Bird in Flight Photography

One of my photography goals over the last 6 months has been to do more bird in flight stuff. I’ve been a bit limited in terms of my longest range until recently (that being the Fuji 50-140mm f2.8 plus 1.4x teleconverter), as well as the continuous auto focus ability of that particular combination (- let’s just say the 1.4x converter definitely doesn’t help matters…), but I’ve managed a few shots I’m really happy with regardless -

I’ve also developed a new-found fondness of the 16:9 ratio it would appear.

Over the last few weeks I’ve sold all my Fuji gear (it was a good innings, from 2016, with lots of fun along the way, we’re still friends, but I wanted to see what the competition had to offer) and have found myself with a Nikon Z 400mm f4.5. I’ve only taken it out on two walks so far and been getting used to the new system, setting the camera up to my liking, but I think it’s going to do juuuust fiiiine -

British Bluebells, Again

I think, given they’re not around for long, it’s perfectly OK to keep making bluebells the focus of my photography in late April/early May. And if you don’t agree, well, shame on you.

I’d forgotten about this trio of trees in my local woods, but was pleased to rediscover them as an interesting backdrop to the purple carpet in front.

At one point I noticed a couple of muntjac deer in the distance behind me snaffling their way past the coppice next to them.

Bluebells in Britain's Woodlands

Hi there, Blog. How are you? I’m sorry for not writing.

And with apologies to my Blog for not updating it out the way, here’s an update. This week, I have been mostly photographing bluebells. That’s because they tend to only be at their most blue for a couple of weeks before they wither away and disappear for another year. These were all taken in a woodland local to me in Warwickshire. Each year I tend to gravitate to the same areas in the woods, as this is where the light falls as the sun sets, and coincidentally/fortunately the most photogenic spot anyway. I thought I might have got tired of going to the same areas several years in a row, but no, I still love it.

I’ve also decided, in an attempt to update this space more often, I’m probably just going to post photos I like from now on, with less in the way of tags and words and thinking and all the things that put me off posting.

Badger Watching in Warwickshire

A few years ago I had an amazing experience whilst walking through some hills in Warwickshire where I stumbled upon an area of wasteland full of fox holes carved into a stretch of sloped woodland. By sheer luck and good fortune I encountered a group of fox cubs playing in the afternoon sun. They allowed me to get really close and either didn't notice my presence or didn't seem to mind it. I only had my phone with me but made sure I took loads of video footage of them darting in and out of their hole and chasing each other around. It left me feeling privileged to have seen it and was easily the best wildlife encounter I've ever had.

Then, disaster struck (and a lesson learnt) - when upgrading phones and after backing everything up to my PC, I formatted the phone memory card, convinced everything had been transferred to the computer. But... it hadn't. The videos were missing and the phone was now wiped. This has been a source of regret for me ever since.

Each April/May since I've returned to the same spot in hopes of seeing more fox cubs, but so far I've had no luck. Last week, however, I visited the area again with a sense of optimism and anticipation.

Suddenly I heard a rustling in the distance, then in my periphery vision I saw an unusual shape that took my mind a few seconds to decipher... This badger! I spent a fascinating hour watching him (or her, I’m no badger sex-er) from a distance rummaging around the undergrowth, oblivious to me watching.

Whilst not what I was looking for, it was a really welcome substitute and a great wildlife experience. I’m particularly pleased with how these turned out given I don’t have a true wildlife lens so had to gradually get as close as I could without being detected.

All badger photos were taken in Warwickshire on the Fuji X-H1 with the Fujifilm XF50 - 140mmF/2.8 lens, processed from RAW with Capture One.

Please visit the rest of my website, www.lukebennettphotos.com for much more content, including further landscape and nature photography from the UK and visit my Print Gallery to buy high quality prints of my UK landscapes.

Also, if you would like me to photograph your wedding or event in Solihull, Birmingham, Coventry, Warwickshire, the Midlands or Beyond, please say hi!

Finding Beauty in the Old and Dilapidated - Photographing an Abandoned Barn

Sometimes photography will surprise you with subjects that you weren’t anticipating. In turn, sometimes the photos you take of those subjects will also surprise you.

