This year, the Real Confetti Company offered evening viewings of the Confetti Fields for the first time, and I signed up immediately. There is always a short window when the Confetti Fields at Wick, near Pershore, open to the public. The weather and the timing of the delphinium blooms have a significant influence on this.
The view from the top of the field looking down towards Bredon Hill.
Although the dates did not suit the family calendar during the day, the evening timing worked for me. On a warm June evening, I arrived at the fields two hours before sunset.
On top of the viewing platform.The Delphinium flowers
As always, the vibrant colours of the flowers, neatly arranged in colour zones, were quite magical. The evening opening meant the field was less busy, allowing time to take pictures without the usual distractions of people walking through the lanes and avenues. When I arrived, the light was excellent and really brought out the colours. I met up with fellow photographer Dave Wells, and we were able to compare notes as we took our pictures.
The wildflowers were spectacular.Colour contrasts in the field.
Unfortunately, a sunset never materialised. The sun disappeared behind clouds on the horizon, and rain arrived just as we were leaving. However, this did not dampen my enthusiasm for photographing the flowers. Enjoy the pictures—and I have provided links to previous visits to the Confetti Fields in 2023, 2020, 2019, and 2018.
I love linking pictures to songs from my youth, and Talking Heads were a big influence on my musical tastes after seeing them back in 1978 at the then Manchester Polytechnic. Even more surprising was that the support band was Dire Straits—but I digress. The title of the song “(Nothing but) Flowers” ties in nicely with the following set of photographs.
A dark approach to the series.
I am not the best gardener, but I do enjoy taking pictures of flowers—both cultivated and wild varieties. With the fine weather, spring has arrived and many of the flowers in my garden are in full bloom. I was keen to take pictures of them but with a slight twist in composition. With photography, setting yourself a mini project is fun. My aim with this set of pictures was to complete a macro series looking closely at the flowers in my garden.
Unsure what is happening here but fun to photograph.
I have a 100mm Canon macro lens set up with a ring flash, and it works well on my Canon 5D Mk IV. I was taught by the best how to use ring flash photography for my dentistry work, and this Canon macro setup has served me well over the years. My settings for this series were aperture f/22, shutter speed 1/100 sec, and ISO 100. Flash power varied between 1/1 and ¼ depending on the available light. I prefer the manual flash setting for this work as I am able to control the amount of light on the subject.
A dramatic clash of colours.
Composition: I aimed to photograph the flowers in my garden from an above point of view. By firing the flash directly at the flower, I would illuminate the centre, with the light falling off around the edges to create a black vignette. The pictures are full of contrast, and the colours are vivid. I like the effect, and I used the circular design of the flowers to fill the square crop.
the symmetry and geometry of nature.
I enjoyed this experimental approach to using the ring flash in this way and appreciated the sharpness and contrast in the images. Maybe next time, I will look out for some small insects to interact with the flowers. Nature certainly knows how to put on a good show—with beautiful symmetry and geometric design.
Intense yellow colours on a white background.
These pictures were of my flowers taken in my back garden. I also mentioned that I enjoyed pictures of wildflower landscapes. Please visit my link below to see a beautiful poppy field in Kinver, Staffordshire.
IgersbirminghamUK were contacted by the National Trust to ask if we were interested in holding an Instameet at Coughton Court. This approach is part of the National Trust’s summer campaign to bring people together to explore their properties and enjoy the outdoors. This aligns with the IgersbirminghamUK group which aims to organise photographic Instameets with the aim of photographing and enjoying a day out at different locations.
Scaffolding around the historic Tudor building.
Coughton Court is a historic Tudor House and is undergoing an extensive program of repairs to the roof of the building. The cost of these repairs is £3.3 million and the conservation project will finish in 2025. During the building work, parts of the house remain open to the public.
Hard hats and high visibility vests. IgersbirminghamUK photographers ready to go “Through the roof”.
We gathered at the property early on a Sunday morning in August. The often-photographed building looked so different with the scaffolding and plastic sheeting covering the brickwork. Our National Trust host, Gum, gave a warm welcome and outlined the plans for the day. After introductions and the obligatory picture, we split into two groups of 10. One group visited the house whilst the other climbed the scaffolding to review the restoration project. Both groups then swapped over.
Beautiful views from the top.Looking out towards the Birmingham Road.Dropping a penny from the viewing platform.Details of the repairs on the Tower roof.
