This year’s Bluebell season has been very good and my ‘something different’ theme is definitely leaning into ICM and multiple exposure photography, as well a creative close-ups.
In this blog, I’ll show a few favourite images, and I’ll also push myself to create a triptych for each of the three locations I visited – the things I do for my loyal readers!
Location 1 – Blickling Hall
No Norfolk bluebell season would be as recognisable as Blickling Hall, or rather the Blickling Estate, where a decent size area of woodland presents some quality bluebells.
The quality of the bluebells is such because the estate management have now for the last couple of years and ongoing roped off the main woodland, no doubt because of visitors trampling over the flowers.
Whilst this may hamper getting in amongst the bluebells, it does protect them, allows them to flourish and provides a better viewing experience.
I started with some multiple exposure images (2 or 3 shots) but they’ve not really worked.
I thought there needed to be more bluebell prominent output so kept trying.
The second image above meets the ‘more bluebells’ aim but is messy and too cluttered, although does have a Monet-eque look to it, at least from my biased eye!
I started experimenting more and thought I’d combine a close-up of a bluebell with a bluebell woodland background in camera (multi-exposure).
I must admit when I saw the above images on the back of my camera, I smiled and thought to myself that these are strange and a bit “out there”!
I then took some images of bluebells close-up and some handheld ICM shots.
Below is my triptych for your delectation:
It’s most pleasing, and I realise there’s room to develop my toning and editing in general to blend these images a little better, as well as how I fit the images together.
But what more can you desire? A multiple exposure, a close-up / macro, and an ICM! You’re getting your monies worth here.
Actually, to push myself just a bit more, I’ve edited a couple of the images a little more and changed the triptych round – here’s a more refined finished article.
I’m pleased with the above final triptych and would say this is one of my better ones.
Location 2 – UEA Bluebells
I enjoyed an evening with a fellow photographer wandering around a small bluebell woodland area in the grounds adjacent to the University of East Anglia.
We experienced less than ideal conditions – although it was dry, we had very little if any sunlight so had to push ourselves to grab something worthwhile.
Below is a triptych I’ve worked up:
It’s not a bad effort, but the middle image looks odd so I don’t think this one matches up to the Blickling one.
Location 3 – Unspecified
My final location is unspecified, as in I’m not revealing it.
We called by this location having not been for many years. The bluebells were incredible but there’s a reason why they are so good.
Since we last visited, the landowner has fenced off the area so I had to shoot them from distance.
Once again, I shot multiple exposures, ICM and close-ups, and below is my triptych.
It was here that I got arguably my best ICM bluebell shot this year.
I’m proud of the shot above and will probably print it to go on the wall at home.
I’m also quite pleased with this next (multiple exposure) shot, although it is messy and cluttered.
The evening was not finished.
We walked back from the wood, and as we reached the end, I just walked up to the fence to look at the bluebells when I noticed some insects sitting on the foliage, including a ladybird, or as Norfolk bumpkins like to say, a “Bishy Barnaby”!
I’ve made another triptych.
This one is less cohesive as the colour tones don’t quite blend well but it shows some of the other images from the evening.
I’ll show the ladybird shot on its own as I was very pleased to get a decent focus and exposure.
Overall, I’m pleased with my bluebells photography this year, and hope to catch another chance in a forthcoming holiday in Yorkshire.
In the meantime, onwards and upwards..