Lighting up the Bluebell Woods

What beautiful weather over the bank holiday weekend. A few showers, but in the main we were treated to bright sunshine and a spring freshness to the air. I had an early photo shoot booked for a client and his two dogs which involved a visit to a bluebell wood.

Carpet of blue through the woods

This was a new location to me, so I arrived in good time to test the light and look for likely locations for the photographs. My husband and the dogs came along too so that I could test some shots before they went off walking while I worked with my client.

I love natural light. From the subtle nuances cast across a scene, to the catchlights reflecting off a subject’s eyes, natural light is a powerful ally in a photographer’s kit. For this shoot though, I wanted to try some flash photography shots as well as natural light. The approach might seem unnecessary; why use a bright light when there is plenty of daylight? Bear with me…

The photograph which follows is the first one I took, using an aperture of 1.4 on my 50mm portrait lens, and no flash. The colours in the images are striking. The small f-number has created a fine blur to the background, with a bokeh effect visible through the leaves of the trees.

The dogs and the bluebells

The picture is nice enough, although the dogs’ eyes are a little blank and there is a slightly 2-dinemsional feel as a result. I could edit some catchlights into the image, but I decided to try the same sort of set up again but using a speedlite flash.

The dogs and the bluebells, using a flash

Again, this was taken with my 50mm portrait lens and an f-stop of 1.4. There are, of course, similarities such as the background blur and bokeh. However, the overall difference is striking. The colours on the dogs’ coats are much richer, and their eyes reflect the light of the flash in such a way as to bring the faces to life. The natural light, meanwhile, is not wasted as it is enhancing the scenery behind the dogs.

When packing for a day out photographing, I always advise taking a flash. Using the extra light to complement rather than replace the daylight can really add some vitality to photographs. Adjusting the white balance and exposure compensation as needed will help maintain the impact of the flash without washing out the subject of the picture.