This is one of the first years in a while that I’ve been at home in October, and so I have finally been able to tick a very special place off my bucket list.

Sheffield Park in East Sussex is renowned for its vibrant explosion of colour at this time of year. The garden was planted with the intention of creating an Autumn spectacle. The gardens are cleverly landscaped and designed to showcase a plethora of unique trees. Paths lead you along, past, and over lakes which accentuate the bursts of colour through reflections, which on a calm day render the trees perfectly sharp.

It honestly felt like walking through a wonderland, and a visual feast awaits those who venture to this National Trust garden.

I visited on a Tuesday morning and the site was packed so I would recommend either arriving early or lingering around till just before close time- not only is the light better at these times, but most of the coaches and other visitors will be absent.

With so much extraordinary colour, it’s very easy to get greedy and start snapping photos aimlessly left, right and centre. This is such a normal reaction when we encounter a beautiful scene. I definitely am guilty of doing this. However, you’re likely to take far better quality photos if you slow the process down. Find a bench, or just stand aside a moment and really drink in your surroundings- take the time to really notice and analyse the scene around you. Consider composition and angle before you hit that shutter button. I’m always amazed at the difference in quality between my first few, scrambled shots and my last shots which are always far superior in quality. It takes time to become in tune with a place, so don’t be afraid to wonder around at first, in fact sometimes it’s best to pretend you don’t have a camera with you.

Take the time to absorb all the colours and pin-point what it is you want to express, this will produce high quality, rather than high quantity shots. There’s nothing worse than coming home from a shoot, eagerly uploading masses of photos to your laptop and then realising none of them have quite hit the spot.

Find out more about Sheffield Park here : https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sheffield-park-and-garden