A Quick Walk On A Golden Midsummer Evening

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Hi everyone, how have you been?

It’s been a little while since I last sat down to write a blog post, so I hope life’s been treating you well in the meantime.

A few casual shots of the old hometown to share with you. 😁 They were just taken after an eight-hour day at work and a session at the gym. I fancied getting outside while there was still some warmth in the evening, so there I was stretching my legs, and taking my camera for a wander around Worcester. 🚶‍♂️ (mainly riverside).

As the sun began to dip lower, the city took on a completely different feel. The light caught the old brickwork along the riverside, turning buildings that can often look dark and weathered into rich warm shades of gold. It’s funny how places you pass countless times can suddenly hit slightly differently just because the season and the light have changed.

This wasn’t the Worcester of crisp autumn mornings or misty winter evenings like I’ve shared with you before. This was midsummer. Warm air, calm water, and long shadows creeping across the streets. I thought you might like to see where I live in the current season. ☀️

I wandered past the Cathedral, across Worcester Bridge, admired some of the beautiful brickwork along the river, looked towards the spire standing proudly above the rooftops, and paused for a moment to take in the familiar view down towards Foregate Street. None of these landmarks are new to me, but I do like to share with you guys so you can see them in real time. 🕰️

One thing I really enjoy about evenings like this is how peaceful the city becomes. The rush of the day starts to fade, the paths along the river quieten down, and everything seems to slow to a gentler pace.

I hope you enjoy this little collection from a warm summer walk around Worcester. As always, thank you for taking the time to stop by and have a look.

Exploring Worcester Cathedral Through a Wider Lens

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I had to do something with this time off didn’t I? haha, so on my first day off, I was looking at my old camera, and while about to put it back in the drawer I saw my 10-18mm lens and was like……….. ‘I haven’t used that in a few years’. While thinking of something to photograph with it, my mind shouted 🗣️ ‘WORCESTER CATHEDRAL!’… 😂 If you’ve followed me for a while you will know I’ve shared a few posts of this place, but never on a lens that would allow this much image in the frame, excitedly accepting my own challenge to show off the amazing architecture to you guys, in a slightly different way, off I went!

So, that was the challenge I set myself with the little 10–18mm, I knew the shots would be darker, more gloomy and atmospheric, as the aperture on this lens doesn’t open very wide, about 4.5, but I was excited for the darker shots, in a building like this. I’ve shared photos of this cathedral with you before, but this time I wanted to show you the scale of the place properly. Going wide meant I could finally fit those soaring arches, endless columns and that incredible vaulted ceiling into a single frame instead of stitching things together in my head.

The Cathedral has one of those histories that just keeps unfolding the more you read…. The earliest parts date back to 1084!!… and the building took several centuries to reach the shape we see today. I read something the other day that said, the people who started it would never have seen the end building and many, many generations down from that person wouldn’t have seen their end result either… THAT’s how long it took. Make you think, makes standing in there even more mind blowing. You can really feel that timeline when you walk through Norman foundations, medieval additions, Victorian restoration… it’s like stepping through layers of English history in real time.

One of the highlights for me was visiting King John’s tomb, which sits right inside the cathedral. He reigned from 1199 to 1216, and he specifically asked to be buried here. Standing in front of his effigy, surrounded by all that stonework and stained glass, you get this strange mix of photography excitement and “wow, this is actual history right in front of me”.

I’m sharing a bunch of shots from the inside the sweeping nave, the choir stalls, the ribbed vaulting, and a couple of exterior photos too. The wide angle really helped capture the drama of the architecture, especially those tall Gothic lines that just disappear upwards.

Hope you enjoy seeing Worcester Cathedral from a slightly different perspective this time. Let me know which shot is your favourite I love hearing what catches your eye. 😊

Seb

Blog Share #5

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Hi everyone! hope you’re all keeping cool if you’re here in the UK, because this heatwave is hotttttt!!☀️

This photo is just for attention for Blog Share #5, and I went for a black & white, almost HDR‑style edit to make the details pop a bit more. ☺️

The building in the shot is Glenmuick Parish Church in Ballater, a proper Victorian landmark. It was completed in 1874, built from local granite, and designed in that classic Scottish Gothic style with the tall spire and narrow arched windows. The clock tower is one of the most recognisable features in the village, and the church itself was part of the wider growth of Ballater during the Victorian era, especially as the area became closely associated with Balmoral and the Royal Family.

