The Story behind Woodland Waking

Most of my photography is captured at the beginning of the day, it is my favourite time.

I love that special moment when the sun rises, watching the soft light of dawn spill across the land and transform the natural world. It really is magical and I never tire of the experience.

This image ‘Woodland Waking’ was taken on a quiet September morning. The day dawned chilly and heavy with mist. The heath at Upper Hollesley Common was perfectly still when I arrived about half an hour before sunrise. I have been to this location many times, it is right on my doorstep, and I feel I know it really well.

Walking form the car park I headed to the edge of the wood where I knew the sun would rise behind the trees. I was hoping that the mist would create a mysterious mood to any compositions I found.

The summer of 2022 had been unusually dry and very hot and most of the heather on the heath had not flowered. But approaching the wood I was greeted by a fantastic display of colour. Water droplets hung from all the branches and spiders webs glistened with diamanté dew drops. The heath looked magical.

In the bushes stonechats called, a sound reminiscent of banging stones and to my right a group of fallow deer ambled towards the trees. There was no one else around to break the silence or the magical spell that the woodland had cast.

I set up my tripod and waited for the sun to rise, capturing my shot just as the woodland was waking.

‘Woodland Waking’ is available as a limited edition print. You can find more information here >>