Spring has sprung in the UK and nothing signifies that more obviously than a rich carpet of bluebells under a vibrant canopy of lime green beech leaves. Walk into a forest early in the morning and the wonderful fragrant smell hits you, the scene simply begs to be photographed. So how do you capture this beauty? Here are a few tips to help you achieve some stunning bluebell shots.
PLANNING
Time of year : Bluebells appear anytime between mid April to mid May however the peak time is usually around the first week in May.
The timing is critical and local knowledge is key. If you visit too soon the display will be patchy and if you leave it too late the flowers will be past their best and may have been flattened by rain or plenty of pairs of size 9’s!
When to shoot : Bluebells can be photographed in most conditions and bright sunshine can give pleasing dappled effects however technically this is quite challenging especially in managing the contrast and colour. Bright, overcast conditions will result in more natural colours and certainly present fewer problems in controlling the exposure. However my favourite time is early morning when conditions are still and the mist, which is often around at this time of year, adds wonderful atmosphere to your image. Capture the sun as it rises through the trees producing long raking shadows. Sunset is also a good time to shoot making the most of the dramatic lighting.
EQUIPMENT
You can use any lens to capture the bluebells though my preferred lenses are at either end of the focal range. I use a wide angle (XF10-24mm) to capture the forest and carpet of bluebells then use the longer lens (XF50-140mm) to compress perspective or isolate detail and in this case I usually shoot from a lower position. Of course if you have a macro lens this opens up more opportunities for some delightful close up shots of single heads and other detail.
Shooting in the forest, with typically low light levels, means that a Tripod is a necessity, unless you are looking to specifically produce more creative effects.
You’ll also need a remote release, or use the self timer, to reduce camera shake and you may find a reflector useful too.
A polarising filter will help to reduce glare from leaves and will saturate the colours but remember they are most effective at an angle of 90 degrees to the sun. Neutral Density graduated filters can also help to reduce the highlights in a bright canopy to achieve a more natural effect.
TECHNIQUE
I favour shooting in Aperture priority where I can control the depth of field by using either f8 / f11 to maximise the area of sharpness or a wider aperture, say f2.8 / f4 to minimise the depth of field and throw the background out of focus. Remember your wide angle lens inherently has a greater depth of field at a given aperture than your telephoto zoom.
Focusing is critical to achieve maximum depth of field and there are a number of ways to help achieve this. When using a wide angle lens at f8 / f11 simply focusing a third into the scene can often work. If your foreground isn’t sharp either move back slightly or select a smaller aperture.
I often switch to manual focus and use Focus Peaking to help confirm sharpness by setting my highlights to red. Using the blue depth of field bar at the base of your viewfinder to show the near and far points of focus is another option though I find this useful as a guide it’s not as critical as Focus Peaking.
There are also many smartphone Apps to help you achieve the appropriate depth of field and will help you focus hyperfocally, my favourite is PhotoPills which actually offers a lot more than just depth of field calculations. You can also, using your tripod, take a series of shots focusing at points throughout the image and use focus stacking in post production to achieve that perfect front to back sharpness, but be careful if there is any breeze as you might get ghosting. The latest cameras have automatic an automatic focus stacking feature.
To achieve the best file quality I use the lowest ISO possible.
Providing you are using a tripod the shutter speed doesn’t matter unless there is a breeze. Here you have a choice to increase the shutter speed by increasing ISO to reduce motion blur or to work with the conditions and capture the bluebells and grasses swaying in the breeze for a more dreamy, soft image. Remember to switch off your Image Stabilisation if shooting on a tripod and to use a remote release or the 2 second timer to eliminate camera movement.
Bright light can result in high contrast making getting the right exposure difficult. You should use the histogram to ensure you’re not clipping the highlights but in some cases you may wish to bracket to capture the full range of tones. Use your lens hood to eliminate flare though sometimes you may need to further shield the lens by standing at the side of your camera or by holding your coat up.
Bluebells can appear too purple in bright sunlight and colour casts can be a problem from a vivid green canopy so selecting the correct White Balance is critical. If you shoot JPEGS I suggest using Daylight or 5500k. For maximum control though I recommend shooting in RAW which allows you to correct any colour balance issues in post production.
COMPOSITION
Can’t see the wood for the trees? It’s not easy trying to sort order from what at first may seem like a chaotic woodland scene. I usually start by taking the wider views and then move in closer. Look for lines like paths, especially winding ones, which lead the viewer into the picture. Move around to achieve separation between tree trunks and watch out for fallen branches which are easy to miss and often difficult to remove in post production. A sunstar peeping from behind a tree as the sun rises or sets can look great, simply select an aperture of f16 to achieve this effect but be aware of flare which you may wish to emphasise or try and eliminate.
Use your longer lens to isolate detail like a group of tree trunks against a floor of bluebells, a moss covered tree stump or a single flower head, it’s very much a case of less is more. A long lens will also give the impression of a thicker carpet, though watch out for distracting backgrounds such as highlights or other objects and move your viewpoint up and down for a variety of shots.
CREATIVE
Of course there are many other creative options to consider too such as moving the camera whilst exposing (Intentional Camera Movement), multiple exposure or using the Fujifilm Advanced Filters. Panoramic images of the forest can look stunning too. There are so many options, just let your creative juices flow!
POST PROCESSING
Your first objective in post processing will be to correct any colour casts using the white balance and tint sliders. Of course these are global changes and specific colours such as the bluebells, tree trunks and leaves can be adjusted locally in Lightroom or Photoshop. Check your exposure for lost highlight and shadow detail and adjust the contrast with Levels or a Tone Curve. Finally, cropping your image can add impact to the shot by excluding distracting elements and concentrating on the important ones. Try a 16:9 crop to eliminate bright patches of sky in the canopy which can often be distracting.
RESPECT
Our bluebell woods are so beautiful and many people want to enjoy them so please don’t spoil this for others just to get your shots. Keep to paths in managed woods and take care not to trample over the bluebells.
We really are so fortunate to have this annual display each year, they don’t last long so make sure you get out there and make the most of one of natures wonders!