There are 88 steps up to the Visitor Viewing Platform. We donned blue protective hats and hi-vis yellow jackets and then we made the journey to the top. On the way up, we began to see the beautiful Warwickshire countryside. There were many photographs to be taken of the unique views of the house and the surrounding estate. The view of the restoration work on the roof of the tower showed the extensive renovations being done. I have climbed the tower in previous years and this view was different to what has gone before. I have photographs taken before the restoration, but to see the stonework close up was very exciting. The drop penny shute was fun especially as James had a coin to drop into it. Whilst the views made it tempting to linger around the top of the tower, there was another group waiting to go up and there was still the house to visit.
A view of the ceiling in the entrance hall
The “Through the roof” project is highlighted throughout the house and we were shown around via the temporary entrance to the main hallway. Everything looks different to what I am normally used to as the restoration of Coughton Court is extensive and involves several areas. Some of the rooms are inaccessible and others have furniture stored away. There is a feel of a family house undergoing decoration, as items are cleared away, although this is on a much grander scale than your average family house! There are informative displays throughout the large room that normally has a grand table set out for dinner. One of the most impressive areas was the lounge. The National Trust has taken the opportunity to lower the chandeliers to allow cleaning of these intricate beautiful creations. There were a few more rooms to pass through and then it was out to the gardens. The house visit was a new experience and as photographers we were getting a feast of opportunities for pictures.
New displays of the different rooms undergoing restoration.Storage room with ceiling decorations and other items carefully stored away.Lego men helping with the work.The chandeliers are at ground level allowing detailed inspection and cleaning.Crystals and family photographs.ChandelierPiano and notices
The gardens were looking beautiful and the lime tree walks lead out to the large green space. Looking back there are views of the building, although this time it is covered up for the restoration work. As I made my way up to the river Arrow, I saw the stalls for Myton Hospice who have a summer display along the river. Along the west riverbank, there are numerous butterflies planted along the waterside as memorials to loved ones. These lead onto the footbridge and the riverwalk. There is so much to explore at Coughton Court and each visit is a different experience.
The rear view of the Tudor house under renovation.The butterfly display by Myton Hospice on the river banks.
There was still one more treat in store as we were given an early access to the walled garden. This was a wonderful opportunity to view the various ‘rooms’ of this extensive garden without too many people spoiling the picture. There are several picturesque views and the flowers were in full bloom. There were many bees out and about especially on the lavender borders. I took many pictures in the garden and I noticed that many other photographers were doing the same thing. I particularly liked the quirky growth on the Lysimachia flowers. They resembled ducks with their crooked growth. After taking our fill of the gardens, we retired to the outside courtyard for a well-deserved coffee break. There was a quick review of our pictures and the we said our goodbyes.
The water feature within the walled garden with St Peter’s church in the background.Bees on the lavenderLysimachia
The National Trust is highlighting the importance of take time out of our busy lives to reconnect with nature. This reminds us of how beautiful nature is and the joy and happiness that it can bring. This IgersbirminghamUK Instameet was an opportunity to do just this and we wish to thank the National Trust for allowing us to visit Coughton Court. Thanks to Nicky Warwickshire of the IgersbirminghamUK team for organising the Instameet.
Thanking Gum and her team for allowing us to spend time in Coughton Court. We loved our time and the opportunity to take photographs.
If you enjoyed this report on the IgersbirminghamUK meeting or wish to visit other National Trust properties I have put links to other blog entries below.
The Leamington Spa poppy field sprung up in June 2021. At the time I was just so happy that the field was near to home. I remember going to the field one barmy summer’s evening to take photographs. The light was beautiful and the field was so colourful with the poppies swaying in the gentle breeze. I stayed there late into the evening well after sunset taking many pictures. I wrote a blog about my time there. One of my pictures was of several poppies standing proud against the colourful sky. One picture from that evening at Leamington Spa became a slow burner. I had two requests from charitable organisations wishing to use the picture to advertise their remembrance day activities. In 2023, I decided to enter the International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) award. Many of my poppy field photographs were appropriate for the Wildflower Landscapes category. I entered pictures from my visits to Worcestershire last year and with one entry to complete, I selected the Leamington Spa poppy field picture. I was surprised and pleased that this was the picture that was shortlisted. Then I was more pleased that the picture was highly commended in the final judging. This slow burner of a picture had done well and is now included in my slowly increasing portfolio of competition successes.
Well done to the winners and all the other entrants. This link opens up the Wildflower landscape awards section of the competition.
