Monthly Roundup: November 2018

It’s been quite a busy few weeks, some ups and downs here and there but a lot has happened this month. The time has flown like the wind, literally! 2018 is set to close its doors at the end of next month and it’s hard to imagine it felt like yesterday 2018 started, and now it’s almost the end of the year.

Without further ado, I’ll quickly summarise the articles / photo moments published over the course of November.

1.11.2018 – November kicked off with an almighty bang with firework night being just around the corner, and with the thick coats, scarves and gloves coming out for Autumn, Autumn was in full swing as we head towards Winter and towards the end of the year.

2.11.2018 – The Shard is a beautiful building at night, especially from London Bridge Train Station.

3.11.2018 – It was chilly in Chiswick but it was a beautiful sight to behold, especially as the sun set over the landscape!

6.11.2018 – Whilst on the way to Bermondsey, I couldn’t resist capturing Shoreditch High Street at its finest!

13.11.2018 – The landscape around Essex was absolutely exquisite!

26.11.2018 – If you ever go to Shoreditch and it’s busy and full of traffic, get your “A” game on!

27.11.2018 – Imagine the chances of seeing love in a lot of murals! Both murals inspired around PopEye captured that heartwarming feeling!

28.11.2018 – As Christmas is a time to celebrate, Centrale Croydon wishes you all a Happy Christmas just in time for the festive season!

Thank you so much, everyone, for a great month. This month has been busy, fun, and emotional, and as I leave behind my self-employed Brand Ambassador position after a month to look around for a jobs, your continued support means a lot to me, but I’ll be keeping an eye out for jobs and will be applying to jobs as I go along.

Again, thank you so much, everyone, and I shall see you all in December!

Alex Smithson

Monthly Roundup: October 2018

Happy Halloween! October has flown so fast!

Without further ado, I’ll take a quick look back at the articles published over the course of October.

1.10.2018 – I found it hard to believe that we were almost at the end of this year, though time flies when you’re working hard and having fun.

2.10.2018 – The Autumnal Glow of Nature is precious and beautiful!

3.10.2018 – As the flurry of falling leaves continued to fall until the start of Winter, it was no surprise Autumn would come and go quicker than we would imagine.

4.10.2018 – After attending a workshop for my apprenticeship, I was stranded at London’s Charing Cross!

5.10.2018 – There was a blushing rose which proved nature is expressive and would always show her true colours!

6.10.2018 – I witnessed Aztec Marigold at its Finest!

7.10.2018 – As we were set to expect more gloomy days ahead with the weather constantly changing as we head towards the Winter Season, the sense of a gloomy day starts the gloomy days of cloudy weather with chances of heavy rain with colder weather on the way.

8.10.2018 – Nature embraced her purple heart, which is good considering it was nice and sunny.

9.10.2018 – It was a surprise to see nature was blooming late! Still, it was better late than never.

10.10.2018 – It was so good to witness the autumnal sun whilst mother nature made the most of keeping the United Kingdom warm.

As it was World Mental Health Day, I advised you all that you should always be in your friends and family’s corners and support everyone who is suffering from mental health.

The heights of Shoreditch were absolutely beautiful, especially with what would be the last of the warm weather as the Autumn Season goes at full speed into Winter!

11.10.2018 – It was such a beautiful and sunny day in Shoreditch and it felt so good to make the most of the warm weather whilst it lasted!

15.10.2018 – It was a misty start to the week following the weekend’s thunderstorms but it was hard to think it’s nearly Winter and Autumn had only just begun!

20.10.2018 – After almost a year of working full-time, I officially secured another full-time job and the new job is up in Shoreditch, Central London!

26.10.2018 – It felt so good to start my new job as a Self-Employed Sales & Customer Service Brand Ambassador and I couldn’t resist seizing the opportunity to photograph the bright and busy landscape of Shoreditch.

To celebrate a perfect first day in my new job, Mother Nature embraced the world with her Autumnal Raindrops!

27.10.2018 – The Dusty Millers were in full swing with Autumn as Mother Nature blossomed her true colours ahead of the Winter Season as we head towards the end of 2018.

28.10.2018 – Whilst in Shoreditch on my first day in my new job, I couldn’t resist seizing the opportunity to photograph one of the many artistic murals as I walked out of the station.

