Hawthorn III

Milvus 35/1.4 @f1.4, Nikon Z 6 The sun flickering through morning vapours, shortly after sunrise (today), most of the larger, older hawthorns’ bloom has faded and withered by now; chalk grassland. South East

Hawthorn II

Milvus 35/1.4 @f1.4 (Photomatix 3 exp/2.7 EV range), ND filter (shutter speed), Nikon Z 6 May chalk grassland (noontime); hawthorns are valuable melliferous shrubs for a vast array of pollen and nectar-feeding insects. Up close, the scent of the flowers is overpowering. This changes when mixed with the heavy smells of the spring meadow/woodland into a positive response for most. Its hardwood is good for polishing (think of a gem). In the background are sycamore maple trees. Data suggest they were introduced by man to all of the UK (beech, on the other hand, could have spread naturally as a marginal tree species much earlier). Where we grew up, sycamore (javor klen) forms native Klen Beech forests (klenové bučiny – from buk [tree]). They are higher-elevation trees. Here, skirting the meadows, there would normally be trees of willow family such as black poplar or aspen, or linden, oak, hornbeam, field maple and ash. The magnificent black poplar is part of programmes aimed at strengthening the native forests in the face of climate change (Wales). These resilient ecosystems (with self-supporting microclimates) were earlier disregarded as undesirable by a smart man and reduced to production plantations or decimated by equally unbounded hybridisation, both of which lead to genomic degradation of the survivors across the ‘modern world’. European sycamore, at least, seems to fit the British Isle’s unique woodlands fine. We can also presume the tree would spread in time naturally from the continent and grow in marginal niches.

Accentor

Nikkor 200-500 VR/TC 14 III @700mm, f8, ISO 280, Nikon Z 6 Slight crop, early spring in the chalk grasslands, sunlit; the hedge accentor is another of dense undergrowth dwellers, our favourite birds (also robin), you can catch a glimpse of it more often than the wren. The South East

Wren

Nikkor 200-500 VR/TC 14 III @700mm, f8, ISO 500, Nikon Z 6 Crop (APS-C), early afternoon; wrens rarely come into view or pause for a second, but we were lucky a few times, although it took more than three hours for this male to relax enough that we could see something more than an occasional mouse rustling in the undergrowth (more hearing) which is the tiny bird prime environment. In the meantime, we couldn’t get enough of the clicking sounds starlings are making during their courtship (like sperm whale clicks at very high frequency) and their magical whistling reminding of bird calls in Australia. Chalk grasslands (the South East)

Ten Thousand Butterflies

Nikkor 24-70/2.8 S @32mm, f2.8, ISO 500, Nikon Z 6 Afternoon, under a glass sheet (the reflection I didn’t manage to block) (Ceramic, Jingdezhen made) sewn onto an ancient linen model garment; Caroline Yi Cheng’s Mandarin Butterfly Series. The accompanying description also makes mention of Zhuangzi’s famous dilemma. As he knew, when it comes to butterflies, they are different in form but hardly any different in substance (that principle applies to people, too). I used to say (jokingly) that my favourite trousers were made in China quite some time ago. Over a decade, I spent time outdoors in four pairs of Wrangler jeans (a non-denim colour I preferred for looks) of one particular design that hasn’t changed to this day. Today they are still my favourite (normal) trousers and I have three weights in again non-denim, earthy colours (one wasn’t available on the US Wrangler page last time I looked). Both were created for work where friction, abrasion, rubbing and working with tools occur. I used them in all seasons (some oversized for layering) and they took on their own colour. Their practicality (breathable but wind-blocking) and particular comfort offset the shortcomings (slow-drying cotton). When the trousers got drenched, I threw them over the stove rack and put on another pair. Apart from a good feel (*fit and free movement for the non-stretch canvas) and keeping the elements at bay (and surviving a lot), the canvas gave excellent protection from cuts and scratches from sharp objects and tools rolling over the lap or flying chips, metal or wood. It was great for its self-refreshing ability (elasticity, damping/micro cushioning effects). They don’t look too different from the thousands of years old trousers found in western China. China is making many headlines in this part of the globe these days. It looks like the old habits could become obstacles to any good intentions for reducing mistrust built-up globally. London

Surrey Hills II

Sigma 100-400 OS C @195mm, f8 (Photomatix fusion Natural 2 exp/1.3 EV range), Nikon Z 6 Early October, evening haze, shot against the low sun Sheep spread across one of the pastures divided with old hedgerows in the distance (a house or barn near). Grasslands and pastures today diversify life in stressed ecosystems, maintain what’s left of them, and cumulatively support health where nature can be found.

