Trees in the Fog, Hay Wood, December 2024

The dull and gloomy weather over Christmas has led to several fog-drenched mornings, which have lingered throughout the day. For photographers, such conditions are ideal for adding atmosphere to compositions. I set off towards Baddesley Clinton, where the presence of the canal network generally guarantees fog. I drove to Hay Wood but stopped by the entrance to Baddesley Clinton on the way to take a picture of the tree-lined entrance. Another good spot is the public footpath on Netherwood Lane. Here, the line-up of trees with a hedge is the perfect location for a sunset picture in the summer. In the winter, the branches add different shapes to the landscape. The fog provided an eerie landscape.

Trees in the Fog, near Baddesley Clinton, December 2024
Windows in the fog. (Footpath off Netherwood Lane, near to Baddesley Clinton.)
Tree lined entrance to Baddesley Clinton, December 2024
Entrance to Baddesley Clinton with dog walker.

Hay Wood has featured in my blog over the years. There are several places in the woods that I like to visit. In spring, there is one area with a carpet of bluebells, and I wondered how it would look in the fog. I brought my tripod with me, and most of the pictures were taken using a long exposure setting, especially in the woods where the light was poor. There was some colour from the remaining leaves. The last few pictures show the oranges and greens of the wood.

Hay Wood in the fog, December 2024
Dancing Branches in the foggy landscape.
Hay Wood in the fog, December 2024
Trees standing in the fog.
Hay Wood, December 2024
Colours of winter in Hay Wood
Hay Wood, December 2024
Orange and green colours in the woodland.

I am pleased that the pictures worked out because I got a flat tyre on the way back and had to wait two hours for the recovery man to arrive. However, I was soon back home editing the pictures. You will see that I varied my black-and-white treatments, either adding a high-key effect or using lots of contrast.

Trees in the Fog, Hay Wood, December 2024
The Escape route, Hay Wood.

These are my settings for each of the pictures, tripod used where stated:-

The Escape Route
f/11, 0.4s, ISO 100 – Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF 70-200mm – Tripod
Windows in the fog.
f/11, 0.3s, ISO 100 Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF 70-200mm – Tripod
Entrance to Baddesley Clinton
F/5.6, 1/125, ISO 320 – Fujifilm x100vi
Dancing branches.
f/11, 1s, ISO 100 Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF 24-70mm – Tripod
Trees standing in the fog
F/5.6, 1/125, ISO 320 – Fujifilm x100vi
Colours of winter
F/5.6, 1/100, ISO 2000 – Fujifilm x100vi
Orange and green
F/11, 0.5s, ISO 125 – Fujifilm x100vi – Tripod

As I mentioned Hay Wood has featured before in my blog and the landscape is transformed in Spring

Bluebells, Hay Wood, Near Baddesley Clinton, April 2024

The bluebell season is here and is earlier than normal.  Usually the flowers are in full bloom around the May Bank holiday weekend.  This year their arrival appears to be 1 to 2 weeks early.  A blue carpet of bluebells is always stunning especially when set against the backdrop of the woodland.  This year I went to Hay Wood as a fellow photographer had taken a picture of the blue carpets of flowers and the scene looked stunning.  

Bluebells, Hay Wood, Near Baddesley Clinton, April 2024
The blue carpet of bluebells.

Hay Wood is part of Forestry England and is a small wood which is near to Baddesley Clinton. The latter is an outstanding National Trust property which is always lovely to visit. We are fortunate to have Hay Wood nearby.  The bluebells appear on specific patches to the east and west parts of the woodland.  The easterly display was at its peak and even though I was there around midday, the light was wonderful.  The new shoots of green leaves glistened in the sun and the bluebells contrasted against the trees rising upwards.  

Bluebells, Hay Wood, Near Baddesley Clinton, April 2024
Light and shadows highlighting the scene.
Bluebells, Hay Wood, Near Baddesley Clinton, April 2024
Bluebells around the trees.

The bluebells to the west of the wood looked beautiful and they were still flowering.  More photographs of the blue carpet were taken.  The western part of the wood has a public footpath that links with St Michael’s church that is adjacent to the Baddesley Clinton estate.  I visited the church as there is the opportunity to take a picture of the bluebells in the foreground and the church providing the background interest.

Bluebells, Hay Wood, Near Baddesley Clinton, April 2024
A solitary bluebell plant with a backdrop of green and blue.
Bluebells, Hay Wood, Near Baddesley Clinton, April 2024
Old tree trunks add interest to the scene.
Bluebells, Hay Wood, Near Baddesley Clinton, April 2024
Muddy paths led to the bluebells.
Bluebells, Hay Wood, Near Baddesley Clinton, April 2024
St Michael’s Church, Baddesley Clinton with bluebells.

All these pictures were taken with my Fujifilm x100vi and  I bracketed the exposure of the pictures.  The 3 photographs were merged with the HDR function in Lightroom.  Some adjustments of the shadows and highlights plus dodging and burning were made.

If you enjoyed these pictures of the bluebells then please follow the links below to see previous entries in my blog.

Hay Wood Adventure

Forestry England have a number of woodlands located across the West Midlands and my closest one, Hay Wood, is located near Baddesley Clinton. I have been a number of times and always found it a wonderful place to visit. It is best described as a peaceful ancient woodland site with a great diversity of wildlife. Usually I have walked around or cycled into the Wood via bike.

Hay Wood
A beautiful day in Hay Wood

When walking, I have usually stayed around the front part of the forest near to the road as it is a bit of a hike into the far end of the wood. This time I wanted to delve deeper into the wood and therefore walked up to he end of the central road and instead of going left or right at the end, heading into the deeps of the wood. It had been raining heavily the night before and I started to regret my decision as the going was very soft and wet. There were old tractor grooves which allowed you to walk on the ridge away from the water.

Hay Wood
Sunlight streams down

Deeper into the forrest the light became more interesting. The sun came out and there were small pockets of light that managed to get through the trees. I encountered a young conifer and it was bathed in light which made for a good photograph. The dying ferns had turned a yellow orange colour and added an interesting layer to the forrest floor. It appeared to be a carpet of colour.

Hay Wood
A new hope in the Forrest

It was very difficult moving through this part of the wood and after a while I made my way to the roads where it was obviously much easier to move around. I took a selection of pictures and they show the light and colour of the forest.

Hay wood
Sunlight above, water below

The web site encourages you to escape to Hay Wood for your next forest adventure. Whether walking or riding, Hay Wood is the perfect place to get away from it all and relax. I could not agree more.

Hay Wood
Paths in the Woodland
Hay Wood
Mos growing on logs of wood
Hay Wood
Hay Wood Colours