Field Notes: August

Early planning of an epic Nordic trip, clashing textile obsessions and the delicate beaded jewellery brand I've fallen in love with

I won’t ramble on too much in this introduction, as I spent the past month writing a work/travel diary which I published a few days ago. It’s behind a paywall as I’d rather not divulge the in’s and out’s of my work completely publicly, but it’s a deep delve into both the good and bad parts of being a freelance writer and photographer if that’s of interest to you.

I’m writing this introduction on the second-to-last day of the month, with a bittersweet feeling. It’s warm and sunny today, but there’s a definite nip in the air and I can’t help feeling sad that summer is pretty much over. Summer is by far my favourite season, and once it is over for another year I feel like I’m on an immediate countdown to next summer. I’m heading to Cornwall and Devon for 12 days towards the end of September, followed by a work trip to Spain — so I’ll be clinging on to summer for a while longer.

My garden certainly still feels like summer. We’re picking courgettes, tomatoes, spinach and kale daily now. Hopefully the beans on our towering nine-foot bean pole will be ready to eat soon. My dahlias are finally in full bloom, although they’re not quite as impressive as last year (and two varieties are not at all what I ordered — I’m not impressed by my rogue red and yellow blooms in a scheme that is supposed to be pink and orange). We have onions, potatoes, cabbages, celery and broccoli all still growing. The fennel is huge, adding both scent and structure to the garden (I planted this between my dahlias and the woodland, to ward off deer). Most of my perennials and potted annuals have gone over now, but I still have geraniums, verbana, Japanese anemones and cosmos in full bloom. I’ve already started planning for next year; noting down successes from this summer, additional plants I’d like to try growing in 2025, and lessons I’ve learned.

Other than travel, I have exciting plans with friends to look forward to this month, including a reunion with a friend who moved abroad who I haven’t seen since the beginning of the pandemic. September sometimes surprises me with hot weather, and has often been one of my favourite months of the year - so finger’s crossed for an interesting month ahead!

Things I’m looking forward to in September: 12 days in Cornwall and Devon, combining a few shoots with time off beside the sea; continuing to pick flowers and produce from my garden in a month that is often the most bountiful; getting in as many wild swims as possible before the temperatures begin to drop; and a couple of other fun shoots that I can’t wait to share.

Field Notes is quite a long read, and may cut off in your emails so is best viewed on the Substack app or website.

TRAVEL NOTES

I’ve been away three times this month - once for pleasure and twice for work. I began the month with a long weekend in Brighton, visiting my best friend who lives there. We spent one day on the beach, one day at Brighton Pride, and the final day at Charleston House. A week later, I booked a last-minute shoot in the Yorkshire Dales, coinciding with both my birthday weekend and lovely sunny weather. And, finally, I spent five days in Perthshire, shooting a walking holiday (where I actually did all the walking and had a wonderful time!)

Again, I’ve wrote about all three of these trips in much more detail in my August Diary newsletter.

SUBSTACK SUGGESTIONS

I’ve only recently discovered

Ali LaBelle

’s Substack, À La Carte, and it’s fast becoming one of my favourites. I’m not a paid subscriber (yet) but I’ve been devouring the content she puts out for free. Ali is an LA-based creative director, who has both great taste and excellent curation skills. À La Carte is more of an online magazine than a newsletter, with regular features including moodboards around themes as varied as seaside escapes and garden parties, shopping round-ups, essays on FAQ, interviews with creative people, and inspiration edits. If you’re looking for a newsletter that always feels varied and inspiring, this would be one of my top recommendations.

MONTHLY EDIT

Every month I’ll share what’s been inspiring and tempting me in the worlds of travel, fashion, beauty, gardens and interiors.

Travel & Accommodation

I turn 40 next year, and after a long deliberation of all the trips I would love to take to mark the occasion, I’ve decided to begin planning the big Nordic holiday I’ve been dreaming of for years. I’ve spent time in Norway, Sweden and Finland in the past, but I’m itching to explore more of all three countries. I’m thinking of planning an epic journey travelling around all three countries by a combination of train and car this time next year. I won’t plan the actual route until much closer to the time, but I’m dreaming of spending a couple of nights at Nusfjord in Lofoten, staying in a cabin by the water on Stockholm’s archipelago, and perhaps returning to my favourite place I’ve ever stayed — Naturbyn’s floating cabin.

Somewhere else I’m hoping to return to next year is the Greek islands, spurred on by

Lucy Williams

’s Big Fat Greek Islands Guide. Lucy has convinced me that Folegandros needs to be added to my list (although I’m determined that Hydra will be the next island I visit). I also shared my own tips on Greek island hopping earlier this summer, if you’re planning your own trip.

