Photography Archives - Darren Wheeler

Time for some actual photographs

In the middle of July we took a trip out to the Cotswolds for couple of days to explore.

We’d tried in 2017 but the combination of a wet weekend and abandoning a stay at a hotel meant we had to cancel the trip. This time was much more successful with clear skies and warm temperatures. Our choice of hotel was the Premier Inn in Cirencester. Great location on the southern edge and easy to reach via M4 and A419. More importantly, a comfy bed.

First stop after collecting some picnic provisions was Cotswold Lavender at Snowhill. The farm is only open to visitors from beginning of June to beginning of August as this is when the lavender is flower. Entry price is £4 for adults, £2 for children under 15 and under 2’s go free. There is a ticket hut by the entrance which only takes cash, but if you want to use a card, the gift shop and cafe will accept them. Parking is included.

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When you enter the lavender farm, you’re greeted by a sea of purple flowering lavender. The scent is quite subtle as it takes some refining to get the much more heady oil.

A word of warning. The flowers are a popular source of nectar for bees and there is low buzz across the fields as thousands of them come to feed. You’ll mostly see honey bees and their larger cousins, the bumblebee. You will also find miner bees too. We we not bothered by them but it may not be suitable for anyone who is allergic to bee stings. As with most animals, if you leave them alone, they’ll leave you alone.

In between the beds of lavender there are sections of wild flowers growing. These are used to rotate the fields to ensure the lavender keeps growing without over-taxing the soil. Again, the bees were making the most of the bounty.

The farm is about an hours visiting time unless you go to the gift shop and tea room. We didn’t so I cannot comment on what it’s like. We then headed into Bourton-on-the-Water of a late lunch, a wander and of course, an ice cream.

We found a car park by Birdworld that was pretty busy but had spaces. We expected to pay a small fortune to park but after 3pm the parking is free and before 3pm, £3 for 3 hours. This seems to be the way the council have set the parking. Going for volume over price.

As it was only 3.30pm, the village was still quite busy with the tea rooms, cafes and bars doing a brisk trade in the sun. The River Windrush runs through the centre of the village and the water is sallow enough and clean enough to allow you paddle in it to cool your feet off and quite a few visitors were taking advantage.

Lunch was a mix of side orders taken in The Duke of Wellington pub. Nothing too heavy and filling enough.

When we came out, the village had quietened down considerable and some shops had started to close up for the day. As we headed back to the car it was ice cream time and we chose Green & Pleasant Tea Rooms that serve Winstones ice cream. Being a bit partial to it, I had a salted caramel in a chocolate waffle cone. Very nice it was too. Back in the car park, it had significantly emptied out.

The evening was spent waiting for sunset at Broadway Tower.

Technically you need a ticket to access the land but at 8.30 in the evening, the place is closed and the gate shut. OS maps show a bridleway from the road to the tower. It looks like the landowners are chancing it that people don’t know the right of way exists. While my girlfriend stayed at the tower to take photos, I headed Northwest to get a shot looking across to Evesham. A combination of cloud and sun position didn’t quite pan out, but below is one of the shots I got.

While the landscapes failed, I did manage to get some shots of a young Roe Deer buck with all the velvet still on his antlers, indicating that the annual rut hadn’t started. Unfortunately the light was seriously failing now so we called it a night.

Next morning it was a trip to the village of Bibury.

Bibury was described by William Morris as ‘the most beautiful village in England’. Within Bibury you also have what is thought to be the ‘most photographed scene in the Cotswold’. I refer to Arlington Row, a group of weavers cottages that have been used in films such as ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’ and it features on the inside front cover of the UK passport. The cottages are now managed by National Trust and if you are lucky enough, you can book to stay in No.9.

Best advice I can give is if you want to see them and photograph the cottages before it gets too busy, get there early. We arrived at 8.30 and had the place to ourselves. A few of the local residents were up and about but unconcerned with out presence. A cheery “good morning” was reciprocated.

Later in the day, we happened to pass by again and it was a lot busier, and this was a weekday.

Throughout the village residents has resorted to putting up signs to indicate that the gardens of houses are private. Like below, some are universal but the three languages you see the most are Mandarin, Japanese and Korean. Living in a place such as Bibury does have it’s challenges.

Finally, no mention of Bibury would be complete without a mention of the ‘yellow car’.

The gentleman who lives in one of the cottage had a yellow car that he, quite legally, parked outside is home. In this world of Insta-celebs and ‘#forthegram’ it was clearly too much for someone and they took it upon themselves to vandalise the car, scratching “MOVE’ into the paintwork because, in their opinion, it running the view.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-38867290

Mr Maddox had promised to replace the car with a lime green one. As of July 2018 that hasn’t happened and his current car is a grey colour albeit with yellow seat covers. No doubt that’s not good enough for some…

All is not without hope though. A group of yellow car owners organised a rally in support of Mr Maddox.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-39456449

I’m not a professional photographer but when I’m out I try to focus on the task in hand much like a pro would. This means I’m in my own little world for the most part and often working against the clock. Even so, there are times when I get disrupted by someone nearby. So I thought I’d run through my pet hates when out.

