English bluebells, scientifically known as Hyacinthoides non-scripta, are a quintessential emblem of the British countryside, enchanting with their delicate, nodding blooms and vibrant hues of blue. These native woodland perennials, heralds of spring, paint the forest floor with a carpet of azure, casting a spell of tranquillity and natural beauty wherever they bloom. Revered for their elegance and resilience, English bluebells have captivated botanists, poets, and nature enthusiasts for centuries, embodying the timeless charm and enchantment of the British landscape. My favourite place to see the spectacular seasonal display is at King’s Wood near Ashford. The 1500-acre forest located in the Kent Downs AONB has a mix of broad-leafed and coniferous trees which can be explored via an array of trails and well-maintained paths; historically King’s Wood was a royal hunting ground frequented by Henry VIII and herds of fallow deer still roam here today. I have been frequenting these woods and photographing the bluebells for the past 10 years and I’d like to share my favourite images along with information about how I shot them. When? As I write this at the end of March 2024, the first flowers have been out for a week or […]
Faversham, nestled in the picturesque county of Kent, England, is a town steeped in rich history and charm. Situated on the banks of the scenic Faversham Creek, this market town boasts a captivating blend of medieval architecture, quaint streets, and bustling markets. Renowned for its maritime heritage, Faversham has been a centre of trade and industry since ancient times, with evidence of settlement dating back to prehistoric periods. Today, it remains a vibrant hub, offering visitors a delightful mix of cultural attractions, including historic buildings, traditional pubs, and the famous Shepherd Neame Brewery, Britain’s oldest brewery still in operation. I’ve been photographing in and around Faversham for years. I’m currently revisiting a lot of these locations at the moment to get some updated pictures so I thought this would be a good time to arrange all my best shots to date here in this blog post. The Creeks My main photographic interest over the years have been the boats and buildings along Faversham Creek and the nearby Oare Creek. In the right conditions, typically at high tide and calm winds these waterways are stacked with potential and are fantastic to photograph all year round. […]
I recently watched a documentary called ‘New Town Utopia’, which charts the story behind the post-war development of Basildon, Essex. I thoroughly enjoyed the film, so much so that it inspired me to take a day trip there this past summer. The town centre is certainly full of interesting architecture, especially the grade II listed Brooke House, a brutalist tower block raised up by V-shaped concrete pillars. Here a some of my shots from the day; Thanks for viewing 🙂
In early 2023 I finally had my old Nikon D600 converted with a 720nm filter to shoot infrared. I have always liked the black and white infrared look, but false colour had never really interested me, until now… I used a local company, Protech Photographic to perform the installation which they did just in time for Spring. This season is popular for infrared shooting as the fresh leaves and trees reflect infrared light, which can be used to create surreal-looking images. Here in Canterbury, there are several public parks which were displaying good vibrant leafage to test my new camera with. These locations and views are the typical postcard-type shots of the city, or ‘honeypots’ if you like, which gave me an idea… While researching infrared photography I came across a technique known as ‘channel swapping’ where you swap the red and blue colour channels of an infrared file in Photoshop to create a fantastical effect. The result can seem a bit gimmicky but it seemed fitting for this project, giving these postcard-type shots a synthetic, saccharine gloss. These images form my ‘Candyfloss Canterbury‘ project which are all available to […]
Cathedral Pass Cathedral Pass is the result of a photographic exercise I undertook to help me create new and different images on the Canterbury Cathedral grounds. For three months during the summer, I would walk to the precincts with the aim of finding new ways to photograph the architectural features. By using a variety of techniques and equipment, such as infrared, ICM, and directional early morning light, I hope these images provide not-so-familiar views of this renowned location. For the first time, I have arranged the images into a digital zine 🙂
A look back over my photography in 2022. These are not necessarily my best images but they do help to tell the story of the year… January/February The year started with a trip to Fairfield Church on Romney Marsh. There is nowhere better to go when it is frosty and despite my many visits here over the years there are still shots I have yet to capture. This panoramic was one that I can now cross of my list. The bridge that links Kent with the Isle of Sheppey, known as the Sheppey Crossing, is a site of another location that I like to visit especially in the winter. The combination of frost and fog can make the commanding concrete structures of Kingsferry Bridge and the Sheppey Crossing look evocative and mysterious. I’ve written a blogpost that delves more into this area here Alas, the south-eastern English winter is not one comprised of interesting weather events one after another! There are many dull and dreary days to contend with where the will to venture out is low. On these days it pays to match the subject to the conditions. The decaying sea defences on the Sussex coast nr Winchelsea, for […]
There are two bridges built within close proximity that cross The Swale and link the Isle of Sheppey with mainland Kent. The Kingsferry bridge is the older of the two. It was built in the 1950’s and is a combined road and railway bridge with an interesting vertical-lift design for maritime traffic. This was superseded in 2006 by the Sheppey Crossing which is a has four lanes and reaches over 100+ feet in the air over the estuary. This location has become a firm favourite of mine over the past few years. Access along either side of The Swale is good which enables lots of different views of both bridges plus the surrounding low lying marshes are prone to mist and fog which make the bold bridge structures more enigmatic. Here a few of my efforts over the past few years:
At the beginning of October I spent 4 days in the beautiful city of Kraków in the south of Poland. So, why Kraków? Well, we were actually meant to be going to Prague but I left it too late to find suitable flights for the days off we had so we chose Kraków as it fulfilled our simple criteria of looking beautiful and we hadn’t been there before. I definitely remember seeing photos of the St. Mary’s Basilica before from a photographer I follow online plus when I posted to my Instagram stories that I was going I got lots of replies from friends who each recommended the city. So I felt assured it was a good choice..! Camera Gear What camera gear would I pack with me this time? Taking all my lenses over in the carry-on bag was not an option plus I really wouldn’t want to be lugging them all around sightseeing anyway. For walking around the city during the day I picked my Ricoh GR3 which is a pocket-sized camera with a fixed 28mm lens. This was a recent purchase as a always-on-you camera and when I tested it around London with friends I was really […]
