A Walk Through the Misty Bluebell Woods
The bluebell season is drawing to and end but there’s still plenty to see in places if you can get out in the next few days. 1/80s 160mm F2.8 ISO 500.
After coming back from America a week ago my sleep pattern has been shifted and I found myself once again able to have big lie-ins. Great for rest but not so good for getting things done. Day by day however I was adjusting back to my normal routine, and it just so happened that on my first ‘normal’ day I woke up to find the outside world hidden in a thick blanket of fog. It had been completely unexpected given the forecast and the recent weather and I seized upon the opportunity to drive over to the nearby bluebell woods for a last gasp with this seasonal wonder.
Thick fog was not what I expected when I woke up in the morning but when good atmospheric conditions present themselves it’s important to make the most of them. 1/50s 42mm F4.0 ISO 200.
Fog is a woodland photographer’s best friend and simplifies what is normally a chaotic environment. 1/30s 24mm F5.6 ISO 800.
Using a telephoto lens allows you to pick out individual elements in a wider scene. Again it helps to simplify. 1/30s 200mm F2.8 ISO 125.
The peak of the bluebells came more than a week ago, but parts of the woodland were still carpeted in purple and the whole area was transformed by the fog. It’s certainly the best friend of woodland photographers and by this point in the year is rather unusual, at least where I live. Initially I was going to bring a film camera, but I realised this would be a good opportunity to test out my new 70-200mm Z F2.8 lens, especially as these telephoto zooms have become increasingly popular for landscape photography. I also took along my 24-70mm Z F4.0 lens in case I needed anything wider.
Misty mornings make the invisible visible with dew covered cobwebs. 1/80s 34.5mm F4.0 ISO 800.
Getting low makes the bluebells a greater sense of grandeur. 1/80s 82mm F2.8 ISO 640.
Sadly some people are not heading the signs to keep to the paths and have severely damaged parts of the bluebells. Trampling like this can permanently damage the plants and may mean they don’t grow back next year. Inevitably people did this to get a few selfies for Instagram. 1/50s 110mm F2.8 ISO 64.
I’m pretty out of practice when it comes to this kind of photography and truth be told I was less bothered about taking pictures and more interested in just having a lovely walk in the woods. Made all the more lovely by the fact I essentially had the entire place to myself. As busy as it can be at weekends, on weekday morning sit tends to be very quiet.
These bluebells really stood out surrounded by the dead bracken. 1/50s 175mm F2.8 ISO 64.
This muntjac deer turned to pose for the camera before skipping away. 1/200s 200mm F2.8 ISO 640.
This foreground was much darker than the background and worked as a useful framing device. 1/50s 200mm F2.8 ISO 125.
I tried to take a mixture of shots, from the bluebells themselves to misty trees and the dew-covered spiderwebs which become startlingly visible. This was all aided by my polariser filters. However, using them and being inside a dark forest environment I did need to up my ISO higher than I would have liked. I only used my tripod once as I really wanted to stay freewheeling and not get too bogged down in photographing one subject. Though given how muddy the paths were it was also very easy to quite literally get bogged down.
Someone’s makeshift swing which didn’t exactly look sturdy but made for a fun subject. 1/50s 93mm F2.8 ISO 500.
As I was walking up the slopes I came across this pheasant which tried initially to escape through the fence but the wiring was too tight. 1/320s 200mm F2.8 ISO 64.
A much more natural shot taken before it scarpered off. 1/640s 200mm F2.8 ISO 160.
After I finished my walk through the trees the sun was just about burning through the fog and beginning to cast light on the landscape. Walking along the paths through farming fields, I was treated to a great view as the light moved across the rolling hills. A close-up with a peacock butterfly was the cherry on top for a spontaneous morning walk.
The view out across the hills was pleasant but it was surprisingly to see such a large cluster of pylons. 1/125s 200mm F5.6 ISO 64.
The light moved across the hills as the most and fog receded. There was a noticeable increase in temperature. 1/125s 200mm F5.6 ISO 64.
At the end of my walk I was visited by this peacock butterfly sunning itself. 1/200s 200mm F2.8 ISO 125.
Sitting down at my computer afterwards I’ve begun to realise how basic and not particularly interesting my editing process has become, and while it is important not to over-edit, I don’t feel I am really getting the best out of my files. Important when you’ve spent thousands of pounds on kit to take them. I’ll have to sit down and watch a few more YouTube tutorials to work out what I can do better, but for now I hope you enjoy the images in this week’s blog and perhaps you’ll get a chance to go out and see the bluebells near you before their season finally comes to a close.
A panoramic of the rolling hills. Click to enlarge. 1/125s 200mm F5.6 ISO 64.
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