Thank you so much for such a great month, everyone, and I’ll see you all in November!

Alex Smithson

Monthly Roundup: September 2018

These last few weeks have been so busy it’s unbelievable, but I’m glad that these last few weeks have been busy and productive as I’ve been able to keep pushing for the best result every time.

As always, I will take a quick look back at the articles/photo moments published over the course of September.

1.9.2018 – The time flew much faster this year than I initially anticipated, but as we head into Autumn, the autumn/winter jackets would be coming out as soon as the temperatures start to dip below 10°.

5.9.2018 – Ahead of the Autumnal cold weather, I was lucky to witness Nature’s Glow!

10.9.2018 – I was lucky to witness Nature’s Early Autumnal Blossom, meanwhile, the sky was the limit for London bearing in mind I was on a long journey as it was a wonderful sight to see that London looked so peaceful first thing in the morning, though I couldn’t resist capturing a photograph of The Shard By Dusk whilst I waited for my last train to arrive to get me home.

11.9.2018 –  Mother Nature showed off her Autumnal Grittiness, whilst the whole of the United Kingdom stood in solidarity on the day that changed the entire world forever.

14.9.2018 – London is always beautiful, and the weather was enough proof that London was in high spirits.

16.9.2018 – The next model I picked to photograph for my photography series was my close friend, Thomas Rodrigues. The photo-set was very brief as I aimed to capture some hidden emotions that I felt were and were not obvious at first but would be on the second glance.

17.9.2018 – Following Apple’s “Gather Round” event on Wednesday 12th September, iOS 12, along with watchOS 5, were finally released after a few months of extensive beta testing.

23.9.2018 – Marking the end of the Summer weather, Mother Nature embraced The Last Glow of Summer with her Autumnal Bloomers!

Thank you so much, everyone, for such a great month. It has been a really busy couple of weeks, but I will try to find some time, if I can, to publish some photos/article moments if the time is available.

Again, thank you so much, everyone, and I shall see you all in October!

Alex Smithson

Monthly Roundup: August 2018

August went a lot faster than I initially anticipated, though to be fair, I’ve been quite busy and haven’t published as much which is understandable.

I shall take a quick look back at the articles/reviews/photo moments published over the course of this month.

1.8.2018 – The time sure flew much faster this year, making it impossible to keep up with the element of time nowadays. As the extreme heatwave was expected to last until the end of August, it was safe to say the UK would expect to have some potential thunderstorms in sight, though the sunscreen would still be in use until the Autumnal weather would arrive.

2.8.2018 – Nature released her droplets of goodness in a bid to keep you going and hydrated even during the best and worst of heatwaves.

3.8.2018 – Mother Nature was bleeding crimson because of the extreme heatwave.

10.8.2018 – Forking Hell! It sure was a forking thunderbolt! What a forking liberty!

15.8.2018 – After a successful which saw the infamous blue hedgehog return to Green Hill Zone on the 15th August 2017, Sonic Mania got the physical release treatment with the definitive retail release, Sonic Mania Plus.

16.8.2018 – The Queen of Pop, Madonna, celebrated an iconic landmark as she turned 60, but following the birthday celebrations, the world mourned the passing of the undisputed and legendary Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin.

Aretha Franklin was and always will be a Natural Woman who defined what it means to be the Queen of Soul.

19.8.2018 – I captured nature in the Midst of Summer in style by using the app, A Color Story, to bring out the colour in the photo and to also make the photo pop.

30.8.2018 – Monday 27th August was rippling pink and it was quite the vibrant day indeed.

Thank you so much for a great month, and before I end this monthly roundup to close August on a high note, I feel it’s right that we remember the undisputed and legendary Queen of Soul, Aretha, who deserves all the R.E.S.P.E.C.T and found out what it really meant to feel like a Natural Woman.

Again, thank you so much, everyone, and I shall see you all in September!

Alex Smithson

 

Monthly Roundup: July 2018

July was quite a busy month! With the conclusion of the World Cup, which saw England being dealt the unexpected blow and despite the fact we didn’t win, it still came home regardless of the result and our heroes came home with their heads held high.