I can remember taking this picture and the composition was different to my normal views of wildflowers. I had deliberately taken a low down viewpoint and used an onboard flash to pick out the flowers. Initially I was unsure of the picture and almost disowned the view. However, common sense prevailed and I posted the picture on my blog and social media accounts. I was taken aback that I had requests from different charitable organisations that wished to use the picture in promoting remembrance day events. When the time came to enter IGPOTY, I chose to add this picture to my portfolio. Even though the picture was taken two years ago, I thought it may catch the eye of the judges. The picture received a highly commendation award and I received many good wishes from friends about the picture. What can I say about providing advice about your photographic work. Never give up on your work. Most of my pictures are taken for personal enjoyment. I also enjoy the feedback from family and friends who enjoy seeing my pictures. Also remember that what you may think is not ideal may strongly resonate with other people. Finally think differently. By all means take the pictures that look like they are from a postcard but they do not necessarily win competitions. Something quirky or a scene that has not been photographed before will generate interest. Such pictures are more difficult to find but if you keep looking you will find them!
This is my original post from the poppy field in Leamington Spa. A special evening.
There is a rush of colour to the eyes when you first see the Confetti Fields in Wick near Pershore. The family have been going to the fields since 2018 and every time the colours of the flowers surprise me. The delphinium flowers are white, purple, pink, or lilac blue. They are set out in lines along the field in a regimented style. Nature has a few quirks as in each line of colour there is some cross contamination that adds a small local contrast of colour. One line is of mixed colour and then around the edges are wildflower displays which add another touch of contrast. The family enjoy the day out to the fields and on arrival we walk to the top of the field before slowly making our way back through the paths created in the lines of flowers. Along the way there are lengthy stops for photographs. The viewing platform provides an overall view of the whole field and my grandchildren enjoy the trip up the steps to see the colourful flowers up high.
A happy granddaughter in the fieldsSelfie taking in the fieldsThe fields are great for those extra special family portraits.
This year I brought along my 85mm portrait lens, and it proved to be a big success in the family portraits. The lens gives a superb focus and a nice bokeh to the pictures. Having taken in the flower fields, we walk past the refreshments to the car. We learnt long ago that buying bunches of delphiniums cause problems. They look delightful to begin with but rapidly shed their petals when placed in a flower vase.
More colourful pictures of the Confetti fields.Matching colours
Every year we have a picnic ready for the park in Pershore which is near to the Abbey. However, this year our visit clashed with a brass band festival. Everywhere was busy and there were no parking places available. We were very disappointed. As we headed out of Pershore, my daughter and I remembered a small car park that we had driven past near to the old Pershore bridge. We pulled into the car park and found spaces. There were also picnic benches. A bonus included a viewing platform overlooking the river Avon. The platform was between the new and old bridge and allowed us to view people kayaking on the river. As several narrowboats passed by, the grandchildren were able to wave to the people on board. Whilst we were on the platform, I met Rob preparing his kayak for a paddle on the river Avon. My picture shows him setting up his kayak surrounded by the other equipment laid out on the viewing platform.
Waving to the narrowboats passing by.
The historic Pershore bridge, which is now pedestrian only, has so much history attached to it. In 1413, the abbot of Pershore Abbey lost his life here on the old wooden bridge, The monks rebuilt it in stone. During the English Civil war, the King ordered the bridge to be destroyed to prevent the advancing Parliamentarian army from crossing it. The demolition, led by a Major Bridge, went disastrously wrong leading to the deaths by drowning of 40 Royalist soldiers. In World War 2 ,the bridge was fortified in the event of a German invasion.
Rob preparing his Kayak for the river.
Now the place is a picnic area and Rob can kayak peacefully beyond the bridge from Pershore to Evesham.
I brought along an old Polaroid Pogo allowing the pictures to be printed on the spot.
The family loved the day as can be seen from the photographs. If you want to learn more about our day out then I have provided some links below
I also recorded past visits to the Confetti fields in 2020, 2019, and 2018. Pictures from 2021 and 2022 were featured on my Flickr and Instagram accounts.
Maxstoke Castle is very distinctive built in red brick with all the requirements for being a castle on the checklist. There are walls and towers with a large moat circling the building. Inside there are living quarters and gardens. Maxstoke is said to be very unusual because the castle is still the same as when it was built in 1345. During the English Civil War the castle was used as a garrison by the Parliamentary troops and did not sustain any damage. Situated near to Coleshill in the green belt between Birmingham and Coventry, Maxstoke castle is now privately owned. I learnt that there is a strong connection between Maxstoke and Packwood house which happened when there was a marriage between the two families in the 18th Century. Most of the information about the castle can be gleaned from the internet. However what really fascinated me was the majestic appearance of the castle and I was very keen to photograph the place.