Sticking with Greece, I want to stay at Manna, located in the heart of Arcadia, so badly. Their Instagram bio says it all: ‘a hotel / in a forest / on a mountain’. Very me. The interiors are beautifully designed and calming, the surroundings are idyllic (a very different side of Greece that I would love to experience), and their curation of activities you can participate in perfectly fits with my love of a slower pace of travel (mushroom hunting in the forest, canoeing in the river, participating in the honey harvest). There’s also a spa, hammam and a ‘cave pool’ for relaxing post-ski/hike/horseback ride.

I love stumbling upon websites offering up long-form travel content in this world of one-second Reels. My latest discover is The Suitest (excellent name) which offers up ‘intel and inspiration to curate a life well-traveled’. From hotel recommendations to interviews with people in the travel and design industries, and travel-adjacent essays (I really enjoyed reading Natalie Obradovich's Ode To The Beach Chair), you can get lost in their content for hours.

Fashion & beauty

I recently stumbled across By My Hands beautiful jewellery, and have completely fallen in love. Each coloured piece is handmade by the designer, using a combination of glass, stone, pearl and vintage beads. I don’t wear much jewellery other than the three rings I wear every day, but I adore their necklaces — especially these delicate designs.

Oh, how I wish I could knit! I thought I’d stumbled upon my new favourite knitwear brand, but sadly Petite Knit sells knitting patterns rather than finished garments. I’ve noticed more and more small brands popping up with similar offerings, and love how it’s a much more sustainable and waste-free way to build up your wardrobe. Now, could someone teach me to knit so I add these two jumpers to my knitwear shelf?

Home & garden

I love Rachel Bottomley’s colourful paintings of flowers. If money was no object, I would buy one of her originals for my bedroom and another for my living room — but, alas, they are way out of my budget. If, like me, her large scale paintings are too expensive, she also has a collection of A5 tulip paintings for £120 that would look lovely mixed among a few other pieces on your wall.

I bought an Indian kantha from Etsy for my bed last year, and love how it completely transformed my bedroom. As we gear up to decorate our two spare rooms, naturally I’m running before I walk and thinking of the finishing touches before the boring bits that I’ll leave Dave in charge of (namely, damp proofing our exterior wall). We’re going to have a raised single bed in one room (with storage underneath) and a double sofa bed in the larger room (which will mainly be used as our office), but I’m been looking at Aleta Fabrics beautiful quilts as inspiration for the colour palette for each room.

I’ve recently discovered tableware brand, Acquerello Home, who work primarily with an artisan female-led atelier in the heart of Portugal to make their beautiful, colourful ceramics. I’ve particularly fallen in love with these soon-to-be launched hand-painted Italian bowls which are launching soon in a variety of colours.

I’m completely obssessed with everything Cathy Nordstrom at the moment. The Swedish textile designer offers a range of fabrics, wallpapers, cushions and lampshades in colourful prints, designed to be clashed together to create a cosy yet styish aesthetic. The brand’s Instagram account is particularly inspirational, as they often show their fabrics styled in Cathy’s beautiful country home. You can see a few photos of it on the brand’s blog — it’s basically the idyllic Swedish summer house of my dreams.

And just a head’s up that it’s time to order your spring bulbs! I’ve ordered 100 tulips bulbs from Sarah Raven, opting for moodier colours that usual and the flounciest of flowers. I’ve chosen Black Parrot, Apricona, Dreamer, Rasta Parrot, Danique and Beachberry, and am already anticipating a patio full of blooms. Yes, I’m aware that ordering new bulbs every year is a waste of money, but I mostly invest in perennials or grow from seed, so my annual tulip and dahlia orders are my guilty pleasure!

Coming this month …

Newsletters I’m planning for paid subs in the month ahead include a packing list and tips for Scotland in summer (to bookmark for planning next year’s travels) and I’ll also share what I’m packing for a five-day walking holiday in Spain. Following a few questions about my work, I’ve been making notes for an expose writing about what it’s really like to photograph hotels and hideaways, which I’ll be publishing in a couple of weeks.

I’m away for 12 days towards the end of the month, back for just four days and then away for another six, but am planning on scheduling a couple of newsletters for while I’m away. When I’m back, I’m looking forward to sharing a guide to where to stay, eat, visit and swim in Cornwall — and will also be writing about my experience of working remotely down there between shoots.

Thank you for subscribing to Field Notes. It really means the world to me, and I notice every single time someone new subscribes. If you’d like to have a chat or have anything to say about what I’ve talked about in this newsletter, please leave me a comment and let’s start a conversation!

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Emma x