It’s been quite an interesting month to say the most, but the hottest to say the least considering the UK baked in the extreme heatwave, with the heavens well and truly opening on Friday 27th July.

I shall take a look back at the photo moments/articles I’ve published altogether over the course of July.

1.7.2018 – Things were set to get a lot busier considering I would be back at work following two weeks of annual leave, with the weather expecting to be hotter with mild rain and potential thunderstorms.

I also marked the occasion by changing Mother Nature’s theme from Karuna to Lovecraft, whilst also publishing a reworked and improved version of the cube so that the logo and website would stay true to nature’s roots that maintain her beautiful and vibrant personality.

2.7.2018 – Almost one year after we lost the late TV legend, Bruce Forsyth, who passed away on the 18th August 2017, I paid tribute by saying Nice to See You, To See You, Spruce!

3.7.2018 – The UK beamed in a hot, humid and surprising shade of scarlet as a result of the extreme heatwave, meanwhile, it was good to Hydrate Your Hydrangeas whilst basking in the hot and humid sunny Summer weather.

6.7.2018 – The Hypericum plant was most definitely hyperactive, though even nature was mystified by the presence of the Mysterious Mossrose!

7.7.2018 – Imagine a World of Lavender putting your mind at ease.

8.7.2018 – Oklahoma turned orange as the Oklahoma plant proved to be the case whilst the UK baked in the extreme heatwave, meanwhile, there was a Happy Hazelnut that blossomed thanks to the hot weather.

9.7.2018 – The weather was absolutely hot and humid. Talk about a Sultry Summer but the hot weather certainly took the biscuit! However, there was a beautiful silhouette of sunshine which filled the air with peace, but Venus was serious about when she said she would blossom.

13.7.2018 – Nature was feeling rosy!

15.7.2018 – Mother Nature was at her Finest! I even witnessed her True Grit!

16.7.2018 – The breeze of Summer finally beckoned!

18.7.2018 – Mother Nature was at the Longan Short of It!

22.7.2018 – I witnessed a Spirea spiralling in Mother Nature’s roots, though it felt so good to have witnessed Mother Nature’s Summer Roots! She did surprise us with her Magical Marigold, so that was a bonus!

23.7.2018 – The UK witnessed the hottest day of 2018, and it was like it was Mediterranean Monday as I defied the weather warnings to photograph Mother Nature at her most spiritual whilst I was on the way home from work.

24.7.2018 – The extreme heatwave of Summer 2018 was suntastic, despite a lot of greenery being scorched due to the intensely sultry weather.

25.7.2018 – It felt so good to soak in the Rays of Summer Sunshine, despite the weather being intensely humid and sultry.

28.7.2018 – The weather for Friday 24th July was absolutely frantic, not to mention being boiling hot! She finally unleashed her voluptuous violet and made it rain for the UK with an almighty bang!

Thank you so much, everyone, for such a fantastic and productive month. Everything has been up in the air lately with work and finding the time to publish frequently, but I’m glad I’ve been able to produce and publish more content more recently and I hope to continue to publish more content soon.

Again, thanks so much, everyone, and I’ll see you all in August!

Alex Smithson

Monthly Roundup: June 2018

This month sure flew like the wind! It’s been such a busy month, but the last two weeks of June have been special and also eye-opening.

The eye-opening and eye-watering moment of the last two weeks was being able to say the final goodbye to my close friend who passed away almost three months ago, but it gives me comfort knowing I will always think of her and will always remember her for the happy memories and the bundles of joy and happiness she brought me and everyone else.

I’ve been feeling so much more positive now and I’ve been able to feel happier more now as that is what my close friend would have wanted, but I made the most of the two weeks by going to a party, which was absolutely wonderful, and especially as it was a night out, it sure was a good time and I made the most of it.

I’ve been quite the busy bee this month, as I’ve been publishing photography work non-stop almost every day, and it feels good to be able to publish a bit more regularly knowing that each photo moment is worth treasuring.

Without further ado, I will take a quick look back at what I published over the course of June.

1.6.2018 – June was set to be a whole lot busier considering I would be doing two early morning shifts, with my annual leave holiday coming up at the end of the month.