Yew Forest III

Milvus 35/1.4 @f1.4 (Photomatix fusion Natural 4 exp/2.7 EV range), original vignetting, Nikon Z 6 Early afternoon, end of September; Single subject detail, portrait or extract, and sometimes also compression (from the lens compression in a wider sense, mainly with telephotos) can carry much of the environment’s character and atmosphere. If it becomes a blend of the right elements for it, the subject included, it can also emphasise it or characterise it. So, e.g. animal (telephoto) photography often shows degrees of the effect. You see a single subject in focus, figuratively and photographically, but the whole place can come through such an extract. In this case also, though not apparent without looking at comparisons, the light had more weight than the depth of field. Moving clouds at certain angles reveal our visual world plasticity as it is constantly pulsing beyond our perception. It’s more visible in comparisons of photographs where how much and how exactly the light is diffused in the slices of the space layered hidden in the shot changes the impression dramatically. We were taking this image, or just passing by, since the spring on a couple of occasions and barely a third of the shots from this day, in a span of 20 min that looked good for it, were distinct for this yew forest detail compression (different to lens compression). Taking the f2 and f2.8 versions created unique combinations (of the light and depth of field) for a proper look later. Surrey Hills

Giant Polypore

Nikkor 24-70/2.8 S @29mm, f2.8 (Photomatix fusion Natural, 4 exp/4 EV Mid-October, against a bright background of a lit opening; in a dark, moist mixed forest (about 20% of Britain would be today covered by true rainforest – along the west coast just like in Tasmania). The shot composed/shot by Zlatka who also came across the scene first (with me pressing the cable). She then went for a scale version that we liked best. I tried to translate/convey the sense of the Czech name of this large polypore by using a noun-to-personal-noun suffix equivalent to the Czech -ovec (to the root word ‘fan’ in English). The suffix is used to denote a member of a group (and organisation or movement) for a person, animal and plant (or, in this case, fungus), which lends a thing a defined waft of a personal noun (obviously), here based on form. English suffixes for noun to personal noun (not derived from activity, verb or other) that I found (six of them) can’t be used for this instance to create a personal noun of such association/feel. Czech also uses male/female gender, e.g. vějíř and vějířovec are male and are perceived distinctly as such. In another example, Japanese, like English, has no grammatical genders but has a gendered language. Old English also had three genders and artists, poets etc. tend to use them despite the rules (the use may be increasing which may reflect the growing role of art and its modern-day extent). Giant polypore is the most used name for this fungus. Some of these old fan-shaped lobes are over 40 cm across and the front part closer to the camera almost reaches Zlatka's knees. There isn’t a scientific (Intranational) name for it, which is not uncommon in English. Czech, where the vernacular (folk) names play a marginal role, has been developing extensive terminology in that regard for a long time, including names of higher taxa. There is beauty in both approaches (with the latter resulting in more coverage). This fungus is damaging to trees. Just a tiny part of the fungi ecosystem are strong parasites. Beech, in particular, is prone to attacks on rich, moist soils where it also is vulnerable to gales because of its underdeveloped root system in such soils. The tree weakened by the fungus is often snapped by a gale, some four metres above the ground here. The tree in the bottom left corner is an old yew (‘berries’ on the forest floor). Surry Hills

Hen of the Woods

Nikkor 24-70/2.8 S @57mm, f4 (Photomatix fusion Natural, 2 exp/1.4 EV range), Nikon Z 6 Changing cloud around noon, late October (after a stormy night); on an oak tree (1.5 kg), a few sweet chestnuts around. Mushrooms were used since Stone Age for food and other uses. If you thought finely spiced roasted pieces of chicken tasted nice, you haven’t tried this (the fungus is also cultivated). A spice in itself, it doesn’t need a seasoning to beat it in every culinary aspect. Surrey Hills

Sweet Chestnut

Nikkor 24-70/2.8 S @70mm, f2.8, hand-held, Nikon Z 6 Afternoon, bright sky (second half of October); the previous 24-70/2.8 G and E Nikkors were more like different versions rather than the latter being an overall upgrade (you would find use to both for 24-70 critical/preferred work). The G lens was remarkably ahead of its time, whereas the E pulled off some specialised prime lens features not seen with stabilised (VR) zoom lenses. The new system S 2.8 24-70 is that upgrade. It’s set apart mainly (but not only) by closeup sharpens and overall rendition at such settings, so it’s now a versatile, perfectly optimised quality lens (that was/is hard to make). After a stop to cook our lunch, we started collecting the nuts for the second time this season (great in bolete soup, among other). The naturalised sweet chestnut has been troubled by a fungus in a story similar to that of the ash tree, especially on the continent, where the local European species lack resistance to the disease common in the fungus’ natural environment. Pollen records support the view that its heavy seed spread is slow (south-north shifts) through the competing (and faster spreading) flora during relatively short climate optimums and rather limited (bodies of water). The data point that in favourable conditions after the last glacial, the spread was significantly helped/sped up by the (modern) human element in Europe. The unusually dry and hot weather this year suited the chestnuts whose root system develops strong tap root. Too humid soils affect the tree habitus, leaves volume, number of nuts and quality of the wood of the generally very adaptive tree. It also prefers sheltered interiors and less windy enclaves. Surrey Hills

