Simple seasonal pleasures

Like many photographers, I think that autumn is one of my favourite seasons: after all it heralds the return of good light for a greater percentage of every day, as well as the arrival of new colours to work with once the late tired leaves of summer finally decide to give up their green.

For me it’s the time of year when I start returning to my woodland birds, and the combination of light and colour along with the myriad of settings I can work with will simply never bore me – this year has been no exception already and I’m sure there will be plenty more opportunities with these Blue Tit’s Goldfinches and Nuthatches amongst others in the coming weeks.

I know for many autumn is all about the deer rut when it comes to wildlife photography and the antics of Fallow and Red Deer in particular are equally as engaging a sight, and proof positive that you don’t have to travel the world to see dramatic behaviour and beautiful mammals.

For a combination of reasons, this year has been excellent as far as fungi are concerned; this has long been an arena I have enjoyed photographing in offering as it does a very different approach to my normal work.  With some insect life to add a different dimension, some creative lighting approaches and revisiting using a wide-angle lens for some contextual images it has been as absorbing as ever once again.

I’ve also been taking to the air locally for a project I’m working on at the moment, and from above the intense colours of autumn have even more impact – this time in late afternoon light whilst dodging the showers.

Simple seasonal images and simple pleasures in their taking too!