Spring is finally here, and with that brings it's colours and new life.
Venturing to new locations is one of my main objectives this year and this week was a first for me at a place I have been wanting to get to for some time.
Savernake is located about an hour from where I live, Situated in the beautiful Wiltshire countryside, it is famous for being home to some of the most beautiful ancient oak trees in the UK, with names such as 'Big Belly Oak', 'Cathedral Oak', and the brilliantly named 'The King of Limbs'.
Savernake is also unique in that you can drive right through the heart of the woodland, and park pretty close to where these trees are situated.
I am heading back here again soon to photograph some more of the trees, but today, I had my eye on one Oak, 'The King Of Limbs'
The King Of Limbs.
Nikon D750
Nikon 24-85mm
31mm
ISO-100
1/30 sec
f/10
No filter, post production using Photoshop.
As well as heading to Savernake, I also wanted to check out the windmill at Wilton.
I always feel windmills make beautiful subjects, especially when surrounded by rolling hills and farmers fields.
Wilton Windmill is not a location which offers open access. You can get underneath the windmill but to get any shot from distance, you have to head to the other side of the field and go for a walk along the bottom of a farmers track.
It still works, but I did feel a little restricted in my composition due to this, but with the right to roam being very contentious right now, and with distant gunshots rattling around the local area, it did not feel right to cross the line.
Nikon D750
Nikon 24-85
56mm
ISO-100
1/160 sec
f/10
KASE Wolverine Grad ND filter.
Post processed in Photoshop, with Adobe Inferred edit.
All in all, Thursday was a pretty decent day.
Wiltshire is a beautiful county, and one which I will be heading back to in a few weeks.
One things that I was looking out for while I was here was a lone tree in a field or rapeseed. I always feel that kind of image is iconic, and sums up the landscape of the UK perfectly at this time of year.
Whilst finding many beautiful rapeseed fields, I was a little gutted to come home without that image, but, with a little bit of luck, a friend of mine on Instagram posted a story which was shot in the New Forest, and just 5 miles from where I live.
I had completely forgot about this beautiful oak, situated just outside of the village of Beaulieu.
Alone in a Field.
Nikon D750
Nikon 24-85mm
29mm
ISO-100
1/160 sec
f/10
KASE Wolverine Grad ND filter.
Post processed in Adobe Photoshop.
It has been a good week, a very good week, 3 images that I am very happy with and a location that I know will offer so much potential going forward.
So, coming up in next few weeks.
My mission to give 35mm film photography continues.
I am actually finding it really enjoyable.
I have previously run a roll of Ilford IP4 through my Olympus Trip 35, almost burnt through a roll of Fuji 200 and I am waiting to load some FOMAPAN Classic 100 in to it, I honestly love this style of photography, I love the natural feeling of it and it brings back so many memories, and the Olympus is a joy to use.
I will post the results on here over the coming weeks and this will, hopefully be a new page on my website.
I'll be on the hunt for Bluebells in the New Forest this week, I have a couple of locations in mind for these, so keep an eye out for these images on my socials.
In other news, I have decided to remove my wildlife gallery from the website.
After a lot of thinking, I decided to step away from this, and as much as I love this genera, it was never my preferred option, and I think it shows.
If the opportunity arises, I will of course try to capture something, and I normally have my 80-400mm, but I just want to have the Sean Penn moment in Walter Mitty.
Last but not least, me and my wife are looking in to a road trip to the Isle of Skye in September.
This, like many other landscape photographers, is a dream location, so without doubt I am excited.
So, there