Some Springtime Color

We are entering summer now and what I call the 'tyranny of green'. It is never a very productive time for capturing new images for me. I tend to stick with black and white as a result and spend more time in the darkroom as well. Ironic in that when the weather is nicer I find myself in s small darkened room!

I have been taking a few photos with my Mamiya 645 after I had some meter problems which I adjusted. I broke my rule about not shooting black and white and color at the same time. I find each requires a different mind set and alternating film backs can be confusing and not very satisfying. 

So I accumulated a roll of images on Kodak Portra 400 over the past month plus. I have a parallel roll of black and white I am not quite through the roll however. Despite mostly being snaps without any real intent artistically a few images came out well. I took most of these with my 150mm f3.5 lens sometimes with the 2x teleconverter. One image was with my 80mm f1.9 which is the widest lens I carry these days. 

This first image is from Monk's Wood at the end of a hayfield. There is this lone silver birch that always stands out and I keep trying to capture the feel of it there and finally got close to what I was after this early spring day. The trees were just starting to leaf out and the foliage in that light early green phase. A little shadow from the clouds helps relieve the midday drabness. 

(150mm)

Next that day I found a crab apple in full bloom. There blossoms were slung over the ride as I did my best to focus and capture this. Intermittent breezes made this a challenge. Lot of light so shutter speed was not a problem. 

(150mm)

The next that day was some bluebells. They were just emerging in a few patches. Bluebells are a common subject and for good reason. They carpet areas of the woodlands here and are profoundly beautiful. However I find it difficult to get an image that reflects the feeling of the day. Here I tried isolating a small group. Not quite what I was after though...

(150mm)

More blue bells. I thought a tight slice of depth of field might work to isolate some amongst others. This was later than the previous photos in Monk's Wood. There is more greenery. Again midday light and lots of green. 

(300mm 150mm x2)

Later I was out at Holme Fen. The ferns were still balled up in tight defiant fists on long stems a month or more before they will carpet the forest floor in shoulder high green froth. I found one small one more fully unfurled. 

(150mm)

And another of an interesting array of forest floor plants. I struggled with focus and keeping the background out of focus. I see a theme here where I might exploit a wider camera view either my Fuji G617 or 690 GSW. 

Forest Floor Holme Holme Fen (80mm f1.9)

I was out alone this day in Holme Fen so could take more time. It was an especially nice day out. On the way home I stopped by the Mathematical Trees. I wanted I guess to document what they were like this time of year. I encountered them last January in the snow and they became the subject of an extended study. Here they are in late Spring. 

Mathematical Trees in Spring (300mm 150mm x2))

 On my way there is a copse of trees and I found this lovely image of ash trees and queen anne's lace there as I passed. 

Dappled light of the copse (150mm)

Finally I came back to Holme Fen in early June and got this. 

Holme Fen early summer birch forest. (150mm)