Hi! my name is Sebastian (You can call me Seb!) …welcome to my Blog. I'm a photographer from Worcester, Worcestershire, England. Thanks for dropping by! I hope you enjoy my work.
….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! 😊
You may remember this photo from a good few years back. Though, today when organising my photos I saw it and thought to myself “let’s clean that one up”. So I removed a few blemishes from the image and just gave it a few tweaks with fresh eyes; one of the beauties of digital photography, you always have the chance to revisit.
There’s nothing fake about the reflection, no Ai or anything, it was just strong camera settings (RAW) good lighting, a very still subject and a detail enhancing edit. Although it does still baffle me that I took this shot with not much experience and a very basic camera, at the time. I remember seeing the cat sat there staring out the window, but she almost seemed like she was deep in thought, who knows maybe she was.💭 🐈 I knew I had to get the shot as soon as I saw the scene. 😁
I did upload this to another photo site years ago and recently noticed it gained a lot of praise there and was even used as the site banner for a while, as a featured image. I’m proud of this shot, even all these years later it really feels emotive. 📸
I’m just plugging away at work, so have been very busy! But still making time to share here. Tonight I’ve dug out this photo…at first I wasn’t going to share it because I thought it looked too “gloomy” – and, well actually, then I remembered that’s WHY I like the photo. I sometimes like a view with some heavy cloud, or some sort of atmosphere and not a typical post card blue sky. I’ve always been drawn to photographing places exactly as they are, whatever the weather happens to be doing. Rain, sun, storm, they all bring something different to a scene and change how it feels to stand there. Even when the weather isn’t “ideal,” it gives the landscape a sense of feeling and sometimes, movement – it really can do a lot of the creative work for you.
So, it’s nice to share the occasional rainy day photo, feels like you’re documenting the place as it lives and breathes, not as a perfect version of it.
This one’s a view of the Somerset Levels on a stormy day, the levels are known for flooding so the damp atmosphere really is apt. ☁️🌧️
I hope this year greets you with peace, good health, and happy moments yet to be lived. Let’s hope it’s a good year for us all!
As I step into 2026, my focus is less on resolutions and more on intention – this being through how I choose to spend my time and energy. I want to keep building better habits around saving, so I can move forward in life, practising gratitude as often as possible (especially when perspective is needed), and gently unlearning negative thinking where I can.
Creatively, I’m excited to keep pushing forward with my photography; shooting more, printing more, and continuing to share the journey here on my blog. I want to spend more time creating in many forms, even beyond photography by doing the things I genuinely love, and fuelling personal goals that feel natural rather than forced.
There’s travel ahead too 🇮🇪 Ireland is calling again at least once this year, and beyond that, I’m open to seeing where life decides to lead me. 🌎
Thank you for being here, for reading, and for following along with such support, I really value each of you who help me to breathe some life into myself through my thought tank, here. 💭 This space really helps me get stuff out, it’s even better when I connect with those of you who resonate with my ramblings. 😅😁 Wishing you a happy, peaceful, and fruitful 2026 however that looks for you.
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?
I just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and to say a huge thank you for all the support you’ve shown me throughout the year and especially for the kindness, messages, and understanding after my last post about Fred. It truly meant more than I can put into words. 😌😄
This Christmas has been a really lovely one. Time spent with family, a peaceful walk through Castle Neroche woods with my sister and nieces, good food, Christmas films, and moments of proper rest, the kind you don’t realise you’ve needed until you finally stop. All the other pets down here have been well and truly spoiled with special gifts (as they should be!), and while Fred isn’t here in the way he used to be, he certainly hasn’t been forgotten for a second.
