I have, in the last couple of months, been browsing instagram after a couple of years away. Since I’ve been back there have been a few phases of UK imagery with heather a common theme currently. And why not? Looks great and it can be twinned with strong subjects – rock formations in Yorkshire / Dartmoor / Peak District or hearty trees - though frequently there only seems to be a spindly birch available as subject / background interest.

Anyway at the beginning of August I went down to the New Forest for a reccy and, whilst too early for good heather, I did find a new potential image close to an area I already know and have shot. I went back in late August for a lovely dawn shoot with a few images in my head that I wanted to shoot with a view to making some new cards and prints. First off was the new location – for the rising sun. I am Pleased with this and I think a cropped version may make a good card.

Then back to the location I have shot before which involves, not a spindly birch but a handsome Scots Pine. I wanted the slightly elevated viewpoint of a drone and noone was around so I was happy to fly and the scene looked great.

I have also been after a ‘New Forest Pony in the Heather’ image. A pair was feeding a hundred yards away so (you can see the white dots in the drone photo) and, having fortunately packed my 100-400, I was able to get some shots I was pleased with and I think will also make a good card.

New Forest pony in the heather - nowt much more summer than that!

The final image I wanted was a lovely green fern in the heather. There were plenty of ferns around but finding the right shape, without brown tinges, in the right light was proving elusive and the images were looking bland. I then came across ‘Heather in a fern in heather’. I like it. Finally I found a particularly fine bush and took a simple shot of pure heather. Not a card (too detailed and busy) but an interesting natural pattern.