Oak IV

Milvus 35/1.4 @f1.4 (Photomatix fusion Natural 5 exp/6 EV range), Nikon Z 6 Late afternoon early May Surrey Hills

The Tree

Nikkor 24-70/2.8 S @70mm, f2.8, (Photomatix fusion Natural 2 exp/1.3 EV range), Nikon Z 6 Evening sun; the messenger tree. Threes like this spread all over the Earth. Buckingham Palace

Wild Garlic

Nikkor 24-70/2.8 S @43mm, f2.8 (Photomatix fusion Natural 3 exp/2 EV range), Nikon Z 6 Noon; flowering garlic under a lime tree - https://tinyurl.com/first-leaves-in-March It will take time to restore ash populations in Europe with hopefully ash dieback resistant types. The tree is being devastated in the UK. I am looking at an ash tree in prime condition, among other trees, straight out of my window. The lime is another vital element of a healthy functioning European woodland that, in its natural state, is one of the Earth’s most impressive wonders right there with natural forests we admire and demand to be protected by others from Borneo to Amazon. The European woodland was predominantly reduced to manufacturing facilities and pseudo-woodlands in a spectrum of landscape architecture of various forms and purposes. But the term “recreational” seems to indicate that there may be specific disbalances in the primary approach to life. Today we increasingly recognise the reach this has and that the shift towards that type of life was simplistically naive, in essence primitive take on the genuine realisation of human needs and ambitions that has been backfiring in many (unexpected) ways. Surrey Hills

Wild Garlic ; Flower

Milvus 35/1.4 @f1.4 (Photomatix fusion Natural 2 exp/0.7 EV range), Nikon Z 6 Surrey Hills

Greater Stitchwort

Milvus 35/1.4 @f1.4, (Photomatix fusion Natural, 3 exp/2.7 EV range) Nikon Z 6 Current days, early evening; the fragrance in bluebells-covered forests turns fruiter and sweeter as they fade and other flowers pop out of the pastel milky green vegetation in moister parts of the chalk forest. Shot not far from the Mill Road named after John Stuart Mill, a politician who knew about the value of these fragments of woods. Born over two centuries ago, one would be forgiven for feeling our world would benefit from the moral clarity and principles he stood for and represented. Surrey Hills

Yew Tree ; Spring

Nikkor 24-70/2.8 S @60mm, f2.8, (Photomatix fusion Natural 4 exp/2.7 EV range), Nikon Z 6 Midday; a yew tree on a ridge in the early second half of April. The cool spring makes the flowering stage of bluebells gradual and long. At this time (1st May), the flowering is in its climax; the woods are filled with the most pleasant flowery fragrance for weeks this year. Surrey Hills

Bird Cherry

Sigma 100-400 OS C @200mm, f7.1, Nikon D750 Late afternoon, April's early second half; large cherry trees in the upper canopy starting to bloom. As young boys, we used to climb these to reach the small, almost black cherries. The taste is aromatic, distinctly bitter-sweet. Surrey Hills

Surrey Hills

Sigma 100-400 OS C @120mm, f10, Nikon D750 Late afternoon; temperate mixed forest spring (yew and pine for needle-leaf trees). Transparent, leafless forests and the whole landscape start to bloom with swollen buds, sprouting leaves and flowers, and in the course of weeks, all-shades greenery gradually fills the space in one of the most impressive (annual) events on Earth.

Hawthorn

Nikkor 24-70/2.8 S @33mm, f2.8, (Photomatix 3 exp/1.5 EV range), Nikon Z 6 Early evening in an early spring yew forest; this ragged, age-old, moss-covered tree is still full of life; further to the right, there is a robust leading branch off the horizontal branch outside the framing (by some 25 cm) forming a symmetrical shrub in perfect health. Surrey Hills

The New Forest

Nikkor 24-70/2.8 S @49mm, f6.3, Nikon Z 6

Oak III

Nikkor 24-70/2.8 S @70mm, f2.8, (3 exp over 1 EV, Photomatix), Nikon Z 6 Side-backlit (late sun glow, October) Ebernoe Wood

Yew Tree

Nikkor 24-70/2.8 S @24mm, f2.8, Photomatix merge (4 exp., 4 EV range), Nikon Z 6 Late afternoon (November); 75 degrees of ultra-wide-angle view (horizontal, 24 mm) includes most of the ground under the tree’s canopy Kingley wood

Ebernoe Wood II

Nikkor 24-70/2.8 S @70mm, f2.8, Nikon Z 6

Kingley Wood II

Kingley Wood II Nikkor 24-70/2.8 S @50mm, f2.8, Photomatix merge (4 exp., 2 EV range), Nikon Z 6 Afternoon, November sun