Mollie, one of the Labradors wasted absolutely no time noticing a certain vacant space around me 😅 the space Fred used to guard so diligently and promptly booked herself in for head rubs and fuss, taking full advantage. I can almost hear Fred sighing! 🐾😆
..I’ve been trying to flip my perspective a little. I know, without any doubt, that I would never have wanted Fred to suffer. And if the only other option was losing him to spare him pain, then that’s what it had to be. Holding onto that thought helps. I just wanted to let you know I’m actually doing ok. 😊
Thank you all again for being so kind, supportive, and patient. I hope your Christmas has been filled with warmth, love, good food, and relaxing moments to breathe. Wishing you all a truly happy Christmas and a gentle, hopeful start to the new year.
❤️🎄🐾
(Apologies, in everything going on I forgot to bring my camera, so you’ll have to endure my phone photos, not my usual standard – but I’ll be getting the camera back out properly when I return home!) 😄
Absolutely devastated to share that Freddie passed yesterday evening. 💔🐶 had a call a few days ago to say he was unwell but it turned out to be a mass tumour and nothing could be done. Seems so unfair as he was only 6 and I was due to be down there tomorrow. That dog and I truly had a bond as you probably saw on here..and I’m going to feel his absence in life heavily, he was there through a lot of things for me over the years and a better friend to me than some of my human ones. Not afraid to say haven’t had a cry like this in a while, will be rough having to deal with no greeting at Mum’s door or little paws following me everywhere while down there for Christmas. Even makes me sad just thinking about not being able to give him his little treats and toys that are already wrapped – It’s always worse when you don’t get one more time or don’t get the chance to say goodbye properly. The only thing that lifts me a bit is to have such a dog, who chose me and that he had my t shirt with him when at the vets apparently. Thought I’d explain why there won’t be the usual Fred posts going forward. More than “just a dog” to me and I’m going to miss him terribly. Absolutely gutted. Sorry I couldn’t give you something more positive guys. Service will resume shortly just need some time to process such a sad loss. Thanks for all your support here and following the little photographic journey I had here with him, he was a great model, but he was so much more than that to me. 🥹 Take care.
I wanted to share a few photos with you from the weekend. It was a great couple of days! As I drove through Worcester on Saturday, the thick fog lifted and a brilliant blue sky appeared! 😄 I was on the way to the outskirts of town, so it felt nice to be in the countryside again. In the first photo you can see the clouds were resting on the Malvern hills, there to remind me how high the hills actually are, what a magnificent view to look out on first thing in the morning.
The reason I was there was because I was spending some time volunteering with a local wildlife trust, helping to plant trees. Volunteering is something I’ve always enjoyed over the years, but seemed to have lost time for it while getting older, doing “life” and having a full time job. In the past I’ve done some work with the RSPCA, St Richard’s Hospice, and other causes – so it felt really good to get back out there again for a new cause. I can find the world a bit heavy sometimes with all the hatred and negative news on all the time so doing something positive is such a good way to clear the head and dispel negative energy from around you.
Our group planted a few hundred trees, adding up to about 1000 in the ground total. I’ve always loved trees and woodlands, so being part of something that helps create more of them felt especially rewarding. Between time spent in nature, photography, and giving a little back, it was a really uplifting weekend; the kind that leaves you feeling lighter and smiling on the way home. 🌳 📷
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! 😄
Hope this week has treated you well? It was late summer when I last did a Blog share post! So here we are again with Blog Share #4! Those who have participated in the past ones know the deal, apologies if I’m repeating myself 🥴 while I re-explain, but just incase any new bloggers or visitors see this…
Use the comment section of this post to share a link to your blog, or a latest post, and explain a little information regarding what your blog is about and if you want to; a bit about you. This allows people to find blogs of interest and also might help you be seen. 🙏😁 WordPress networking if you will.
As I write this I’m in the last quarter of heading to 100,000 hits here on this blog (all time) – currently 85K – I think I’ll get there in the first few months of the new year – which blows my mind! 🤯 But I’d like to share some of that traction with the people who have helped me achieve it!
Thanks as always, and I’m wishing you all a great weekend ahead full of positivity. 😄
(Photos just to get some attention, fun shots I’ve done at work heading into Christmas, imagery for Website and product imagery for online selling)! 😁 🎅
Sebastian Stead - My Photography Blog 