The Pink Cherry Blossoms

These pink blossoms were insanely huge and colour popping against the bright blue sky and green hedge. Completely overwhelming and fabulous lacking any subtlety.

I have obviously pumped these up a little more to how I saw them in my head. Not the direction I want to head with my photography but really fun. 

White Apple Blossom

There was so much blossom this April and May everywhere. This is the white apple blossom. Looking at white for inspiration. right now fresh, new crisp and clean seems particularly appealing. 

Frosted Flowers April

Frosty morning making all the flowers a little more magical with tiny water droplets changing their texture. 

Geranium Red

Learning to photograph red better. I want that Powell and Pressburger red which is so magical and was to do with the film stock. How to create that digitally? 

A Walk in the Country

Fitting for the time, it is rumored that this island copse of trees with a moat all around was where the village buried their dead during the plague. I'm not sure its true but an interesting grim concept.

Under lockdown I have discovered what's around me in every direction. Its been so beautiful in the Somerset countryside, I don't want to get back to normal. These were taken over a few different walks in April where we were very glad to have moved back home with my parents earlier in the year. 

Blossom

Blossom in colour and black and white. Pleased with these soft blush colours but again am more into the black and white. 

Magnolia Buds

I took so many photographs of the magnolias but I am keeping this one. I love the bud and that it looks like a lipstick. I like the pink base the slight out of focus the colours and the grain. Would like to make more images with these textures.  

Face Masks in the Making

Just some of the thousands of masks made by my friends and me. 

The mask making started just before lockdown in the on the 19th March, it was a Thursday night. I carried my sewing machine all the way down Wells highstreet to Loaf, where Lois had organised the sewing of face masks for the bluebird care company. 
 

They couldn't get any PPE and what started with an order for 200 turned into thousands. I made a pattern from a dust mask and got it online with instructions for free and added ready made cotton washable masks to the website for £5 incl postage. The aim was make them cheap enough for everyone who wanted one but to encourage people to leave the medical masks for the carers and medical staff who needed them most. 
The UK should have been more prepared and had stock of and access to PPE for everyone. We never thought our skills would be needed to make face masks. 

Masks then became political with the right being above using them and the sensible leaders asking people to wear them in shops, supermarkets and public transport. 
They about were keeping others safer from your coughs and sneezes, rather than you safe from others. Social distancing and hand washing still came first.

Tulips April 2020

Tulips photographed in April 2020. Soon after lockdown. I'm really pleased with the texture of the petals. 

Daffodils April

Daffodils felt more of a challenge. They aren't these big classical blooms like peonies and rose or even the magnolias. Nor are they delicate fairy like flowers, they are the humble Daffodil.

These were the miniature kind and the sun was making them extra gold in the light. What I saw with my eye, the luminescence of the petals didn't translate.
I edited them in lightroom bringing the black and shadows down to set the completely against a black background instead of the grass.

I'm happy with the dark greens, the grain and the tone of the yellow. They look more like they are lit by the light of the moon instead of the afternoon sun.

The crackly details in the black and white image add more texture

Canon 5D 50mm f/1.8

Magnolia Flowers April 2020

The magnolia flowers are stunning to see in person this April but as with all flowers they dont seem to be quite a straight forward to capture as I thought.
I thought every picture would be of the beautiful magnolias but for me the branches got in the way and looked nearly next to the swan like petals of the flowers. Typically I just wanted to see the pretty parts.

All photographed on the Canon 5D with a 50mm f/1.4 lens

The 1st couple are extreme close ups with added grain that I love. I think I might be o the Pictorialism end of photography or Romanticism. I'm manipulating the images to my view of beauty.
I love the blush colours. 50mm Lens f/1.8

The 2nd set is sharper and more natural. Again focusing on the central stamen. 50mm f/2.8

The 3rd set I have reduced the clarity to 'prettify' the image taking it to a dreamy de-focused picture. 50mm f/2.8 with lightroom manipulation cooling and de-saturating the colours.

The 4th I wanted just the blush pinks and blues and with a soft focus in both colour and black and white versions. Reducing some of the black so the stems don't create too much contrast. 50mm f/2.8

The 5th a higher saturation of pink and blue for a less romantic more tropical sharper image. 50mm f/2.8

The first images to me are more interesting. I think I'm looking for a 1930s - 1950s texture to my images. Photographs from this period in Harpers Bazaar - Louise Dahl Woolfe, Alfred Steiglitz, Immogen Cunningham etc. have a feel to them. Strong and beautiful and capturing an idea of beauty not just something as an object in front of them.