It certainly was a joyful start to June, as the weather was wonderful despite the start of the month being hot and humid.

It was rare to find a beautiful begonia plant during the Summer season, as it’s a plant I hardly see around nowadays.

2.6.2018 – There was a dazzling daisy and a generous geranium around, but it was good to see nature in full bloom.

3.6.2018 – A beautiful and sunkissed sunrise lit up the rest of the day, while the fragments of Summer began to shine through, and what topped it all off was the valley of the lilies.

5.6.2018 – Calmer Camellia! They come and go and they give off a calm and relaxing feeling, putting your mind at ease, but holy hollyhock! It was warm.

6.6.2018 – Mother Nature celebrated 5 remarkable years as I started this website on the 6th June 2013, and I remember publishing my first ever amount of photography work during the Summer season, with the photography work being produced on the then Samsung ST200F Camera I used to use.

What marked the occasion on a special note was when I spotted a cheeky Cherokee plant that had blossomed so early just days prior to the 5-Year Anniversary of Mother Nature. Ending the celebration on a high note, Mother Nature put her buttercup in the air to show the world some love, whilst showing the same love back.

7.6.2018 – There was a precious primrose in sight, but because it’s a plant that I’ve not seen much of, I was fascinated as to whether it was a rare plant. The weather, however, was wonderful, but it was good to make the most of the warm weather, especially considering the sun was out.

8.6.2018 – I saw red as the rose was a sight for sore eyes!

10.6.2018 – It was a happy halcyon and serene summer for the daisies I found, but the dainty dandelion stood out in its full glory for the warm and sunny weather. I saw an adorable azalea plant which, to me, was quite rare to see it blossom so early in the morning when there was no one out with everywhere being so quiet and peaceful. There were leaves of green as I was on my way home from work following the last early morning shift I completed ahead of going on annual leave.

12.6.2018 – Mother Nature certainly had a spindled heart, and her spindled heart was worth witnessing!

13.6.2018 – Mother Nature blossomed her Magic Mallow!

15.6.2018 – A luxurious lily blossomed so beautifully!

16.6.2018 – I marked a milestone as I celebrated turning 20 years old, which was surreal and was also perfect timing considering I was officially on annual leave for two weeks.

Whilst on the way home from a friend’s house after a perfect day out, oh boy! Sweet Carolina sure did blossom on such a perfect day!

18.6.2018 – Mother Nature had a case of the Hebe Jebes!

19.6.2018 – Following a visit to Mayfield Lavender Farm, the next model I photographed for my mental health-inspired photography series was my close friend, Hamid Haq.

21.6.2018 – The Summer Solstice officially arrived! The weather was beautiful and breezy!

22.6.2018 – Following my visit to Mayfield Lavender Farm on Sunday 17th June 2018, the next model I picked to photograph for my photography series was my close friend, Akash DeSilva.

27.6.2018 – The ligustrum plant sure was lively!

28.6.2018 – There was a wild, wild rose in sight, meanwhile, there was a bush of lovely lavender!

29.6.2018 – There was a mild milkweed in sight which allowed Mother Nature to blossom her true colours!

Also, coming up to exactly one year to the day the best-selling trilogy was released, the Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy, which featured two additional levels, Stormy Ascent (previously unfinished and unreleased on the original PlayStation) and Future Tense (drawing inspiration from the cut ‘Waterfall Level’ that never made it into the final release of the original Crash Bandicoot from the original Crash PS1 Trilogy), was re-released on all platforms (XBOX One, Nintendo Switch and Steam).

Thank you so much for such a perfect month, and thanks for your support, everyone. Your support got me through after recent events, and I don’t know what I would do without all of you.

Again, thank you so much, everyone, and I shall see you all in July!

Alex Smithson

Monthly Roundup: May 2018

It sure was a productive month, which is surprising considering I’ve been publishing less frequently over the course of this year due to working full-time, but it’s a relief to know we’ve had the wonderful Spring weather, with the Summer weather taking effect.

It won’t be too long before it starts to get even hotter, though despite the thunderstorms following the hot and humid weather, expect this summer to be much hotter than last Summer, with even more thunder and lightning storms.

I will take a quick look back at the articles I’ve published over the course of May.

