woodland
Autumn past
With autumn now past I thought I would share a few images I took over that period, in particular, during a walk around a nature reserve near Canterbury in Kent. The conditions were (as any photographer could wish for when shooting autumn colour in the woods) still, overcast and ever so slightly misty. Aside from the vegetation remaining perfectly still the soft light muted the colours and give it more of an autumn feel. The first subjects I came across were these fly agarics. Autumn came incredibly late this year and ordinarily these would have been showing at least a month earlier. As it turned out, it worked in my favour as the woodland colours were at their peak the same time as the mushrooms themselves! I have dozens of images in my library of this species but the two together were irresistible. I like to work in a methodical fashion when shooting plants, especially when encountering a new species as I then feel I have covered all the bases. I’ll start with one of two straight record shots then, possibly, a wide-angle and finally I’ll look for something unusual. An angle that had, perhaps, initially elluded me. Anyone that shoots these subjects will appreciate how time consuming it can be, especially the “gardening.” Taking out bright leaves and the like that detract from the subject.
Fly agaric mushrooms
Even though my tripod goes to ground level, it still wasn’t low enough to create the vantage point I wanted. Ordinarily I would have used a beanbag but Ididn’t have one with me on this occasion so I used what I had. Gloves, hat, filter case and a lens cap!
Nikon D300, 12-24mm @ 14mm, iso 200, 1/8 sec f16, tripod, mirror lock-up, angle-finder.
A little further on I came across this attractive little area of birch and bracken and spent the next while shooting a panoramic which consisted of 5 upright images stitched using PTgui software. One of the biggest problems encountered when doing this work is parallex error and unless you have a head which corrects this you will be restricted to the closest you can be be to the nearest point of focua. The one I use is made by Nodal Ninja. Beautifully engineered, lightweight and compact, it makes the whole process that much more enjoyable.
I ventured deeper into the woodland, off the beaten track, and there were pictures all around. The colours were breathtaking. The task was not as simple as I first thought, to make sense out of nature’s chaos!
Nikon D300, 70-200 @ 98mm, iso 200, 1/6 sec f8, tripod, mirror lock-up.
The sun threatened to burn through the mist but it never did. Sometimes, it would clear marginally, but mostly it remained so.
Another panoramic. Sometimes, there is no other format that will do the scene justice. In order to gain the perspective I was after (telephoto “stacking” effect) shooting with a wide-angle then trimming the top and bottom wouldn’t have achieved this so, several upright images stitched was the only answer. Quite a simple composition yet, typically me, I still managed to make a mountain out of a mole hill and spend close to an hour taking it. It’s a good job I work alone!
Parasol mushroom
The two below were taken in woodland in a nearby village. A break from the computer was in order and fortunately I live near such places. As the previous image, the panoramic format lent itself to the two scenes, especially the last one when mist becomes more pronounced the more you shoot through.
Beech tree in coppiced woodland.
With the marshes being but a short distance away, they are never far from my mind. Such a dry autumn resulted in dry marshes and the result is there were few birds within photographable range. That doesn’t stop me from going over there however and on a morning such as this, who can blame me!
Misty Moodiness
There is, in my opinion, no better place to blow the cobwebs away and relieve you of the daily stresses and strains, than a walk in the woods. Couple this with completely still, misty, ”golden” conditions and you have the perfect tonic. As a professional photographer, I am always on the look-out for exciting (commercial) images and occasionally lose touch with why I love nature photography so much. Those four hours I spent, a few days ago, wandering and losing myself in the intoxicating solitude, reminded me so and was one of the most rewarding forays I have ever had. Oh, and as I retraced my steps along that woodland path, a fox walked across it, right infront of me!
Flowers past
Just thought I’d post a few images taken only 2 1/2 weeks ago, though for anyone who has, over the last few days, stepped into a woodland, you’d think they were done a month ago! It doesn’t feel like spring anymore. I just spent the afternoon in an almost impenetrable woodland where, 3 weeks ago, bluebells flourished and now, wild grasses a foot or more high are rapidly taking over. Puddles are still evident in the shaded parts after the rainfall 3 days ago and the wonderful lime-green vibrancy of a woodland in April and May is turning a deep, depressing green. The claustrophobia of a broadleaved woodland in summer is nearly here. It’ll be the marshes for me over the next few months!
Ferns and bluebells in beechwood at sunrise
Common dog violet
Success at last!