They are in no particular order.

1. Asking and even demanding you take someone’s photo.

OK, firstly I don’t have a problem taking someone’s photo with their camera. Not everyone has a tripod with them or a 3rd person to do it and it’s nice to have couples photo at locations. That said, please don’t get the hump when I decline to do it when I’m busy. If I’m taking sunrise or sunset photos, the clock and the sun are against me and the sun will not wait. I’ll happily take it once I’ve done what I want and need to do. If I cannot, please be gracious about it, I’m not being deliberately unpleasant but my photos are my priority,

2. Being a gear bore.

Photographers can be some of the most gear-obsessed people about. Canon v Nikon. APS-C sensor vs Full Frame. Compact flash vs SD card. Taking an interest in your own kit is fine and nothing to be shamed of, but don’t stand behind another photographer and openly criticise their kit. It’s a total dick move. Maybe they’re on a budget. Maybe they shun modern digital and prefer film. Maybe they’re very lucky and are sponsored by a company so get to pick the very best. Worry about your own gear.

Please don’t try to engage in the merits of the very latest DSLR over the last model. Frankly, I don’t care. My kit works for me and that’s what counts. If you want to talk kit, go visit a photography show and corner someone at the trade stand. They’re paid to be there for just this reason.

3. Hands off!!

Unless you are explicitly invited to touch another photographers kit, don’t! Don’t get too close. Don’t breathe on it and keep your fingers to yourself. Most photographic gear is expensive and if you break any of it, you and I will have a problem that will only be solved by you handing over large amounts of cash.

4. “That’s a nice camera. I bet it takes great photos!

“Yes, I taught it all I know…” A seemingly innocent compliment that will get the back up any photographer. Great photography isn’t something you can just do. It takes time, practice and dedication. The camera is just a tool and it’s like saying to a chef “That saucepan must make your food taste good”. Photographers are often seen as ‘not a proper artist’ compared to painters, sculptors or someone who piled up bricks as art. Not many sculptors wake up at 3am, stand out in the pouring rain or biting cold for a few seconds where light and dark combine with a subject to create the desired effect.

5. Asking silly questions.

A classic example of this happened to me a few years ago in Canada. Stood on the shore of Lake Louise in Alberta with the camera pointing down the lake to the mountains beyond. Up walks a gent from a large tour group, looks at the camera, looks at me, looks back at camera and says in all seriousness “What you take photo of?” Say what now???

6. Respect the location and the moment

There are time when out on location are experience something that feels very spiritual on some level or leaves you in awe.

Watching sunrise over Monument Valley a few years back, the moment was shattered by loudmouth on their phone extolling the benefits of a Chevy Tahoe over a GMC Yukon (it’s the same car) while their camera was just clicking away on auto. Eventually someone ‘suggested’ that they be quiet or find another location but not so politely. I think you get the jist… Everything they had was top of the line and brand new, with the tripod still having the price tag on it. The only thing missing was the knowledge to use it.

Back to Canada, a couple of Chinese tourists getting closer and closer to a grizzly bear while trying to use their phone to get a shot. I suspect the next one was to be a selfie with said bear. Eventually their guide spotted what was happening and with what sounded like expletive laden Mandarin, the pair returned to the group, luckily in one piece. You could see the bear keeping a wary eye on them as they got closer and closer. Eventually the bear would either retreat in to the tree line, or more likely, charge them in the hope they were too slow before becoming a tasty snack.

If you see wildlife, especially large predators, keep your distance and don’t whistle, shout, clap your hands etc. etc. to get their attention. They can usually either see or smell you perfectly well.

7. Don’t set your tripod up on someone else’s shoulder.

If you arrive a location and someone else is stood where you want to be, accept it, be gracious and find your own spot. Don’t try to squeeze them out or get out in front. If they’re using an ultra wide angle lens, you will be in the shot. You never know, you might get a different perspective from your new spot.

8. You don’t own the location.

Pros; if you’re out on a commission and need your shot with absolutely no-one in it, speak to the landowners about exclusive access. Yes, it will cost you but will be totally worth it.

If you don’t want to pay, don’t try to dictate who can stand, walk or sit in a particular location. They have as much right as you to be there and by trying to keep them out of shot, you risk them trying to ruin every shot. Learn to be quick and time your shot.

So, there we are. If you think you do these, please don’t get cross but try to avoid doing them.

If you have any of your own, please post them in the comments and I’ll look at revising this in the future.

Category : Photography

A visit to the Cotswolds.

Photographers and their (my) pet hates.