Victorian literary sisters. The two women met at the Roe Head School and formed a strong bond which lasted to the end of their days. Mary was an independent woman who refused to conform to the behaviour expected of a 19th century woman. She influenced Charlotte greatly, especially in encouraging her to travel to Brussels where she accompanied ...

It was the first of December, the day Christmas season officially starts for me, and I was in my favourite place in the world - Haworth, Bronte Country. Yes, of course, there is so many places I have not been to, and there always will be, but it is highly unlikely any other place would ever grip me with so much charm, feeling, meaning and intrigue. On this particular occasion I came here to do some Christmas shopping as I love to support the wonderful independent shops on Main Street as much as I can. And, as usual, I couldn't possibly not take a few pics before I left. I feel no need to accompany these photos with text; I'll let the photos speak for themselves; I'll let the magic weave its way wordlessly. ~Merry Christmas and Happy New Year To All My Readers~

Every year in the past few years I tried to create a classic tabletop Christmas still life. This year I thought I'd do something slightly different for a change and simply work on a shot of my kitchen window instead. My kitchen window sill is somewhere I like to express my love for seasons. Here I make regular arrangements consisting of current fruits of nature. Come first of December, Christmas time starts for me, and my window changes from autumn to winter/Christmas. I like traditional, Victorian Christmas, so I choose things the Victorians used in their celebrations. For a floral part there is a living poinsettia which I placed in a brass pot. I love the red of its leaves; red is the essential colour of Christmas and always has to be dominant for me. Next, there is a silver bowl that I filled with natural festive things, some of which smell gorgeous: holy sprigs with their red berries, pine cones, cinnamon sticks, dried oranges (sliced and whole), pomander (orange studded wi...

A while ago I decided to stay in Haworth as often as I can. One or two night getaway to my favourite village makes me happy; to me waking up in Haworth is something life is worth living for. The last time it happened was a month ago - Sunday, 30 October, the day before Halloween. G and I arrived at the village about 11 o'clock, and after a good English breakfast at the recently refurbished "Villette" cafe, we headed for the moor to do a little portrait photo shoot with G being my model! (blog post to follow in not a very distant future, I hope). Back in the village we watched and followed the Halloween Parade, and then it was time to check in to our room at the Old Registry Bed & Breakfast - the Duchess Room. Our room was on the first floor, its window to the left of the skeleton in this image. The scene next door outside the "Sleeping House" Bed & Breakfast. This was the Halloween Parade starting point. Our beautiful and eleg...