If you joined in with Blog Share #4, you’ll remember the idea: Use the comments on this post to share a link to your blog or your latest post, and tell us a little bit about what you write about and, if you want, a bit about you. It’s a simple way for people to discover new blogs, connect, and maybe get a few more eyes on their work. A bit of WordPress networking, it’s a great way to support each other!

Looking forward to seeing what you’re all creating this week…. I’m just catching up now!

Take care,

your friend, Seb

Keeping It Real: Why My Photography Will Stay AI-Free

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Hi, how are ya? 😊

Photography has always meant one simple thing to me above many other things, it’s always been about showing the world as it truly is.

Since starting my blog, I’ve built it around authentic imagery. Real moments, real light, real places. The kind of scenes that, if you walked past them yourself one day, you could actually see with your own eyes. That honesty is important to me, and it’s something I want to keep at the heart of everything I share.

With AI image generation becoming more common every day, photography is changing quickly and in some instances, being discarded. To be fair, AI is pretty impressive in many ways. I’m not anti-AI by the way, some of the technology is genuinely fascinating and has it’s own way of being “creative”.

But for this blog, I want to keep things simple and transparent.

Every photo you see here will be something I’ve actually photographed. Whether it’s a plant, a landscape, a person, or a macro shot with my new lens, it’s all real. No generated scenes, no artificial landscapes, just the world as it appeared in that moment for me, to share with you. That’s where the magic of photography lives. The waiting, the experimenting with focus or aperture, the excitement when you finally capture something exactly how you saw it. It’s a craft that rewards patience, hard work and learning and I love the whole process. Photography is not something that can be replaced (in my opinion.)

The ONLY area I might ever use AI tools is in a commercial context things like creating simple background elements for product photography. Even then, the product itself will always be my own photograph. Designers have layered graphics and backgrounds into product images for years, so in that sense it’s just a modern extension of the same idea. (As seen on a previous post with a product photography “experimental” shot with water splashes.)

….But in all other aspects, when it comes to ALL other photography I share here the nature, the everyday scenes, the moments I stumble across with a camera in hand that will always stay true to the real world. I want to help keep my passion, photography, in its truest form alive and I want to share those moments with you, authentically.

I hope you get my message,my lovely followers, quite simply what I’m trying to say is “My stuff is staying real” 😊

“Because sometimes the most interesting images are the ones that were simply there all along, waiting to be noticed.”

📷 Have a great Friday!😁

You’ve Done Alright, Kid

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Sometimes we need to be gentle with our ‘inner self’ – I believe it’s good to sit down with yourself once in a while and look back, repair some old wounds, see change, realise the good and reflect. Recently on social media people have been doing a trend of throwing back to a photo from 10 years ago – and funnily enough this image popped up as one of my profile pictures from 2016

2016 Seb was very creative, wide eyed and so willing to turn anything into a photo. But he lacked confidence. I look back now and think, “wow, even with that anxiety, you still photographed weddings! events, and much more”….I’m a fairly quiet person so I know that would have been BIG to throw myself out there like that, although it seems like a distant memory now. I’m proud of my work and my journey, I look back at images like this collage and think, y’know what, when all is said and done, you’ve done alright. Even 2010 Seb would never have thought that 2016 Seb would be churning out work like that, or doing big event work, and 2016 Seb would never fathom he could create some of the work that was yet to come down the line ^ but even with doubts, I never gave up, because deep down I always believed in my true passion for photography, it’s one thing no one can ever take from me.

In the now, 2026 Seb is extremely proud of 2016 Seb and all the other versions of me through the years. Remember guys, be kind to yourself and believe in what you can do, you never know what you’ll achieve. 📸

Worcester Bridge at Night

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….And what a wonderful sight it is! 😊I’ve recently shared a photo of the Cathedral and said to you that I took the shot while “standing on the bridge” – well this is the said bridge. 1930’s heritage lanterns light up this bridge at night and reflect softly on the water of the River Severn . Quite a dreamy looking scene if you ask me, like something out of a book. We really are lucky to have the most simple things around us, even on our doorsteps, I’d much rather be walking this than staring at the Tv or scrolling my phone. 🚶‍♂️ 📸 – lovely stuff! 😊

2026 – What Are Your Plans?