Following on from the last post, I finally managed to get to my winter bird feeding station in Wormshill. This was after taking a trip to Surrey on Saturday afternoon to invest in some all-terrain tyres. Due to the nature of what I do, I regularly drive in the countryside and the others were wearing a bit thin anyway and were due to be replaced. More snow was forecast and after reading numerous ‘tyre’ reports I decided upon some General Grabber AT2′s. Widely regarded as the best AT tyre around and having now used them in very adverse conditions on the Downs and marshes I can see why.
Robin
I therefore felt confident enough to get to the birds but of course you still have to be careful, especially on the icy-slush and made my way gingerly to the woods. I really wanted some typical snowy shots of birds, especially robins and in my experience these, along with others like dunnocks and chaffinches prefer to feed on the ground rather than on the suspended feeders. I sprinkled food on the ground, set up a low perch and retreated to my hide. Immediately they started to use it including one species which I have never before photographed, the dunnock. The dunnock or hedge sparrow looks like a dull sleek sparrow and always looks to be nervous and agitated, constantly flicking it’s tail and wings. It went through a serious population decline in the 1980s and indications are that it is now recovering.
Dunnock
Great tit in flight. I wanted to try something a little different so took numerous shot as it flew from its perch to the feeder. In order to stop most of the movement I selected a shutter speed of 1/2000th second, iso 2200. Anticipation was the key.
Just prior to the heavy snowfall when we had more of a dusting, I headed to to the marshes and captured this frozen landscape set against a very dramatic sky.
Frozen marshes.
I also came across this pair of red-legged partridges and using the car as a mobile hide, managed to get close enough to secure a handful of images.
Red-legged partridges
Catkins
I didn’t expect much during a late afternoon stroll through local woodland. I had left it quite late but just needed to get away from the computer and stretch my legs. I came across a low, drooping hazel branch full of catkins and looked at possible images. They seem to appear earlier and earlier as each year passes. In the past I had photographed them against a blue sky and shedding their pollen using flash and with the sun rapidly setting I looked at a possible silhouette. I reached for the 105mm micro and hand-held, moved around the catkins until I was satisfied with the composition. The D2x was them mounted onto a tripod and the scene composed. Focus was critical since I needed to use a very wide aperture of f2.8 or f4 in order to achieve the effect I was after. This in turn resulted in a relatively fast shutter speed of 1/100th sec at iso 100 which helped as there was a slight breeze.
I always enjoy the feeling of coming home with something, even just a single image, that I know is a little different from the norm on days when I don’t expecting anything at all.
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
Maybe it’s because it very rarely happens these days or perhaps because it offers new challenges for a wildlife photographer, but am I the only photographer out there that fills up with excitement and anticipation when it snows?! I just love it, even though as a country we are particularly useless at dealing with the white stuff when it comes to a stand-still. I am amazed, given the warning, that hardly any gritting took place on so many major roads where I live and even more so, the speeding idiots who think their car will stop even on black ice! I own a 4WD and it has proven it’s worth over the last few days, but that hasn’t stopped several near misses with those driving way too fast. I’ve driven for many years along local country roads and always expect the unexpected so whilst driving gingerly at under 10 mph to my feeding station several miles away, I wasn’t at all surprised to come face to face with a van hurtling towards me then locking its brakes and as a result veering here and there. It stopped just a few metres away where my expert use of international sign language came into use!
So late Friday morning I headed to my feeding station in the hope of obtaining images of birds in the snow. They were coming in thick and fast, so much so that there was hardly sufficient time to frame the image. Eventually I managed to get a few half decent ones, including this splendid goldfinch. You can see the effect of the snow on the ground, acting like a giant reflector.
Goldfinch. Nikon D300, 300mm f2.8, manfrotto 055 with gitzo head, dome hide.
Great-spotted woodpecker
My favourite image however is this one of a robin perched on a fence post. It was pure chance and to me sums up the English countryside in winter, much more so than close-up’s. Perhaps one day it’ll get used as a Christmas card!
It never lasts long enough though and the day after, most of the snow on the trees had disappeared. A few weeks of snowy weather would allow me to relax a little and think of interesting images rather than trying to get as much as possible within 2 or 3 days and the way the climate is changing I guess there is less and less chance of prolonged severe weather. What a shame.
Heading home at sunset.
Birds at last!
In my previous post I mentioned how slow the birds were in coming to the feeding station I had prepared for the last 6 weeks. This was obviously due to the mild weather and there being plenty of food in the woods and fields to satisfy them. But with this sudden spout of cold weather they are now coming in in droves! Species so far as follows though not all photographed…blue tit, great tit, coal tit, marsh tit (pretty sure not willow), chaffinch, goldfinch (yes!) robin and great-spotted woodpecker.
