That first half hour...

The location in the New Forest that I am using for my pony shots is a fairly small valley situated near Ringwood, Hampshire. Despite this, the variety of colour of the animals seems almost limitless, as each visit brings a different photographic opportunity.
The weather is holding for the next few days, and pre-dawn starts are the order of the day if I am to be prepared to start shooting at first light. Using a 300mm f/2.8 telephoto at maximum aperture enables me to get some images before the sun has risen above the horizon, but the best shots in my opinion, are during that first half hour of direct light.

© 2007

First frosts...

The first frosts are appearing in the south of the UK, and the New Forest takes on a different appearance as a result. The image of a young pony was shot just after sunrise today, and within yards of the same location of the pony in the previous post, illustrating the contrasts between late summer and autumn. The bracken has now died off and the heather is loosing its colour, and its these muted hues, along with the low angle of the sun that will form the bulk of my outdoor photography in the coming months.

© 2007