Ok, so Hi from isolation! I think its a Tuesday, maybe a Wednesday, its far too late in the day to still be in my Pj’s, but here i am. The sun is out (thank goodness for that) so a walk in the woods with the kids is in order this morning! Whilst walking lately its clear to see the Bluebells are well on their way and thats got me feeling sad that i won’t be photographing any beautiful families in the woods this year 🙁
But it had me thinking. Im aware that many of you, who follow me on social media, are countryside dwellers and may well be lucky enough to have a Bluebell wood or even just a patch on your daily exercise route or in a woodland near you, and maybe a few tips and tricks that i use whilst photographing families may come in useful if you want to get some lovely photos of your own children during these crazy times.
So if you are interested, lets get to it! No fancy camera required!

Tip One: Choose your time of day well – So this is one of the most important factors to take into account when planning a trip to the Bluebell wood. Would you be surprised if i told you that midday on a bright sunny day was not the best time to take photos specially in the Bluebell woods? In my experience photographing when the sun is high and strong, can cause a green tinge to be cast all over you subjects as the sun reflects the green of the leaves onto their faces. Ideally you will want to photograph in the early morning or late afternoon/evening when the sun if low in the sky. If this isn’t possible then try to pick a cloudy day as the clouds act like a diffuser and you will end up with minimal shadows and yucky green tinge.

Tip 2: Choose your area well – Try to look for a clearing, or an area of open shade, to give as much light to your photos as possible, but also try to avoid any very bright patches. I often find that photographing at the beginning of the Bluebell season is better as there are less leaves on the tress, creating an overall brighter woodland. You will want to place your children with there backs to the denser woodland and their faces towards the open area.



Tip 4: Be kind to the Bluebells – I usually try to pick a couple of spots when there are not many bluebells, or place children on logs or pathways and then photographing down low, this makes the pathways disappear and make the subjects look like they are floating in a sea of Bluebells. Encourage your children not too pick the Bluebells (i know this is hard even with my own children) but they are actually protected!




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