A couple of weeks ago the Jade Vine, at the Botanic Gardens, was in full flower and looking magnificent. It has been years since I had last seen it in flower. So, I spent quite some time photographing it from different angles and playing with the various backgrounds the hot house offered.
I visited Waresly Wood toward the end of the bluebell season. Rather than take straight images, I decided to try some in-camera multiple exposures. Each image consists of 8 shots, moving very slightly between captures.
Wistman's Wood is one of three high-altitude oak woods on Dartmoor. The dwarf oaks are twisted and contorted, their branches covered with epiphytic mosses and lichens. The trees grow amongst granite boulders, that are covered in more moss. It is the kind of place you would seek out a small green Muppet to teach you the ways of the force.
The wood is a popular spot with photographers and I have wanted to shoot their for years. Many of the best photos I have seen are taken in mist, which softens the branching chaos and adds to the Dagobah-like feel. But that was not the conditions I had. The day was brightly overcast. I chose to shoot in infra-red, to covert all that green to black and white. But I struggled to bring narrative to the arboreal madness. There was just too much going on. There is clearly a reason why the best images come from local 'togs. It is one of those venues that require multiple trips to tease out its charms.
