Mastering Poppy Field Photography: Capture Stunning Wildflower Scenes
A poppy field in full bloom is a wonderful sight. A field of closely packed flowers creates a sea of red, often stretching as far as the eye can see. Around the end of May and into early June, poppy fields appear almost unannounced, much to the delight of seasoned poppy hunters. The common hotspots are generally found in Wiltshire, Norfolk and Worcestershire, but a poppy field can be found almost anywhere in the country.
The aim of this blog is to provide some tips on photographing a poppy field. Whether you use a smartphone or a dedicated camera, a few simple steps will help ensure you return home with some memorable images that will amaze family and friends and perhaps gain you a few extra likes on social media.
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The story behind this print
A spectacular poppy field in Bewdley
The alarm went at 3.30am and it was time to haul myself…
The alarm went at 3.30am and it was time to haul myself out of bed. I was going on a journey of 50 minutes to a field in Bewdley, Worcestershire. There were reports of poppies in the field near to Blackstone nature reserve. Sunrise was at 4:54am so I needed to get there promptly. I met up with an old friend and work colleague who I had not seen for several years. He was there armed with his camera ready to take pictures. The place was very quiet and the weather was on the chilly side. There was more cloud cover than my app “Clear Outside” was indicating. Will there be a good sunrise? Time to find out as we crossed the road and set off for the poppy field.
Social Media had left instructions of how to get to the field. This was from the Poppy and Flower finder Facebook page.
“Park at the (Blackstone) picnic site, walk across the road as there is no vehicular access. Follow the path to just under the old railway bridge and take the path on the right by the bridge and it’s there.”
The poppies were there in their glory and I spent the next two hours taking pictures in the field. The sunrise was fleeting although I was able to get a starburst as the rays broke through the treeline.
Poppy panorama.Poppy landscape.
I took many pictures with one or two more memorable ones. Blue cornflowers added a blue dash to the red sea of poppies. There were some pops of white from cow parsley who were unsuccessfully trying to compete with the poppies.
Red poppy, blue cornflowerA dash of white in the red.
I was starting to get cold standing out in the field and the cloud cover had smothered the sunshine. It was time to say good byes to the field and to my friend and head home to process the pictures. The early start to the day was memorable and I hope you enjoy the pictures that I selected.
Red on GreenPoppy flowersPoppy flower ridge.
Postscript – I learnt on social media that the farmer was out on his tractor and mowed the field that evening. Presumably he was fed up with all the photographers and other sightseers. The action set social media into meltdown as people vented their frustrations as they realised that would not be able to experience the field. I am not here to judge the action of the farmer who owned the land, I was just pleased that I had seen the poppy field in its prime.
The red sea.
I have been fortunate over the last few years to see several fields. In 2020, I visited the fields in Minworth, near Sutton Coldfield. The next year I was pleased that a poppy field turned up in Leamington Spa which was close to me. Last year, the field was in Churchill, Kidderminster and again was a beautiful summer experience. I have documented my poppy field travels below.
