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.