1.5.2018 – May was set to be a much busier month considering I would be working and completing work-related documents, which meant I wouldn’t be able to use some of the free time to publish articles, apart from the fact I would be able to publish articles here and there when I could find some of the free time.

4.5.2018 – We had the lovely sunny weather and I marked the occasion with inspiration from Star Wars, as I photographed Mother Nature in her most wonderful form on the way to work.

It sure was a wonderful day, as Mother Nature was Blushing Pink in the wonderful, sunny Spring weather.

6.5.2018 – The weather continued to be wonderful as ever as Mother Nature showed off the Gracious Greenery of Spring, which gave me an opportunity to photograph the natural landscapes whilst I was on my way to work and on the way home from work.

8.5.2018 – I made the most of the Bank Holiday with the wonderful weather, as I seized the opportunity to photograph some more plants and flowers whilst I was on the way to see Avengers: Infinity War – Part 1, whilst experimenting with the exposure of the photographs I produced.

17.5.2018 – Mental Health Awareness Week gave me the chance to urge all of you to come together to support everyone and to also be in your friend’s corner.

19.5.2018 – Nature was certainly Tickled Pink with the wonderful, yet breezy and sunny weather.

This day was special considering Prince Harry & Meghan Markle got married at Windsor Castle, meanwhile, Mother Nature was wonderful to let this day be special by going all out with the sunny weather and the beautiful royal purple flowers.

20.5.2018 – Continuing the Royal Wedding Celebration, Mother Nature let Royalty lay her red carpet of flowers to celebrate Meghan & Harry on their royal marriage.

She also made sure everything was a Silky Spring for this occasion considering I discovered a silky-looking plant that looked like a four-leaf clover symbolising luck in disguise.

Nature was bliss, however, as the Royal Weekend ended on a high and positive note, as she beamed vibrant colours, not to mention that she created a blissful atmosphere that was tranquil.

21.5.2018 – Mother Nature blossomed in Peaceful Purple during the remarkable and peaceful Royal Weekend.

The lightning was so electrifying on this gloomy Spring day that it almost knocked my internet out, as it did try to rain, with the sudden bolt of lightning explaining why my internet connection was almost knocked out.

22.5.2018 – Nature blossomed beautifully in her Mellow Yellow form and in all her glory.

24.5.2018 – Mother Nature glistened green, and it was safe to say she was making the most of the sunny weather as she blossomed and beamed with bursts of greenery.

She also managed to burst with Vivid Vibrancy, as there was a breeze in the air to make the mood of Spring feel like home.

Not only that, but she presented a Bokeh of Flowers, which proved to be a sight for sore eyes…literally!

Mother Nature even went as far as to bare her soul by creating a relaxing atmosphere that even settled me, with a hint of the breeze to set the mood to be just right.

25.5.2018 – The weather was on and off when I was on my way to work, but the weather didn’t stop Mother Nature from blossoming her beautiful side as she already blossomed beauty, with an elegance about her that was exquisite and definitive.

26.5.2018 – It was a Tropical Spring, as it was mostly sunny and warm, with a tropical feeling that lingered in the air.

There was a Sultry Summer spell before the big lightning storm that was expected to impact the United Kingdom, which was safe to say for Mother Nature, as she was ready to make us aware that a huge storm was coming!

It was shocking, as the United Kingdom did, in fact, witness a massive thunderstorm with nothing but torrential downpours after a couple of weeks of hot, humid and muggy weather, but it proved Mother Nature was ready to let rip one heck of a powerful, yet tropical storm.

27.5.2018 – Mother Nature was Beautifully Radiant, as a photo I took on Friday 18th May proved why she was so vibrant and beautiful.

28.5.2018 – Despite the ‘Mother of All Thunderstorms’ battering the United Kingdom, it was safe to say that the Sweltering Sunny Spell of hot Summer weather officially arrived.

31.5.2018 – The model I photographed for the photography series: “The Concept of Expression”, on Monday 28th May 2018, was my close friend, Christian Aranda Montilva, as I continue to aim to raise awareness for mental health.

