A Walk Through the Misty Bluebell Woods
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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