High Key

In 2014 I began experimenting with producing high-key images of autumn leaves (and in 2016 of spring shoots), in particular those of silver birch and sweet chestnut that were, quite literally, clinging to twigs just days before they dropped. It's the delicate nature, colour and form and graphic quality that appeals to me and in many ways, I feel it is reminiscent of Japanese ink paintings. I work in overcast conditions and deliberately overexpose by around three stops. This produces an almost perfect white backdrop revealing detail, colour and the translucency of the leaf that would otherwise have not been visible if captured in a more conventional manner.   

Equipment note
Three Nikon cameras were employed for this series which include the D610, D750 and D810, and in order to have maximum control over depth of field, it was important to use lenses with a wide maximum aperture. With this in mind, I used a 20mm f/2.8, 105mm f/2.8, and 70-200mm f/2.8 with the 105mm Micro (an 'ancient' manual focus model) being the most popular of the three.