Looking up at the front towers of the entrance.Detail of the house in the central courtyardRoses and windows
The castle opens up for one day a year for local charities which this year were the Coleshill Parish Church restoration project and the National Gardens Scheme. The day was very hot and when we arrived, there were queues outside the entrance. We were advised to return in 20 minutes so we took time to stroll around nearby Shustoke reservoir. When we came back to the entrance, we were initially worried that we would not get in again but lucky the gates opened. The entrance to the castle is very photogenic as the trees lead you to the castle and the view opens up to show the grand architecture. I moved to the left and found a view which captured the reflections of the castle in the moat with the water lilies creating a foreground feature. Once we had stocked up with drinking water and cake, we began exploring. My grandson immediately noticed the damsel files and dragonflies darting around the edges of the moat. There was a lady painting the castle in watercolours and I am not sure how she kept her concentration with all the questions from passersby. Inside the castle, there was a chance to see the various treasures in the house but the queue was long and there will always be next year to prioritise this when visiting. Instead we wandered around the castle admiring the gardens and the views.
Steampunk in the castleWith a friend in the sunPainting the castle
There were many people at the castle and there was an eye catching group of Seam Punks who were dressed in bright clothes. They just love having their photograph taken with the castle as a backdrop. I enjoyed the day even though the sun was strong creating difficult shadows for the camera.
View of the moatClimbing roses on the castle walls.Queues for the house tours.Noah holding a Steampunk ogre (pic by Katie Morgan)
On the way out, there was a display of MG cars from a local owners club. The two yellow MGs looked amazing although the others did not disappoint.
Noah, my grandson with Teddy Bear and a red MG.MG sports carMG sports car decked out with Union Jacks.
If you like my pictures and blog then keep a look out for the open day next year. The castle is worth visiting and as mentioned the entrance fee helps several local charities. As a family, we enjoyed the day and my grandson loved seeing the damsel flies, pretending to live in the castle and seeing the sports cars. He even got to hold one of the Steampunk ogres!
Visitors to the castle.The long entrance driveway to Maxstoke Castle.
You may wish to read my visit to Kenilworth Castle which is not so far away and owned by English Heritage.
As the weather improves and spring is well established, there are lots more opportunities to photograph gardens. One of the best gardens to visit in Birmingham is Winterbourne House. This Edwardian house and garden have a captivating charm. The House was originally owned by the Nettlefold family and has a long history. The House and Gardens are owned by the University of Birmingham. The house has been restored to what it would have been like at the time of the Nettlefold family. The gardens that surround the house are an example of Edwardian living and several acres are planned out to take advantage of the lay of the land. There are several areas including the walled garden, a lime walk, a rhododendron walk and a glass house area. At the furthest end of the garden is the Japanese bridge and sandstone rock garden. All through the gardens is the influence of the Edwardian approach to design and then there are quirky structures created by the University of Birmingham during its ownership.
The Gardens
The classic view of the Edwardian house from the Nut walk.The Japanese garden bridge in Black and White.A place to rest and admire the garden.The bluebell walk adjacent to Winterbourne.
Glass Houses and Alpine Garden
Flowers in the glasshouse. (Trailing ice plant)Golden Barrel cactus.Thread agaveCacti symmetry (Old Lady Cactus)Cacti Shapes (Euphorbia)Spiny pincushion Cactus.Old Man Cactus
Winterbourne House
The house has been restored and the rooms reflect how an Edwardian family will have lived their lives in the building. There was ample opportunity to view the bedrooms and admire the collections of belongings including children’s toys.
View from a window.Edwardian ToysThe maids roomA mirrored viewThe main room in the house.Top of the stairs
More views around the Gardens
ColoursColoursColoursRhododendronsColours in the water of the sandstone rock pools.Detail in the greenhousePathway to the garden.
There were around 20 IgersbirminghamUK photographers and we all enjoyed taking the photographs and also meeting each other to have a chat and catch up on the world of photography. Many of us met at the terrace for a cup of tea and a chat before moving on to the rest of the weekend. These are a selection of my pictures and I would encourage you to view other photographers pictures which are posted on Instagram. Thank you to Winterbourne House and the University of Birmingham for allowing us to visit the gardens.
