View over Herefordshire

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On a recent walk on the Malvern Hills I was reminded how sunlight and clouds can enrich a view of the landscape. Not only do they make it feel more three-dimensional, they focus the viewer's eyes on elements that might otherwise offer less interest. On this shot they also make the foreground, the main subject, feel separate from the bluish, hazy distant landscape.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Dark, threatening skies

I do like dark threatening skies that co-exist with sunshine. The contrast between the well lit subject and the dark backdrop make for a theatrical effect that is very appealing. Over the years I've photographed buildings, a church, a manor house, Tower Bridge, London and an old walnut tree in this kind of lighting. Recently I had another opportunity as we crossed Castle Meadows by the River Usk at Abergavenny. Often these dark skies turn to rain. Here it seemed to be associated with the high ground behind the town and cleared shortly after I'd got my shot.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Woodland bramble

Brambles (also known as blackberries in parts of the UK) are one of the few, widely collected, wild fruits. Pies and crumbles benefit from their taste and colour, as do wines and jams. Anyone who has engaged in this autumn pastime will have noticed that the fruit vary considerably in size and that the largest are usually to be found in a bright, sunny location. This common observation of the variability of brambles is under-pinned by a piece of information that I came across only recently: namely, that in the UK there are approximately 400 recognised microspecies of bramble and probably considerably more. They each differ by one or all of the following: fruiting time, size, texture and taste. The above photograph shows a woodland bramble seeking out light filtering down through the canopy above. When fruit appears on such plants they only rarely compare with plants growing in brightly lit locations.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2