Vesna Armstrong Photography

This time of year is abundant in lovely vegetables, so I thought veg would be a great theme for a seasonal still life image right now. I wish I lived near a market or a farm from where I could buy fresh homegrown produce (and be sure it IS homegrown), but unfortunately I don't and am having to rely on supermarkets for all my food. The first vegetable I chose for my still life was celeriac and I chose it for its rough, rooty texture as I wanted my image to have a rustic feel to it; secondly, I went for an artichoke for its lovely petals-like look and purple colour around the stem; I wanted a fennel bulb for its whiteness that was going to give a tonal contrast to the set up; asparagus spears looked good in a jug adding a balance to the composition, and some cut up spring greens served to add some depth . To top it all off I scattered a few radishes around purely for a splash of red which I always seem to crave in photographs. And to emphasize a sense of country lifestyle and rustic ...

June is the month of the Brontë Society Annual General Meeting around which other events are organized. I'm not the one to attend the AGM, but I'm always interested in walks and coach trips to the places with Brontë connections that take place each year. Last Sunday a group of about twenty Brontë fans including myself, guided by a very nice Brontë Parsonage volunteer, went for a nine mile walk on the moors that the Brontë sisters loved and drew inspiration from for their literary masterpieces. The circular walk took five and a half hours to complete. We set off from outside Brontë Parsonage in Haworth towards the village of Stanbury and from there headed to Ponden Hall followed by Ponden Kirk, Alcomden Stones, Top Withens and Brontë Falls. This is the path at the start of our walk just outside Haworth with beautiful sweeping views over Worth Valley. Stanbury moor with delightful cotton grass bobbing in the gentle breeze This photo, and the next three, are of ...

I was so overjoyed when my bestie from Haworth asked me if I would go for a walk to the Brontë Falls with her. "Always and anytime" was my answer. She couldn't have come up with a better idea for us to spend a Sunday afternoon together. We had a light lunch in the Cobbles and Clay cafe before heading towards Haworth Moor and the beautiful Brontë landmark the bridge and the falls are. The weather was perfect for walking - overcast and warm; even the usual moorland breeze, which can be quite strong, was absent on this occasion. When I am in company I don't stop as often to take pics as when I am on my own, nor do I spend as much time composing shots, taking different angles etc; I am quite happy to just take a quick snap here and there, so here are some such pics from the day. Path through Penistone Hill View from the path on Haworth Moor; loved the white spring blossom trees dotted around the landscape I always stop in front of this missing gate opening...

" It is as nearly perfect a little place as I ever lived in, and such nice old-fashioned people in the village" ~ Beatrix Potter We don't go abroad for our holidays. We always go to the Lake District as we love it so much we don't feel a need to go anywhere else. And every time I am in the Lake District I always think of the acclaimed artists from the past who lived and work there and who inspire me in many ways, like the Wordsworths and Beatrix Potter. A visit to Beatrix's charming cottage is always a must, and last year I happened to be there on a glorious May afternoon. I was thrilled to find that photography was now allowed inside the house, and that subsequently I am able to create my first blog post on the house around the photos I had taken. Beatrix, a remarkable Victorian woman, who was not only the famous children's stories writer and illustrator, but also a landowner and a business woman, bought the house with the proceeds of the sales of her f...

Last Sunday G, I and a friend of ours went for our first walk around Bingley St Ives. It is somewhere I wanted to go to for a long time, so I was glad the time finally came about. I decided it was going to be just a gentle, carefree stroll without a map for a change and without any plans as to my photography. The main purpose was to relax and simply enjoy nature and lovely weather. Here is a dozen of unpretentious shots of the day the highlights of which were extensive views over valleys and villages, fields of delightful yellow buttercups, purple carpets of lovely bluebells in woodland areas and spotting deer towards the end of our walk. My buddies with a wood carving of a druid Druids' Altar Rock Bingley and River Aire We thoroughly enjoyed this walk and will be back soon. There is a lot more to St Ives than you can see in one day. I think next time we will follow a map route to make sure we see new things, especially the two ponds. Her...