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As the year wraps up, I still think I’ve had a good one, despite the curveball at the end. I’ve travelled, as well documented here and thrown myself well out of the comfort zone. I’ve managed to keep a fairly level head in a very topsy turvy, unpredictable world 🌍 and I’ve been very creative while managing to keep constant on here. Next year I plan on much of the same, I know I’m due to go back to Ireland at least once. I’d like to do a bit more travelling on top of that, if life allows. I’m all about trying my best to keep positive even when world events, news and other external uncontrollable factors try to bring a doom and gloom feeling to every day life. So to continue to keep a good mindset and do good where I can is a definite aim for next year. I’d like to just to continue with the creativity and the apologetically ‘snap happy’, photo taking attitude I have. If Fred taught me anything it’s life can change quickly (although sadly I already knew this) – but I remembered to ‘take the photo’, I’ve always had that mantra anyway, but he reaffirmed it, because one month he was there the next he had gone, so if I hadn’t taken all the photos I have of him now, that would be a bit sad, don’t you think? Photos are full of memories, there will be people who think you take too many, share too many or don’t see the value in them but the fact we have the technology that is able capture and freeze and moment forever is invaluable, just take the photo. 😌🙂

What are your plans for next year? Do you have anything specific you will be focusing on?

Seeing in Black & White – Worcester Railway Bridge and a New Perspective

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There’s something timeless about black & white photography. I’m definitely guilty of not working in it enough. But, recently, I captured a dramatic shot of Worcester Railway Bridge, and it sparked a conversation in my mind. A few people over time have mentioned the name Ansel Adams to me – a name I’d heard before but never really explored. But those comments did end up sending me down a rabbit hole, which in turn has helped slightly shift my approach, in certain situations. 💭

I know now that Adams’ wasn’t just about removing colour; he believed you had more control in black & white so preferred it, he was about creating depth, emotion, and clarity through light and tone. He liked using the entire tonal range from pure black to pure white and everything inbetween. Learning about his work made me think more deeply about the final image not just what’s in front of the lens, but how it will feel when it’s finished. Now, when I shoot in black and white, I’m trying to adopt that mindset:

  • Thinking about tonal balance before pressing the shutter.
  • Paying attention to how shadows and highlights shape the mood.
  • Using contrast to tell a story.

I’m not trying to copy Adams, I’m incorporating those ideas and his genius out of the box way of thinking into my own style and subjects, whether that’s a railway bridge or something completely different, like other scenes he was more famous for. For me, black and white photography has become more than a stylistic choice; it’s a way to strip things back to their essence and focus on form, texture, and emotion.

What do you think? does monochrome make you see things differently? Or do you prefer the vibrancy of colour? I’m all for colour usually, however when used in certain situations black and white can be absolutely stunning and learning about Ansel has defintiely inspired me to use it more often. Drop your thoughts below, which do you prefer? I’d love to hear your perspective! 😄

Seb

 

Witley Court – A Beautiful Ruin

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This is a ruined Italianate mansion in England, not far from me, 20 minute drive or so. It was ravaged by fire and never restored, but the structure remains. You can find photos online of what the interiors looked like before, stunning! Eerily, when I took the photo (although I didn’t realise at the time) the dark clouds above the mansion ruin, looked like smoke! Almost hinting at its own tragic past. 🤯 📸

A Sunday Stroll Around Worcester 🍂 📸

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Hi all, I hope you’ve had a good weekend! 😁 out and about with the camera today as I’ve wanted to grab some images of Worcester’s beautiful old black & White buildings for a while now! Ended up being a long walk capturing some of the amazing architecture around town and some of those typical British looking scenes for you guys🇬🇧 🤘🏻 This is Worcester in photos; The old buildings, the swans, 🦢 the cathedral and a very flooded river! (Look at the signpost in the photo of the swans, it’s very flooded!) – all these things scream Worcester, but I tried to get some new scenes and slightly different angles of things I’ve shared with you before, I hope you enjoy! ☺️