Mistletoe – Jennie Meadows MA Photography

AGM62 Bushy Park Hawthorns 5 December 2020

The intention behind today’s shoot was to try out the tripod and different aspect ratios. I also wanted to experiment further with the 85mm lens. The light wasn’t the best, but after three days of being stuck inside, it felt good to get outside.

I initially set up the tripod quite low to get the right aspect, but it was proving difficult to the see the screen. When using the camera in portrait, the viewing screen at the back of the camera doesn’t articulate vertically. This means the screen can’t be seen easily at that angle. The aspect ratio for the following is 5:4.

Despite this frustration, I tried the other aspect ratios settings from one position.

Note to self, if I change aspect ratio, change the camera position and recompose. Also, looking at the 16:9 image, I need to keep an eye out for passing birds and planes in the sky when taking a shot.

I then set the camera back to 5:4 and took the following using the tripod.

What struck me about these particular trees is the missing branches. In hindsight, what could work is composing the image as if these missing pieces were actually present.

I then focused on one of my favourite hawthorns. This is the first time I used the 85mm lens and tripod capturing this tree. Again, trying to find the right horizon using the tripod at a low angle was getting to be frustrating. As such, I removed the camera off the tripod and took some close up shots.

By this time I was starting to get a bit disheartened. I took these shots, but I didn’t feel particularly inspired. What I was starting to realise that there was no spark of ‘Jennie’ in my shots. Nothing that would ‘identify’ these images with me as the photographer. I also wasn’t experiencing that surge of excitement that I get when being creative. Time to stop and have a cup of tea. Only one place to sit…

While contemplating what I should do next, I remembered that I had installed the Nikon Snap Bridge app on my smartphone. This enables the camera to be connected to the smartphone via WiFi, so you can see what the camera is viewing. The shot is then taken by pressing the smartphone screen, not the camera button. These are the shots I took while sitting on the bench.

I started with a conventional composition then tried different angles just to see what would be the result. One thing I did notice is that there is a slight delay between moving the camera and this adjustment appearing on the smartphone screen. This does help in slowing down the process.

Next, I went for a wander in the Woodland Gardens to finish off my flask of tea with some ginger biscuits. After this break, I went back to the line of hawthorns nearby and took the following shots.

At this stage, I was still trying to work out the best approach. I knew it was probably staring me in the face, I just needed to see it.

AGM62 Bushy Park 16 October 2020

With the words ‘take more photographs’ ringing in my ears, it was back to the park. My intention was to take shots of the trees with the sunlight shining through the Autumn colours. However, I was thwarted by the clouds and a grey sky. As a result, I resorted to focusing on observations and sub-conscious feelings.

My first stop was Chestnut Avenue.

I then stopped to take some further images through the Split tree:

Instead of heading to Woodland Gardens, I then took a detour to a copse that I only explored recently.

This is how it looks from the inside (smartphone shot).

I was using my 24mm-70mm lens at this stage and took some initial shots at 53mm.

I then set the lens at 70mm.

I then had an idea. What would it look it if I stood in the middle of the copse and took a series of images on the ’round’. I took two sets of these in two different locations using the 70mm lens setting.

Set 1

Set 2

I then walked towards Woodland Gardens, but before entering I took a couple of shots of these trees

According to the Royal Parks’ website, Bushy Park is one of the best sites in London for mistletoe. This parasitic plant is rare or absent in the the other Royal Parks and it grows very well on Limes and Hawthorns.