The Dawn of Bluebell Photography

How David captured a bluebell panorama with a medium format lens and adapter, then promptly lost and found them thanks to a Canon G9

- DAVID CLAPP

Micheldever Forest, UK. 5:30am. May 2007

Lens

Pentax 35mm FA medium format

Exposure

1.3 secs, f/16, ISO100

Let me take you back to the year 2007. This is the dawn of bluebell photography when forests were still and empty, unlike the crazy three week ‘homage’ to springtime which sees these delicate flowers mashed to a slimy paste. Thousands of spiral-eyed locals shoot millions of phone pictures of their children and beloved pets, while middle aged photographers dance a silent woodland ballet, grumbling at everybody to get out of their scenic shot.

This image is no ordinary woodland picture, in fact it was a days walking to find it. The hardest thing when shooting forests like this is light, or the lack of it. I have been to many beautiful bluebell woodlands with a fabulous spread of flowers, yet with no atmosphere, just a blanket of flat blue and green (inset). Light makes the flower hues change from a soft pastel shade to a rich purple, but how do you get light inside a forest?