Today’s Field Notes post is all about photographing nature and the beauty of early spring on my doorstep, Rainford Village.
If you’re reading this on mobile, you might enjoy the photos even more on a larger screen. This set is one of my favourites so far this spring.
Signs of spring began to arrive earlier than expected this year. The highly anticipated arrival of wildflowers, for example, they’re a good two or three weeks ahead of schedule. It’s bizarre to see native bluebells at peak flowering, while surrounding trees still sport their wintry, skeletal look.
Above: A photograph capturing the early blooming native bluebells in a local ancient woodland. I used ICM (intentional camera movement) to reduce the impact of the visible sky, given the lack of leaves on the trees.
With spring moving so swiftly, every opportunity counts, even if that means waking up at the ungodly hour of 5 AM on a Sunday to capture a dramatic sunrise.
A Frosty Start to the Morning
Waking up at 5 AM on a Sunday is a real test of character. Every ounce of me wanted to stay hidden under the covers. Luckily, the thought of enjoying a beautiful sunrise won, and I dragged myself out of bed. Half questioning my sanity, I quickly got dressed, grabbed my camera bag, and headed out on my bicycle.
I tell you what, I wasn’t prepared for how cold it was outside. You’d think that with May just around the corner, we’d be past frosty mornings. Not quite. I pulled my sleeves over my hands to take the chill off and headed off along our quiet country lanes.
The location I had in mind for the morning was only 10 minutes away. It was a good job as well; a soft glow on the horizon meant sunrise wasn’t far off. To add to the excitement, small pockets of mist had started to form across the landscape. It was shaping up to be a beautiful morning for a bit of landscape photography.
Photographing Spring Landscapes Along Coach Road at Sunrise
Looking back, I must have been either half asleep or pedalling like there’s no tomorrow because before I knew it, I’d arrived at Coach Road, my “office” for the morning.
The old Coach Road in Rainford was and still is a route to the estate of Lord Derby. It’s a breathtaking trail full of wildlife and quaint countryside landscapes, so no shortage of photographic opportunities.
Capturing the early morning mist
Sunrise was no more than fifteen minutes away when the pockets of mist began to ebb and flow across the landscape, softening the light and the delicate spring greens. I didn’t even have to work for the first composition of the morning; it pretty much presented itself.
I set up my camera with a wide-angle lens and framed the iconic road lined with gorgeous trees sporting their finest spring greens. As I obsessed over the perfect balance, something unexpected happened. A hare ran out from cover and made its way towards me, stopping around 15 metres away, where it just stared at me.
I’m no stranger to photographing hares, but usually I’m tucked away in a field, not standing in the middle of a road. The encounter was surreal, yet I knew what had to be done. I switched to manual focus, honed in on the hare, stopped down the aperture to increase the depth of field throughout the rest of the frame and captured the moment.
If you’re viewing this on mobile, you might need to pinch-zoom to appreciate the hare and the scale it adds to the beautiful scene. This magical moment was captured at ISO 400, f/11, 0.5s, 45mm. I could have used a faster shutter speed by bumping up the ISO, but I wanted to achieve an ethereal look by softening the moving mist.
Sunrise over the Rainford Mosses
I was unbelievably happy to have the first photograph in the bag so early. If you’re a photographer, you’ll know that all-too-familiar pressure of capturing your first shot. I never expect to walk away with a photograph when out in the field, but when a scene catches my eye, I often feel the pressure of doing it justice.
By this point, the sun had risen above the horizon, and glorious golden rays flooded the landscape. As the light strengthened, the mist lifted, adding a soft, hazy diffusion to the golden hour light. Naturally, I started to scan the area for anything of interest. That’s when I noticed a pair of trees, their spring greens framing a meadow still shrouded in mist, leading to a distant woodland.
I did my best to frame the composition as I saw it, positioning the sun behind a branch to help create a sunstar. This was the result.
Above: 41mm, ISO 400, f/16, 1/160s, handheld.
Looking back, the composition is definitely right-side dominant. I like the idea, but it’s one to revisit with a few refinements.
Coach Road’s tree tunnel at sunrise
It didn’t take long for the rising sun to burn away the morning mist, leaving a clear landscape beautifully draped in golden light. I couldn’t help but return to my original scene, the tunnel of trees lining Coach Road. It looked spectacular. I know it’s a classical composition, but when a landscape looks as good as it did, it’s hard to ignore.
I think this is one of those compositions that doesn’t need much explanation. The glorious golden light did most of the heavy lifting, beautifully illuminating the tunnel of trees. It’s another scene I’ll return to in a couple of weeks, once the trees have their full canopies of spring green leaves.
Below: 42mm, ISO 400, f/11, 1/50s, tripod mounted.
Intimate Moments With a Leveret at Sunset
After the huge success of the morning, I headed back home with a massive grin on my face. If you’re ever in doubt about whether an early alarm for sunrise is worth it, it almost always is. You only ever regret the mornings you stayed in bed.
There was only one way to end a day that started so strongly, with more photography, of course. I headed back to Coach Road for sunset, this time with my heart set on wildlife photography.
After a slow scout up and down the lane, I found a quiet spot at the edge of the road where I could see across to the boundary of a barley field. I slipped on my camouflage poncho, wrapped a scrim around my camera and lens, and settled behind a tree. The waiting game began.
I didn’t have a species in mind. It was about spending time outdoors enjoying the sunset, and if anything appeared, it would be a bonus. An hour soon drifted by, with nothing other than the hypnotising sound of nearby birdsong. The sun was beginning to crest the tops of the trees on the horizon, which meant I had about 10 minutes of light left, when I heard a distinct rustling sound.
A mature leveret popped out from cover. It can’t have been any more than three metres away. I watched as it hopped in front of me and paused, glancing towards the setting sun. It was a moment I’ll never forget; it was as if we were both sitting peacefully, admiring the final moments of daylight together. A perfect way to end the day. I hope you enjoy the photograph.
Above: 560mm, ISO 1600, f/8, 1/400s
Capturing the Beauty of Spring
Spring is moving quickly this year. If there’s a takeaway from this post, it’s to make the most of this intimate time of year before it slips by. Nature is at its best throughout spring, with landscapes and wildlife putting on displays of effortless beauty.
Don’t neglect your local area. You don’t always need to visit national parks or nature reserves to enjoy the benefits of spring. Beauty can be found on your doorstep, as long as you’re willing to look.
Over the next few weeks, I’m looking forward to photographing spring around my local area as nature surges back to life.