Tuesday was my first attempt. I positioned the two feeders (one with nuts the other with niger seed) about 2m away from what I think is a blackthorn bush (sorry, I’m not totally sure…happy to hear from someone to put me right) and photographed them as they perched before going to the feeders. I often go for this way of working as opposed to placing perches for them to alight on since you get a variety of poses in one sitting. It also looks more natural I think since that is how we more often than not view them…flitting in and out and amongst hedges and trees. There are times however when I will strategically place perches particularly if I am after a clean background. It was a beautiful day and although the p ictures certainly looked punchy and colourful, the light just seemed too harsh and the images lacked ‘soul’.
blue tit
I decided therefore to use a technique I’ve employed in the past when photographing plants which is to shoot either end of the day and while the subject is in shade the background is illuminated by the early morning/late afternoon sunlight. The effect is unusual but I have to say I like it quite a lot. You need to use a wide aperture to really throw the background out of focus and there is just a small window of opportunity before the light on the background becomes too harsh. I arrived shortly after sunrise and once settled the birds began to perch and feed giving me just enough time before the sun illuminated the bush.
I also went this afternoon and obtained more images, yes even more blue tits! But the highlight was at around 3 o clock a common buzzard flew within 4m of the hide and perched in an oak tree just feet above me. It was so close that as it flew towards me I thought at one point it was going to join me in the hide!
Yet more mushrooms
As I sit here preparing images for my agent and website I’m remembering the glorious autumn colours we HAD! For outside, it’s belting down and what with the strong winds we are expecting over the next 24 hrs Ican’t imagine there’ll be much colour left.
I’ve really enjoyed photographing fungi this year. There has been lots to shoot and locating a few new sites reignited my enthusiasm for these organisms. I always try to pack light but always fail. I’m only after mushrooms and the odd woodland scene but ultimately that means I need everything from a wide-angle 12-24mm to a 300mm plus tripod, reflectors, filters, small umbrella and lunch. Can’t concentrate when I’m hungry! I just know that if I leave something in the car that I’ll need it.
Photographing them is one thing, identifying another. Sure I have books but there are often such subtle differences that if I am at all unsure I generalise….Mycena sp or Coprinus sp for example. Put yourself out there with a firm ID and you get it wrong then someone will always correct you. Well, I’m going to do just that and welcome anyone that wishes to prove me wrong with these two!
Glistening Inkcap
Saffrondrop Bonnet
Fungi
It’s been a great season for mushrooms….mild weather, not too wet and so far, at least here in the southeast, only one day of frost. They are therefore lasting longer as indeed are the fantastic colours. I feel very lucky this year having gone through 2 autumn’s. One in Lapland in mid September and of course the other here. Both very different from one another in that in Lapland it is much colder and the forests are primarily spruce and birch whereas here it is broadleaved. And there is the added bonus in Lapland that you may get to see the northern lights.
So this year in Kent I have, much like orchids last spring and summer, concentrated on fungi. I always find myself out there shooting them anyway at this time but I really felt like I needed to update the library with the classic specimens such as Fly Agaric and the more unusual like Giant Polypore. I would visit one woodland in particular about 40 mins from my home many times as on each visit different types presented themselves. I also ran a couple of photography workshops there which went down well as we had good weather and different varieties to keep us occupied.
Panorama of broadleaved woodland
Fly Agaric
Porcelain or Beech Tuft fungus
Fruit of Sweet Chestnut
Aside from this I spent a memorable morning watching Fallow Deer rutting. These were completely wild, not in a park, and as I stepped out of my car at dawn I could hear the unmistakeable ’grunt’ of the bucks. It was quite dark and raining so I knew photography wouldn’t be an option but the thought of me seeing them drove me on. I walked slowly wearing dark, silent clothing along the forest tracks and stopping every 50 metres or so to listen for the bucks whilst at the same time checking wind direction. I got closer to the sound some 30 minutes later and proceeded towalk into the coppice woodland, the rain muffling my footsteps. I crouched and there about 20 mtres away I could see the buck through the trees patrolling up and down the length of his stand grunting continuously. And then, as if out of nowhere, another buck sat up only 10 metres away and looked at me. The wind was in my favour and he couldn’t make out what I was. He grew more curious and made a few steps toward me. 30 seconds later he stepped even closer and did the same a gain shortly after. He eventually circled me to get my scent and when he eventually did so, scampered through the wood. I remained still and over the next 30 minutes or so carried on watching the buck on his stand with others all around me periodically grunting. I didn’t take any pictures but it was a great experience non the less.
About Robert Canis
Robert Canis is a professional photographer specialising in the natural world.
Read more about Robert Canis