This was one of those occasions. I hadn’t set out to take photos of this old abandoned barn, but I’m glad I did. In reality, I was simply wanting a relaxing afternoon walk, on a path through corn fields I’d taken many times before. I knew the barn was there as I’d seen it in the distance, in my periphery, but as it was off the established route I’d never really looked at it properly before.

On this occasion something drew me in closer, so I took a detour. Some may call it a minor trespass. I set my white balance in the fading light and started to shoot. What struck me immediately was how rich and colourful the textures were. Years of weathering worn proudly over its stoic wooden exterior. The rich green mosses usually seen on the northern side of trees in forests latched onto the jaunty, battered roof, affectionately.
Looking closely against the mellow sky, I could see old nails forced up from their positions by the expansion of damp timbers that surely did their best to face off many storms and rainfalls, but had to do it alone, unassisted and unprotected by regular care or maintenance. Whilst shooting I started wondering; how long had it been there? Who had built it? What sights had it witnessed over the years? This old barn had plenty of character and seemingly many tales to tell.

I plan to go back throughout the year to hear some more. Perhaps it will surprise me again.

All photos of the Grand Union Canal in Warwickshire were taken on the Fuji X-H1 with the Fujifilm XF50 - 140mmF/2.8 lens, processed from RAW with Capture One.

Please visit the rest of my website, www.lukebennettphotos.com for much more content, including further landscape and nature photography from the UK and visit my Print Gallery to buy high quality prints of my UK landscapes.

Also, if you would like me to photograph your wedding or event in Solihull, Birmingham, Coventry, Warwickshire, the Midlands or Beyond, please say hi!

Autumn in Warwickshire - A Farewell to the Season

Regular visitors might have noticed I’ve posted less frequently over the last couple of months. Long story short - I ended up having some surgery in October that has taken me out of action for a while. I’m still gaining full strength back but I’m pleased to say that I’m once again capable of going out with my camera again for some walks! It’s something I missed a lot whilst recuperating, especially so knowing that autumn was in full effect whilst I was bed-bound!

As a farewell to the season, with the cold of winter starting to take over and the colourful leaves almost completely shed, I’m sharing some of my favourite autumnal photos from this year and last. All were taken within the county of Warwickshire at some of my most frequented walking spots.

The above shots were taken during a short walk through Hay Woods nearby National Trust Baddesley Clinton. The woods were full of those beautiful late autumn oranges in the leaves, some still just about hanging to their branches, many fallen to the floor to provide nutrients to the critters and ultimately enrich the soil for continued growth next year. The smell of autumn was rich in the air too, carried by the moisture that purveyed, contributing to the presence of lots of rich green mosses.

The photos above (with the exception of the last three, which were taken the year before) were taken this year at National Trust Charlecote Park, the day before I went in for surgery, towards the end of October. The gardens there are home to some beautiful old trees that stand impressively large on the grounds, full of amazing character; the twisted, gnarled trunks, set off impressively by their multi coloured leaves during the autumn time. The icing on the cake are the deer that like to sit peacefully under the trees from time to time, presumably in a moment of calm, gathering their energy, in between rutting.

Above are some photos taken whilst walking through the grounds of Kenilworth Castle, last autumn. The lighting was brilliant, lending enormously to the atmosphere with a slightly yellowy shimmer.

All photos of the Warwickshire landscape in autumn taken on the Fuji X-H1 and X-T2 with the Fujifilm XF16 - 55mm f/2.8 Lens and Fujifilm XF50 - 140mm F/2.8 lens, processed from RAW with Capture One.

Please visit the rest of my website, www.lukebennettphotos.com for much more content, including further landscape and nature photography from the UK and visit my Print Gallery to buy high quality prints of my UK landscapes.

Also, if you are interested in hiring me as your wedding photographer in Solihull, Birmingham, Coventry, Warwickshire, the Midlands or Beyond, please say hi!

Wheat Fields and Sunsets and Why I love IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilisation)

I’ve been enjoying the balmy summer evenings of late and whenever possible I try to get out for a stroll in the warm setting sun. It’s probably my favourite part of the day and there’s something calming about watching the world around you slowly winding down for the night as the light gradually fades.