Follow the tags #igersbirminghamUk, #igbUk_meet_winterbourne and #winterbourneHG.
I have two other posts on Winterbourne one written before the Pandemic and the other when the house reopened after the Lockdowns. They give more insights into this wonderful place in Edgbaston.
I had the opportunity to take pictures during a recent visit to the streets and canals of Utrecht
Utrecht in the Netherlands was the base for the Ultrasonics Industry Association conference. My research group were presenting at the international conference and I was there to support their activities. We stayed in the Karel V hotel which has a picturesque view of the adjacent canal. There were many opportunities in the early morning or during conference breaks to explore the streets and canals. This Dutch city is very photogenic and I had brought along my Fujifilm x100v to accompany my iPhone13 for the photographs. For the readers of this blog, I will just show a selection of the many pictures that I took during my short stay. At the end of the blog, I have provided some links to Utrecht which provide ideas for your travel to this ever-surprising city.
Early morning in Utrecht.Another early morning view.Canal reflections.A nod to Greek architecture.Flowers, bikes and the canals.Canal scene in black and white.WindmillReal and unreal.Reflections.StreetlifeThe train station.More canal scenes in UtrechtThe Utrechts Conservatorium and part of the Utrecht School of the ArtsBiking over the canals of Utrecht.The holocaust memorial to people murdered in Utrecht during WWII.
So many pictures of this city and here are some more from both iPhone and camera.
Who doesn’t love the sight of bluebells gently swaying in the breeze. Many of our ancient woodlands are at risk by the creeping threat of development and that is why I support the annual Bluebell Wood Fundraising Open Day in the Heart of England Forest. Conserving our woodlands for future generations is very much a priority. Great Alne Woodland is just off Spurnal Lane, and is a part of a Natural Burial Ground. The ancient wood has a stunning display of bluebells at the end of April and is open to visitors for two days.
A typical woodland scene with bluebells.Bluebell carpet running up the hill.Bluebells gather around a fallen tree.Bluebells with a scattering of white bluebell flowers.
My daughter loves visiting this quiet and picturesque woodland and there are so many good photographic opportunities. I brought along my camera equipment and found that the early morning light was perfect. The contrast of blue and green is a joy to see and photograph. My lensball was also put to good use for a few pictures. A useful photographic tip for maximising the benefit of your lensball is to use your macro lens for the pictures. This technique works a treat.
Using my lensball in the bluebell forest.
My 52 week project challenge was bokeh and the bluebells provided several opportunities to focus on the flowers with a wide open lens (f/2.8). This throws the background out of focus producing lovely Bokeh.
A bluebell with a blue background.
During my visit to the woodland, I met Toby, who is the organiser of this charity event. He kindly agreed to have his picture taken and be part of my 100 strangers project which is slowly moving forward on my Flickr pages.
This is Toby who organises the Bluebell charity walk.
The organisation of the day is excellent. The walk starts in the car park and takes you through the woodland with some well positioned spots for those important selfies. I noticed that the event is becoming more popular but via the use of ticketing, our family took part in the walk and did not meet many other people. For a short time, the woodland was ours to enjoy and we were able to take in the sights of those beautiful bluebells. My grandson loves the place as you can see from the following pictures.
A boy and his dog.A portrait in the bluebell forest.
Using a ring flash in dentistry was second nature. Having learnt how to photograph the teeth and other structures around the mouth, macro was second nature. There were two good mentors to my macro photography. A medical photographer at Wordsley hospital. I can not remember her name and Wordsley hospital is no more. However she instilled a discipline and love of macro photography. Then there was Mike Sharland at Birmingham Dental School. He set up your camera and showed you how to gently rock back and forth using manual focus. The settings were Manual Flash half a second, aperture f/22, shutter speed 1/200s and an ISO 100. These are your go to settings and then you can experiment from here.
Close up of a wild Daffodil.Wild DaffodilsHellebores.
Gardens are just great places for macro weather you want to photograph flowers or insects such as bees and butterflies. I dusted off my macro lens with ring flash and wandered around the garden. For this series of photographs, I find the way that the subject is illuminated and the background is dark attractive. There is little in the way of distracting background around. Hope you enjoy these photographs of flowers. By the way, if you are like me and do not know the name of the flowers then there is a very good app, PictureThis, that takes a picture and hey presto the name of the flower is revealed.
Daffodils and HyacinthsCommon Hyacinth.Grape hyacinth.Forget me not (Siberian bugloss)
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