September Photography Adventures – From Water Towers to Cloud Inversions

September was one of those months where my camera barely had time to cool down. I went from photographing giant lumps of bricks and copper, to chasing storm clouds, to lying face down in a woodland photographing mushrooms like some kind of forest goblin. Here’s the story.

Melton Mowbray – The Glamorous Life of Photographing a Water Tower

Yes, you read that right. I drove out to Melton Mowbray to photograph… a water tower. Doesn’t sound very exciting, does it? But give it a moody sky, throw in a long exposure, and suddenly it looks like something out of a fine art gallery. Proof that if you point a camera at something long enough, even a Water Tower can look dramatic.

Chesterton Windmill – Storm Without the Rain

Next up was Chesterton Windmill. The skies were alive with drama — dark, moody, and full of stormy energy. The best part? We never actually got wet. Just the perfect setup: threatening skies, strong atmosphere, but none of the soggy socks that usually come with it. A rare win. The long exposures caught the clouds streaking across the windmill beautifully, turning a blustery day into something timeless.

Mushrooms & Macro – Lying in the Mud for Art

Then came a calmer session in the local woods, swapping wide angles for macro. Mushrooms, moss, and all the little details most people step straight over. The catch? To get the shot, you usually end up lying in damp leaves, covered in mud, with passers-by wondering why you’re photographing fungus like it’s the crown jewels. Still, totally worth it — mushrooms have more character than you’d think.

Snowdonia – Mountains & Waterfalls (No Rain, Honestly!)

Mid-month, I hit Snowdonia and the Ogwen Valley. For once, the Welsh weather played nice. No torrential downpours, just crisp air, dramatic mountains, and waterfalls thundering away like nature’s sound system. Every corner of the valley had a new composition, and I could have stayed there for weeks if my memory cards (and coffee supply) hadn’t run out.

Cannock Chase – Mist, Magic & 5am Alarms

To finish September, I spent two mornings at Cannock Chase. Day one was good, but day two? Pure magic. A cloud inversion rolled in, filling the valleys with mist while the ridges poked through like little islands. The atmosphere was unreal — the sort of thing you dream about as a landscape photographer. Totally worth the brutal 5am alarm and losing all feeling in my toes.

Wrapping Up

So that was September: water towers, windmills, woodland mushrooms, Welsh mountains, and misty magic at Cannock Chase. A month that proves landscape photography is 50% luck, 30% mud, and 20% trying to convince yourself that waking up in the dark is “fun.”

Here’s to October — and hopefully fewer soggy boots.