Impressions of a bluebell wood – 100mm; ISO 100; 1/2 sec; f/32 (click image to view larger size)
As well as heading into the Surrey Downs this spring, I also ventured down to Hampshire in search of decent bluebell locations.
I’d heard that Micheldever Wood was a lovely spot for bluebell photography, with some large areas where bluebells carpeted the woodland floor. A tip from Richard Thomas on Twitter gave me suggestions for the best parts of the wood to visit, as it covers quite a large area.
I went on a couple of scouting visits before the bluebells had peaked to get an idea of what the place was like and how far I’d need to walk. On the second visit, I took a bike to get around easier!
With a picnic stuffed in my panniers alongside the camera gear, I spent a lovely day from the top end of Micheldever Wood in the north, to the far end of Itchen Wood to the south.
I did find some lovely spots and being a beech wood, you get some wonderful contrast with the fresh green leaves of the trees. I even encountered a lone deer, but very timid so I didn’t get too close.
I also tried out some more abstract compositions using intentional camera movement, a technique I started using last year. I was very happy with the image I made above, the light beyond the woods illuminating the green of the beech leaves being a major factor.
One thing I did miss out on though was a dawn shoot. With sunrise around 5:15 and a drive of an hour and a half to get there, followed by a 15 minute bike ride to get to my favourite spot, setting my alarm for 3:30 just did not happen! Maybe next year?
47 Photography by Martin Griffett 