Holme Fen Nov 18 2021 Notes

Author's Note: This post comes some weeks after the time these photos were taken. I had two undeveloped sheets of color film from this trip and I was waiting until I had accumulated some more to distribute the cost of postage. Alas the weather worsened with a pair of gales blowing though bringing unfavorable conditions for photography. I finally relented last week and sent in the two pieces of film. 

Another wonderful morning with Mollie at Holme Fen. Again I chose the location this morning because Mollie enjoys it so much. We went out to the western-most covert. There is a large field there which I wanted to investigate. Also I wanted to check the oaks in that area to see how their color was coming along. We parked near the railway crossing and as I set up the tripod and camera Mollie became fascinated by the trains going by. 

We met some nice women in the parking area who were returning from walking their dogs. They had to meet Mollie and Mollie had too meet them too. Then we walked into Holme Fen parallel to the railway line. In places where she heard the train she would stand up on her hind legs to look over the bracken to watch the train woosh by. 

We made our way to the open field which is covered in brambles. Mollie had trouble because of this. She is a little too low to the ground. The sun was just coming up and some of the grasses were nicely illuminated with small silver birch as well. I setup with a 150mm lens with 2 stop GND and metered f32 1 second. The shadow in the distant woods was about Ev 8 while the sky was Ev 14 which is Ev 12 with the 2 stop GND. The grass as about Ev 10 (zone V).  I put Ev 8 in zone III which placed the sky at zone VII so I selected Fuji Astia (slide film) for the first image. 

Grasses and Trees
(Fuji Astia ISO 100 2 stop GND 150mm f32 1 sec)

After I took the photo I tried putting the dark slide back in and couldn't push it all in the way. I have screwed up loading the film. I have learned that when this happens there is no use gnashing teeth unless you have a large enough dark bag to hold the whole camera. I pulled the film holder and it confirmed I had loaded the film on the top of the grooves that holds the film in. When this happens the film gets pushed against the end of the film holder and prevents the dark slide from closing all the way. 

I retook the photo with the second sheet of Astia at the same exposure. 

Grasses and Trees
(Fuji Astia ISO 100 2 stop GND 150mm f32 1 sec)

The sun was still coming up through the forest to the east and had not fully illuminated the trees in the grassy meadow. I waited about 5 more minutes and then set up for another image this time on Fuji Velvia 50. With the exact same composition and GND filter I metered at ISO 40 (I like a little over-exposure for Velvia 50) The grass was now Ev 12, the darkest part of the forest was now Ev 9 and the sky was Ev 15. So everything brightened about a stop I placed the sky at Zone VII and shot f32 1/2 at 2 seconds. 

Grasses and Trees Fuji Velvia 50

I like how this turned out. Not dramatic but a calm palette of color. The Velvia version shows the color up more (as expected) and I think is truer to how I saw the scene. It helps the light was more dramatic compared to the prior image as the sun had risen above the obscuring trees from the east (right).

The shadows were quite dark as I was working with the limits of the film in the highlights and a 5+ stop dynamic range. Still I think the exposure was correct as the highlights in the sky hold detail. For the scan I did find multi exposure (4x) helped reduce some noise in the shadows where the exposure was likely below zone III.  

We packed up here and moved along. I scouted a few areas but nothing caught my eye as we headed north. We crossed back into the center of the covert and found some small trails. Mollie likes the ferns in the area. They seem to be mostly what I call sword ferns and are less tangled and there is actually a clear understory beneath the fronds where she could race about practically unseen. I was a lovely morning to be out and though I found nothing to photograph here it was quite beautiful and peaceful. 

We ended up on the north edge of the covert and headed towards Trundle Mere Lookout a hide on the northwest corner. I had been meaning to take some test black and white images in HP5+ as part of some experiments in getting good exposure and development regime in place for the film. I took the hide as a good subject and took two images each at EI 200 and EI 400. Mollie photobombed one image...

Trundle Mere Hide (with Mollie)

While packing up we heard then saw the great squeaky woosh of swan wings as four flew overhead, then a straggler which Mollie felt obliged to give chase to. The light from the rising sun burned deep yellow on their white bodies as the strength of their wings propelled them towards the horizon.  

Mollie and I then had a snack before we decided to call it a day and head back to the car. Walking along a canal Mollie decided to explore down the bank probably in search of some water to drink. She managed to slide in and found she could get back out so I had to edge down the bank and haul her out by the scruff of the neck. Once released she raced about in great glee. Nothing seems to rattle her though I sometimes wonder if perhaps somethings should, like the possibility of getting permanently stuck in a ditch. 

Back in the car she curled up exhausted from the morning's adventures as we drove home.