On this occasion, I took a walk through Berkswell, Warwickshire (the small picturesque village perhaps best known for its church - St John Baptist Anglican - parts of it dating back as far as 1150 AD) and it’s wheat fields.

As on most occasions when I’m having a walk, I had a camera with me, and I was lucky to be rewarded with a beautiful sunset. I love these big impressive trees and think they make for great subjects against the colourful sky.

Now, camera nerds are a funny bunch… I’ve noticed a lot of debate around the merits of IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilisation), with some people saying it’s a pointless gimmick and a waste of time, only serving to compromise image quality and add extra size and weight to your equipment. “Why bother? I have a tripod!” they smugly exclaim. These people, clearly have no imagination, foresight or lateral thinking, because there are plenty of scenarios where IBIS is massively useful to have.

Take these shots below, for instance. At least two of them are shot handheld at 1/50 of a second. Whilst not a really slow shutter speed to be shooting handheld, certainly one you’d want to be holding your breath for, ensuring good technique and keeping as still as possible. With IBIS enabled, I feel confident that I won’t see any camera shake at this shutter speed, and so I feel comfortable to click away without a tripod. No lugging one out, adding extra weight to my bag, no setting up, adjusting the height and angle and composition. Just quick and easy handheld shooting with no restrictions.

If that’s not a reason to have IBIS as standard, I don’t know what is.

All photos of Berkswell were taken on the Fuji X-H1 with the Fujifilm XF16 - 55mm f/2.8 Lens, processed from RAW with Capture One.

Please visit the rest of my website, www.lukebennettphotos.com for much more content, including further landscape and nature photography from the UK and visit my Print Gallery to buy high quality prints of my UK landscapes.

Also, if you are interested in hiring me as your wedding photographer in Solihull, Birmingham, Coventry, Warwickshire, the Midlands or Beyond, please say hi!

Finally, please Help Support This Blog by Buying Photography Equipment on Amazon via this link and following me on social media.

Deer at Charlecote Park

As a proud National Trust member, I’m lucky that Charlecote Park in Warwickshire is only 25 minutes away from where I live. It’s become one my favourite places to go for a relaxing walk throughout all the seasons as it’s always teeming with beauty and wildlife.

On this most recent visit, I set off hoping to see some young fawns as I’d heard that the does had recently started giving birth. I knew it was a long shot as they’re timid at the best of times and ultra cautious with their newborn calves.

The stags, however, are totally the opposite. I’ve found that if you approach them slowly and calmly and take your time to just stand and observe, they’ll often let you get really close. On this occasion I gradually found myself surrounded by a particularly confident group of young bucks who didn’t mind my mellow photography taking style.

These young males all had velvet antlers growing having shed last year’s hard calcified efforts.

At the end of my walk just as I was winding down from the photography, heading to the exit and checking the activity on my phone, at peace with the fact that I wasn’t going to see any fawns up close, I looked up from what I was doing to see a loan calf and her mother, unaware of my presence only about 30 feet away. My camera had already been switched off and the lens cap reapplied, ready to be put away for the drive home at this point, so the quiet scramble in quickly getting the shot set up wasn’t ideal, but I’m pleased that I manage to fire a couple off in focus in the few seconds I had available. During this time the mother deer did a runner, leaving her baby looking kind of lost and confused before she eventually ducked down into the long grass to hide. I didn’t want to cause them any more distress at this point, so I carried on towards the exit, but I’m really glad I had that encounter.

All deer photos were taken on the Fuji X-H1 with the Fujifilm XF50-140mm f/2.8 Lens, processed from RAW with Capture One.

Please visit my website, www.lukebennettphotos.com for much more content, including further landscape and nature photography from the UK and visit my Print Gallery to buy high quality prints of my UK landscapes.

Also, if you are interested in hiring me as your wedding photographer in Solihull, Birmingham, Coventry, Warwickshire, the Midlands or Beyond, please say hi!

Finally, please Help Support This Blog by Buying Photography Equipment on Amazon via this link and following me on social media.

Tom Cruise Squirrel

If anyone at RSPB Middleton Lakes in Tamworth is wondering why the bird feeder above the duck pond is on the floor today, well, it's because of this guy...