Thank you so much, everyone, for such a fantastic month. It’s been a bit of a bumpy ride over the last few weeks, but I’m a lot stronger now, and I’m feeling more positive now compared to how I’ve been feeling recently, but I’ll be trying to publish a little more here and there over the coming weeks considering I’ll be going on annual leave towards the end of June.

I’ll see you all in June, and again, thanks for such a fantastic month, everyone!

Alex Smithson

Monthly Roundup: April 2018

The time flew really fast this month, though it’s been a quiet and tough couple of weeks for me considering I lost another close friend of mine after the beginning of this month, which is why things have been rather quiet on here lately.

I’m getting a lot stronger now but will be making sure to stay strong for my friend as I know she would want for me to be happy and to be strong for her.

I’ll take a quick look-back at the articles published over April.

1.4.2018 – As the next few weeks were set to be very busy, this meant I wouldn’t publish as much due to work, but that I would try to find the time now and then over the course of April to see if I could publish some articles when the free time becomes available.

On the same day, I officially published a new landing page for the photography series: “The Concept of Expression” as I wanted to make sure the photography series gets its own designated page.

5.4.2018 – After much hype, anticipation, rumours and a social media storm that sparked frenzy about the iconic roast master following the success of Activision’s reboot of the bestselling original Crash Bandicoot trilogy with Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy, Spyro the Dragon finally marked his comeback in Spyro Reignited Trilogy, which, just like the Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy, comes with fully remastered versions of all three of the original Spyro games originally produced by Insomniac Games.

6.4.2018 – Since the start of 2018, the rise in knife crime has worsened, as it was revealed that more than 50 lives were lost, with most of the stabbings taking place in the space of the week commencing Monday 2nd April 2018.

14.4.2018 – It was an emotional rollercoaster, and I was away for a whole week as I paid my respects to a close friend of mine of two years who passed away on the 6th April. I chose to not publish anything for a week as I needed to come to terms with losing my close friend suddenly, but also so that I could process the news better. I paid tribute to my close friend by publishing a tribute that featured a photograph I produced of the moon with inspiration from Bruno Mars‘ ballad, Talking to the Moon.

15.4.2018 – Societies nowadays, especially now, expect you to suppress your real emotions to build an image of emotions that they expect of you. In this case, you put on a face where you look happy to everyone else, and that you are made to look like you can make it alone, but deep down, you feel broken, torn up inside, and you feel the true pain where you have been forced to suppress your real emotions because societies want you to look strong, when in reality, you are strong, but they feel the need to nitpick and make you feel like you’re weak for showing the real emotions you were born with.

21.4.2018 – Whilst on my way to work, I couldn’t resist seizing the opportunity to photograph mother nature in her finest form.

29.4.2018 – A week before, the United Kingdom baked in hot and muggy weather, with temperatures soaring to nearly 30°c.

Thanks for a great month, everyone. I’ll see you all in May.

It has been an emotional time for me mainly, but I’m feeling a lot stronger now and I’m coping better now compared to how I’ve been feeling in recent weeks, but I’ll try and find some time when I can to publish more and to make sure to get the best out of the time available as my friend would want me to go out and make sure to value every single day and to make sure to value the precious time wisely.

Alex Smithson

Monthly Roundup: March 2018

What a month it has been!

I didn’t expect to publish more articles this month considering I’ve been busy mostly with work and getting a lot of stuff completed, but this month has been so good considering I’ve been travelling and going out more, and the fact I’ve been able to make the most of the free time this month by going out photographing for my photography series has made these last few weeks special.

I’ll quickly summarise the articles I published over March before this month closes its doors.

1.3.2018 – March got off to a freezing cold start as the Beast from the East impacted the United Kingdom, with Storm Emma impacting the United Kingdom almost immediately after the first ounce of snowfall.

3.3.2018 – Storm Emma impacted the United Kingdom as the Beast from the East reached its end, but the wintry weather didn’t disappear fast enough, and as such, fell on the day I finished my shift to go on annual leave for a week. “Brrrrrr…It’s a Winter Wonderland!” gave me the opportunity to take a snapshot of the winter weather whilst I waited to get the bus home considering I finished earlier than the original time my shift usually ends as my place of work closed early due to the torrential snowstorm.

8.3.2018 – Following the first photography article I published after the start of 2018, which featured my close friend, Wesley Baker (CDN), I photographed my close friend who I’ve known since secondary school, Samuel Cato.