Photographs from a few visits to the Anthony Gormley sculpture titled ‘Another Time‘ in Margate These are the first times I’ve photographed the Gormley sculpture on the Thanet coast despite it being here since 2017..! I’m not sure why. You do need the right tides to see it but perhaps it’s more because I’m somewhat of a contrarian/dick at times and when it was first installed I saw all the IG posts and probably didn’t want to be seen to jump on the bandwagon. Anyway, with the news that it is to now stay until at least 2030 there is no danger of that so I felt it was ‘About Time‘ I paid a visit or two… Having full knowledge of the tides is vital to getting the best results at the coast. My first attempt to capture the sculpture was a disaster as he was already completely submerged when I arrived so I slunk off around the corner to shoot in the harbour instead. Luckily on my next visit, I timed the tides much better, arriving at low tide so I could get a better understanding of the location and assess the best viewpoints. The first thing I noticed […]
A taste of the sort of photos available at this beautiful location on North Kent coast at Whitstable, West Beach. To the west of Whitstable’s harbour is a long shingle beach known as West Beach which is as good a spot as anywhere on the North Kent coast for photography. Popular with the crowds during the day, this north westerly facing location comes into it’s own especially during a summer sunset when most people will be out of the way chilling on the beach with a beer from the Old Neptune pub. There are many subjects to shoot here but my favourite are the wildflowers that grow in the shingle and sprout out in between the various boats and kayaks left on the beach. To the far end of the beach are a row of colourful wooden beach huts. Some of these have an extravagant paint job, like this hut below which I framed in the centre of my panoramic. Near these huts is an old jetty that requires a very well-timed visit to capture the tide at the desired height. Add planning around sunset into the mix and you’ve got a recipe for a lot of failed trips..! Thanks […]
A selection of images taken in April 2022 of the yellow rapeseed fields that surround Ripple Mill; a Grade II listed smock mill in Ringwould, Kent. When a friend and fellow landscape photographer alerted me that the fields that surround the windmill were full of rapeseed this year I was more than keen to plan a visit. Ripple Mill is a location I have often passed as it is situated next to a busy road and although I had shot it from afar, I think I was always waiting for a colourful crop to accompany the scene. The night before I made my first visit I looked at the local OS map and I was pleased to find the windmill was encompassed by public footpaths. This would make it a lot easier and more relaxing to find a suitable viewpoint in the morning without worrying if the farmer would spot me. To be honest though, in all the years I have been out photographing the countryside I can only think of a couple of occasions when I have been confronted by the landowner but still, I’d rather not have to bother with them at all. This first morning turned out […]
Located in the far south-east of the UK, the county of Kent is historically known as the ‘Garden of England’ for its abundance of orchards and hop gardens. Despite also being the 5th most populous county in England, a third of Kent is registered as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty including the Kent Downs, a series of chalk ridges stretching from the Surrey borders in the west to the White Cliffs of Dover in the east. As well as being home to this iconic landmark the Kent coastline also comprises unique marshlands, tidal pools and sandy beaches which together with the easily accessible countryside is what makes Kent so special for the visiting photographer. Broadstairs Broadstairs is a coastal town situated on the Isle of Thanet; a peninsula at the most easterly point in Kent that was once separated by the Wantsum Channel but which has long since silted up. The area is home to the popular towns of Margate and Ramsgate and is a renowned holiday destination due in part to the numerous sandy beaches; there are 16 beaches on Thanet and 7 in particular in Broadstairs! The options are indeed ample but I would recommend Botany Bay […]
Here are a few of my recent images of the Spring wildflowers on Kingsdown beach near Deal. I’ve been to this small Kent beach before but my aim this time was to capture the wildflowers that grow behind the beach huts in their peak condition. This time of the year is always busy for Spring colour with bluebells and many orchids species growing that by the time I turn my attention to the coast the Red Valerion flowers, in particular, are a bit worse for wear. However, I’ve got no excuses this year as many plants have been delayed by the cold weather. I began by visiting this location in the evenings at the end of May to check on the blooms and also to try out potential compositions. The flowers were already looking great by this point however it was clear that the direction of the morning light would suit my shots better which was something I was hoping to avoid. Now, I tend to prefer sunrise trips to sunset shoots; there is often no one around and the light is generally softer and colours more subtle. But, in Kent and in June this means a 3.30 am alarm […]
I’d like to share some of my photographs of Kent Wild Orchids from the past few summers. Whilst I am more of a ‘landscape’ photographer, seeking out and learning about these marvellous rare flowers turned out to be a great way to explore the county and fill those long summer days before a sunset shoot. The first orchids I came across were in a small reserve in Denge Woods named Bonsai Bank. I had been to the woods before to shoot bluebells in the spring but after doing some more research online I found out about this chalk scrubland well known for its Lady Orchids. There are hundreds of Lady Orchids here and all quite easily visible from the footpaths in the reserve. The difficult part is setting up the tripod and committing to a subject without worrying there is something better around the corner! On my first few trips looking for orchids the only suitable lens I had with me was my 70-200 f4 zoom. This telephoto lens is perfectly capable of getting some nice ‘record’ type shots but I soon added a Samyang 135mm f2 lens which offered the chance to get very different sort of images. It […]
