It pays to look up...

Spring Bank Holiday dawns in the UK, and it's typical weather: overcast and cool. But it doesn't last for too long and the sun begins to show itself by late morning. By early afternoon I'm riding into Purbeck, Dorset, dodging the showers (well, most of 'em) which makes me appreciate the clear spells all the more.

My target destination is Brenscombe Wood and the bluebells. I've heard reports from a number of Internet sites that the flowers are now in bloom across the country, and are not to be missed. I'm suspicious of such disclosures as it still seems early for the display to be full-on...and I'm right. I'm at least a week early. There are a good deal of bluebells on display, but nowhere near as prolific as last year. Not only that, but the tree foliage has not yet fully established itself and the wild garlic is nowhere to be seen. I produce a series of photographs and make a mental note to return next week - weather permitting.

Knowing I'm not going to get the images I had in mind, I point my lens upwards to photograph the wood canopy - it always pays to look up. This technique in itself can produce interesting and graphic compositions, though it is always advisable to have a blue sky as a backdrop. The other method I adopt is to shoot with a fisheye lens (second photo) and let the lens distortion do its thing.

Top: 12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/640 second at f/8. -0.33 EV compensation. ISO 400
Bottom: 10.5mm f/2.8G Fisheye Nikkor. 1/160 second at f/11. -1 stop EV compensation. ISO 400

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