13.3.2018 – Art and colour are full of beautiful abstracts, but it’s the abstraction of abstract art that makes art unique and interesting. “Beautiful Abstraction.” allowed me to talk in more detail about the vibrancy art brings, as well as the time and effort someone has taken to make that art piece a masterpiece.

17.3.2018 – The United Kingdom woke up to a sudden blanketing of snow and as “Snowfall Saturday” suggests, you can probably tell I didn’t expect to wake up to the snow considering the weather was nice, sunny and warm the day before.

18.3.2018 – On Snowdrop Sunday, the Beast from the East decided to blanket the United Kingdom with more snow and freezing cold temperatures.

19.3.2018 – Manic Monday sure made the start of the week manic and full of chaos considering anyone like myself getting into work would be a challenge because the roads were a little icy, while the pavements were more or less clear of the snowfall. Manic Monday, which was a record by The Bangles, written by the late music legend, Prince Rogers Nelson, was what inspired me to write this article with the same name.

22.3.2018 – Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st March were wonderful days to visit Oxford Street, as the scenery was absolutely beautiful, and considering that it was nice and sunny, I seized the opportunity to photograph the landscape all of yesterday, but one of the stores that grabbed my interest the most was the Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics Store.

The smell of the store as I walked in hit me straight away and it was so welcoming, it smelt like Starburst as I walked into the store, and the fact it spanned three floors full of bath bombs, make-up and even skin care products that smelt so nice meant I was able to produce a really good set of photographs.

They even provided me with a free sample of one of their products after they allowed me to dissolve one of their bath bombs in their sink and as a random act of kindness from one of their members of staff who was intrigued by the photos I showed them yesterday, they gave me a free bath bomb, which made my day so much happier. If you missed the photo-set I produced, click on “The Lush Life of Oxford Street!“

After producing the photo-set of my visit to Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics Store, I photographed my close friend, Mikey Andrews, and considering the photo-set of Oxford Street was my best work to date, the photo-set of Mikey Andrews for the photography series: “The Concept of Expression” was also my best work to date considering I was able to produce both photo-sets with much less noise in the photos, which is a first in quite some time considering a few of the photo-sets I’ve produced have been noisy and somewhat grainy.

My trip to Oxford Street ended on a perfect note as I bumped into the Olympic Diver, Tom Daley, and the Oscar-Winning Actor, Dustin Lance Black. If you missed the photo-set I produced featuring my close friend, Mikey Andrews, click here.

March has ended on a perfect note and it’s safe to say that bumping into Tom Daley and Dustin Lance Black has already become the best highlight of my year.

Thank you so much, everyone, for making March such a special month. I’ll try and publish a little more here and there if I get the time, but I’ll still be making sure to try and work on my photography series.

I’ll see you all in April, and stay safe and wrap up warm if the snow potentially hits where you are.

Alex Smithson

Monthly Roundup: February 2018

Time flew fast! It’s amazing how quick this month flew. Mind you, it was a blisteringly cold start with breezy winds and low temperatures and it’s ironic how we get snow in the last week of February, with much of the snow settled over the United Kingdom.

I’ll take a quick look back at the articles published over the course of February.

1.2.2018 – February started off with a bang with the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games being just around the corner, meanwhile, February was set to be a very busy and exciting month ahead.

2.2.2018 – Justin Timberlake released his first album in five years, Man of the Woods, to the world and with a completely different and unique sound that captured the old-school nostalgia whilst reminding us all of how far he has come since his breakthrough début album, Justified.

19.2.2018 – P!NK‘s record: “What About Us” inspired me to write the article with the same song title as I wanted to cast a light on the world and how the whole world has seen for itself the unrest, violence and hatred that’s been talked about on the news, but that it hurts to see that no one can get on.

28.2.2018 – Despite the travel chaos on the 24th February due to a tree that fell on the line, leaving me and some passengers stranded at Sanderstead Station, I enjoyed my trip up to Oxted & Hurst Green and seized the opportunity to photograph Oxted Station and The Oxted Inn.

Thanks for such a great month, everyone, and I’ll see you all in March!

Alex Smithson